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The Jesus Way

Pt. 7: Forgiveness

By Louie Marsh, 8-24-2025

Last Intro slide – Stupid!

Disciples of Jesus Forgive…

· As Jesus COMMANDED

¹² and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. Matthew 6:12 (ESV)

Why Do We Forgive?

· Today we are told we forgive for OURSELVES.

Remember, you don't forgive someone for his or her sake - you forgive them for your sake.

Mayo Clinic - What are the benefits of forgiving someone?

Letting go of grudges and bitterness can make way for compassion, kindness and peace. Forgiveness can lead to:

· Healthier relationships

· Greater spiritual and psychological well-being

· Less anxiety, stress and hostility

· Lower blood pressure

· Fewer symptoms of depression

· Lower risk of alcohol and substance abuse

What Does the New Testament Say?

·  Because GOD has forgiven me.

³⁰ And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. ³¹ Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. ³² Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:30-32 (ESV)

"To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you."  - CS Lewis

· To MODEL Jesus before the world.

³⁵ But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. ³⁶ Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. Luke 6:35-36 (ESV)

The Essence of Discipleship:

·  FORSAKING self.

²³ And he said to all, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. ²⁴ For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. Luke 9:23-24 (ESV)

· BECOMING LIKE Jesus.

"²⁹For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers." (Romans 8:29, ESV)

"³⁰He must increase, but I must decrease."" (John 3:30, ESV)

How Do We Forgive?

· I must LET GO of my pain, resentment, anger etc.

"¹⁰To the married I give this charge (not I, but the Lord): the wife should not separate from her husband ¹¹(but if she does, she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband), and the husband should not divorce his wife." (1 Corinthians 7:10–11, ESV)

ἀφίημι aphiēmi; from 575 and ἵημι hiēmi (to send); to send away, leave alone, permit:—abandoned(1), allow(5), allowed(2), divorce(2), forgave(2), forgive(23), forgiven(23), forgives(1), gave … permission(1), leave(7), leaves(2), leaving(8), left(38), let(9), let … alone(6), let him have(1), neglected(1), neglecting(2), permit(6), permitted(1), permitting(1), send … away(1), tolerate(1), uttered(1), yielded(1).  -  Robert L. Thomas, New American Standard Hebrew-Aramaic and Greek Dictionaries : Updated Edition (Anaheim: Foundation Publications, Inc., 1998).

Forgive means to let go, separate even translated divorce once.

So forgiving means I let go of my anger, resent, and all ill feelings towards those that hurt me.

· This can take a LONG TIME.

"⁴¹Now Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him, and Esau said to himself, "The days of mourning for my father are approaching; then I will kill my brother Jacob."" (Genesis 27:41, ESV)

"⁴But Esau ran to meet him and embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept." (Genesis 33:4, ESV)

· Forgiveness is not – agreeing or saying what happened was good, or even trusting that person again.