Forgiveness
Last week we talked about confession, and this Sunday we will look at a related topic: Forgiveness. There is no doubt that this is a topic that is both highly charged and very broad, so I would like your help by having you all discuss these two questions:
1. What are some questions you have about forgiveness?
2. What would you like to have addressed in this sermon?
I look forward to hearing your thoughts!
Pastor Josh
Two questions come to mind...One, how can you forgive someone when they continue the same hurtful behavior? Also, how can you forgive someone for hurting someone else, like a loved one? And, how can you move from having to remind yourself that you forgave them every day to that place of forgiveness where you feel the weight lifted?
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Hmmm...your questions cause me to look at forgiveness as something I choose to do because it's being obedient to God's Word...something between He and me, rather than the other person. Perhaps forgiveness is a process, like our salvation..a daily/constant effort?
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Josh;
I think it is a very convoluted concept. I'll look forward to your presentation of the subject. So much social/cultural influence comes into play, i.e. forgiveness & forgetting; forgiveness & engaging with the forgiven; forgiveness and how it relates to future involvement with the forgiven. And the question arises, "is it okay by God's standards to love someone from a distance?" Knowing when it's better to do so... or is that a reflect on the completion of the forgiveness? I believe forgiveness and praying for the one you're forgiving go hand in hand (a vital part of letting them go and committing them into God's Hands). Just a few words for consideration...you asked!
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I know this isn't really a question, but one thing that makes me excited about forgiveness is that it brings me closer to God. When I forgive someone, I have to sort of sacrifice (or let go of) things inside me so that I can love that person more fully, the way God loves them. And it costs me alot in terms of emotion and effort, etc. But it helps me to remember that it costs God alot to forgive them, too. Just like it costs Him alot to forgive me. It cost Him His son dying on the cross. And despite the heavy cost, God thinks it's worth it to forgive us and help us forgive each other.
Only sometimes I wonder if you have to feel like you've forgiven someone. I mean, how do I know I'm being sincere? I guess the ultimate goal is the eventual healing of relationship, so I could use that as a way to tell whether I'm sincerely forgiving someone or just lying to myself.
Looking forward to the sermon tomorrow!
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Just was in a Bible Study where the night's discussion was forgiveness. As I prepared for the evening I was praying about a situation I had forgiven, trying to discern whether I had truly forgiven or not. Through the time and thought, and then the discussion later that evening at the study, I found that all that was left in my heart about the person I had forgiven was love, and the sadness that I had not loved that person better. I knew that I had some responsibility in the situation, and all I could feel was regret rather than personal offense that that person had not forgiven me before their death. I realized today that I have forgiven. And of course, that person has forgiven me, because they stand before Jesus, and are made whole.
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