Matthew 1:5-6
At one level we know itt is true - Jesus is enough for every sin.
Part of the journey of fatih - the process of growing to be like Jesus as His followers - is that answers must become answers.
The depths of God's forgiveness are both wonderful and offensive.
Joshua 2.
Joshua sends 2 spies to Jericho. Rahab risks her life by hiding them from getting captured.
Hebrews 11:31
Rahab, a non-jewish prostitute, was saved and put on the hall of fames.
Becomes one of the mothers of the Messiah.
It seems that from the very beginning of Jesus' story God wants to slap us across the face with the grandness of our sin and the greater grandness of His forgiveness.
2 Samuel 11.
David chose to not live the purpose of his kingship.
He goes on his roof top and sees Bathsheba.
He takes her, and sleeps with her. She gets pregnant and David finds a way to save himself from Uriah(Bathsheba's husband). In the end he sends Uriah to battle to die.
Jesus came that people might be forgiven, even those we think have crossed a line and are " unforgiveable " (including ourselves).
1 Timothy 1:15
We are the same with Hitler. The only thing different is "evilness".
Matthew 6:12 "as we", 6:14-15 "will not"
God's call to give forgiveness is both wonderful AND offensive.
Forgive people everytime.
God couldn't be any clearer on this issue. Extending forgiveness to others is not an option, and the consequences of unforgiveness are utterly detrimental ! (Matthew 6:12-15; 18:21-35)
Unforgiveness impairs our fellowship with God. And unforgiveness gives Satan legal rights to torture our lives.
As right as bitterness, unforgiveness, and the longing for revenge feel, it is a trap - and many, many people are hooked.
Key things:
1. We must regularly meditate on what God has done for us in Jesus.
The stand for forgiving someone else isn't to weigh the offense of what someone has done to me, but weigh the gift God has given me in Jesus.
Unforgiveness says that I have lost sight of or don't yet truly understand the depths of what I've been forgiven. It says I need more revelation of the actual depths of what I've been forgiven.
2. We must know forgiveness
Forgive is not the same as trust. Forgiveness doesn't mean things automatically go back to the way they were.
3. We must know what forgiveness is.
Forgiveness is agreeing to with consequences of another peron's sin. Reality is
Forgive is choosing not to hold someone's sin against them.
It is refusing to bring up old issues with the person who wronged us or with other who will listen.
Forgiveness is leaving vengence and justice to God.
Forgiveness is not a feelings, but a choice we make by faith.
Forgiveness is a process. Often forgiveness is a choice we must make regularly until the wound is healed.