I need your comment on Assurance of Forgiveness topic.....
@Zelmarq (12607)
Cebu City, Philippines
February 5, 2008 6:54pm CST
I will speak for a small youth fellowship this coming friday. We have each share of topic to share every friday and this friday is my turn and my topic is about Assurance of Forgivenes.
I need your comment, i have prepared a fact sheet for that topic and I hope to hear your comments and suggestions.Thank you in advance.
Forgiveness means that we are not going to allow the experiences of the past to dominate our future and to prevent us from becoming all that God has planned we should become. There may well be memories we are unable to put out of mind, but we choose not to allow them to control our attitudes and behaviour in the future, even toward those who may be responsible for those memories.
Two New Testament words we translate "to forgive" mean literally "to let go" and "to cancel a debt". I found that at times the phrase "I forgive you" seemed empty, so I said, "I release you. I let you go. I let go of this offence. I cancel your debt. You owe me nothing now. I renounce my desire to get even with you." That way, the imagery of this biblical language filled the word "forgiveness" with a more specific and concrete meaning.
The basis upon which all sin is forgiven is found in Matthew 26:28: " This is my blood of the covenant which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins."
What must we do in order to have our sins forgiven?
Answer: 1 John 1:9 " If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."
The consequences of unconfessed sin:
Proverbs 28:13
He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces then finds mercy.
Psalms 66:18
If I cherished sin in my heart the Lord would have not listened.
What attitude of heart characterizes confession?
Psalm 38:18
I confess my iniquity, i am troubled by my sin.
Confession as described by David
Psalm 32:5
The I acknowledged my sin to you and you did not cover up my iniquity. I said " I confess my transgressions to the Lord" and you forgave the guilt of my sin.
David's prayer expectation after confessiong his sin.
Psalm 52:12
Restore to the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain.
Our attitude towards others:
Ephesians 4:32
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgive each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Why forgiveness matters?
1. Unforgiveness will hurt no one more than myself
2. Unforgiveness will often hurt others
3. Unforgiveness may deny healing to another
4. Unforgiveness affects my relationship with God
5. Unforgiveness is readily exploited by the Evil One
6. Forgiveness demonstrates Christ's presence
7. It shows our own experience of God's forgiveness
We never touch the ocean of God's love so much as when we love our enemies. It is a joy to accept forgiveness, but it is almost a greater joy to give forgiveness.
8 people like this
14 responses
@squaretile (3778)
• Singapore
6 Feb 08
i think this is a very good fact sheet, zelmarq!
no further additions or comments on it. I think for youths, what matters is also the delivery of the lesson and when you share, if they are open to you, and if they trust and respect you, then the lesson will go down much more strongly with them.
all the best and let us know how it goes. Forgiveness is a very important topic. Unforgiveness only harms the person because it allows for a bitter root to poison the wellspring...
@GardenGerty (160883)
• United States
6 Feb 08
Friend, I think you have done a very thorough job, and some of your words touch my heart and my soul. They are beautiful to my mind. Our church is dealing with a difficult time. Some wrong has been done, a big wrong, and our congregation is hurting because of it. We had a terrific sermon on forgiveness last week.Forgiveness is a big thing to think of and it is hard to understand or commit to. I hope you do not mind if I share your comment with others.
2 people like this
@lucy02 (5015)
• United States
6 Feb 08
This is very good, Zelmarq. I have asked myself sometimes if I have forgiven someone or not. I might say that I've forgiven them but my mind keeps going back to the pain I felt. I wondered how do I know the difference. I think you explained it well when you said that you "release" them of that...the way God has released me. I have to admit there are people that I had thought I had forgiven but realize now that I didn't really. I never released them of it. I didn't try to get even with them but I still carried the offense around in my heart. Thanks for explaining it so well. Now I can work on actually forgiving or "releasing" the person.
1 person likes this
@Shaun72 (15959)
• Palatka, Florida
23 Feb 08
This is very true. Unforgiveness affects your life more ofthen then it does others. I have learned this myself in the past. These are very good bible verses and a very good disscussion.
@Zelmarq (12607)
• Cebu City, Philippines
23 Feb 08
We all go through life's series of pains and hurt and along the way we bump into each others' hearts and often get hurt by others, and we thank God that we have the assurance of forgiveness, coz in this manner we can also forgive those who have wronged us.
@chrysz (1602)
• Philippines
6 Feb 08
Ur both right that forgiveness should come from the heart or else, it would only be an empty word.
When I heal myself, I first forgive myself and the person who have helped me. If I cannot face him/her yet, I try to keep myself away from him/her to avoid confrontation or hurling bad words. Sometimes forgiving is not an easy task but if we have learned how to deal with our own pains and sins and live our lives the way it should be according to God's plan, then it would eventually be a success.
2 people like this
@Lakota12 (42600)
• United States
6 Feb 08
Looks to me like you have covered everything here.
Yuor right you cant let it dominate your life just have to move on and forget all about it . Dont let it eat ya up in quilt for you get no where that way all ya have to say is I forgive and its gone go on with your life and dont make the same mistake again! even if it wasnt your fault! hugs
1 person likes this
@jillmalitz (5131)
• United States
6 Feb 08
You have a very good lesson going there. Should be a good discussion. I frequently am reminded of what a minister said about forgiveness. He was talking about how we get ourselves so balled up in anger and unforgiveness that we really hurt ourselves. He said we should forgive, not for the person who hurt us, but so that we can free ourselves and move on with our lives.
1 person likes this
@teapotmommommerced (10359)
• United States
7 Feb 08
Thank you I needed your sermon today. I have been very angry at my mom for all the stuff she has been putting me through. Now I feel better I have forgiven her for her last episods.
I cannot think of anything else to add to your sermon. I am not a good person to ask I do not know the bible that well.
1 person likes this
@barehugs (8973)
• Canada
7 Feb 08
Your Post speaks of Earthly Forgiveness, and Heavenly Forgiveness.
Lets speak to the Earthly first! I like your debt cancellation process. To let go, and cancel debt, is very forgiving! But you go too far when you say, "I let go of this offence!" True love precludes Any Offence. If its an offence against you, and love prevails, its not an offence (and never was)!
Now to the Heavenly! God is Love! Humans have never been able to grasp the concept of the Complete and Total Love which Is God. "A Jealous God, A Fearful God, A wrathful God" are only a few of the connotations which have been hung on God. When in fact, God is simply Love,Complete Divine Love, and does not harbor Any of the human Emotions. Absolute Love demands Absolutely Nothing! God has absolutely no need to forgive anyone anything because He demands Absolutely Nothing. Love needs No forgiveness, indeed How could Anyone sin against a God of Love, a God devoid of any other (Human) emotion? You speak of the "Ocean of God's Love!" Lets get in and get our feet wet and feel the joy associated with God's Absolute and Total Love.
1 person likes this
@carmelanirel (20942)
• United States
6 Feb 08
Wow, Zelmarq, this has an anointing on it, I felt it..
I have always struggled with forgiving people, even after I started serving G♥d. My biggest test came when years ago a relative had done something wrong to my family and today, we are still paying for it.. I did forgive him, but not until much prayer and time..
I love what you said, "I release you. I let you go. I let go of this offence. I cancel your debt. You owe me nothing now. I renounce my desire to get even with you." (especially the, "I renounce my desire to get even with you" WOW)
I will have to remember this in the future..:)
1 person likes this
@anniem72 (50)
• United States
22 Feb 08
Wow! I think u created an excellent fact sheet! I couldn't have done a better job myself. You definitely get an A+ from me! There is nothing I can think of that I would suggest to add. I enjoyed reading your fact sheet you put together. You made my day! Great Job!
1 person likes this
@Zelmarq (12607)
• Cebu City, Philippines
23 Feb 08
Thank you for the compliment and thank you also for the A+, this was made through thorough research and im glad Iw as able to deliver the message well to the young people.