Part Four
Matthew
6:14-15 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your father who is in
heaven will forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses,
neither will your father forgive you your trespasses.”
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- Does God make us perfect in this life so that we never fail
to forgive?
- Does he bring us to the point immediately where our
response to every personal insult or injury is never, not for a moment,
resentment, anger, vengeance or self-pity?
- Is forgiveness the quality on which the Father’s
forgiveness depends?
- Does this mean that the disciple never has moments when an
unforgiving spirit has the ascendancy?
- Does this mean that forgiveness is a way by which we earn
the Father’s forgiveness?
- Does this mean we are lost when the old unforgiving spirit
raises its head again?
“Forgive us our
debts as we forgive our debtors”…means:
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1. I don’t enjoy and revel in persistent,
intentional unforgiveness.
2. I don’t make a consistent practice of not
forgiving.
3. I make every effort to stop harbouring
resentments and tabulate wrongs.
4. I can dare to approach God in search of mercy
and know God will hear my plea for forgiveness.
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Forgiveness
flows from a heart satisfied with the mercy of God and rejoicing in the
cancellation of our own ten million dollar debt (Matthew 18:24).
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The
person who has, through mercy, been born from above cannot be the same any
more. God is at work in him to will and to do his good pleasure (Philippians
2:13.
Can
we have assurance of eternal life even if we have not reached the point of
having fully forgiven others?
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We are a
new creation (Galatians 6:15); and the mark of our newness is not yet
perfection, but a persistent inclination to forgive, a journey towards
forgiveness.
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The process of forgiveness may consist of three steps forward and two steps
back. It may be take a long time. But..... are we moving towards forgiveness?
If you would like to read more about forgiveness, please go to this link.
If you would like to read more about forgiveness, please go to this link.
