Bitterness is essentially the result of not forgiving others (responding in the wrong). Hebrews 12:15 - When a seed of bitterness is planted, we need to forgive and "nip it in the bud" before it can take root.
Forgiveness (Luke 17:3-10):
1. Forgiveness is to be granted only if a <strong>sin</strong> has been committed against you.
2. Sometimes the offended party must initiate forgiveness. The one who knows, is the one who goes.
3. Forgiveness is costly.
4. Forgiveness is fundamentally a promise. Hebrews 8:1 - you will no longer hold their trespasses against them.
5. Forgiveness is not the same as trust. (The offender still has to earn back the trust. Holding back trust where it is deserved is wrong).
6. Forgiveness does not focus on secondary causes but on the sovereignty of God.
7. Forgiveness involves an act of the will - not emotions. Romans 12:7-21 - can only "fight" with good.
Things that depend on you:
Have I provoked him/her?
Have I protracted/aggravated his evil?
Have I prolonged the problem by not dealing with it correctly?
Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone with Nextel Direct Connect
No comments:
Post a Comment