Displaying items by tag: Forgiveness

Faith the Facts: Don’t Get Bitter…GET BETTER! - Jesse Duplantis | June-15-2022. It’s time to put away BITTERNESS and become BETTER! Be strengthened by this message from Jesse and start walking in forgiveness.

Joyce Meyer (June-09-2022) Daily Devotional: Guilt and Forgiveness.

Jesus forgave all of our sins when He died on the cross, and He paid the price for our guilt as well. When we acknowledge or admit our sin to God, telling Him everything, refusing to hide our sin, we are able to receive His gift of grace. Confession is good for the soul; it allows us to let go of heavy burdens that are caused by guilty secrets.

The feeling of guilt does not always go away instantly, but we can take God at His Word and say, "I am forgiven, and the guilt has been removed." Our feelings will eventually catch up with our decisions. We can live by the truth in God's Word and not the way we feel.

Prayer Starter: Lord, I receive what You did for me on the cross, I believe I am forgiven, and I thank You that my guilt has been removed, amen.

Rick Warren (may-21-2022) Daily Devotional: What Forgiveness Really Is

“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." - Luke 23:34 (NIV)

Forgiveness may be the most misused, misapplied, and misunderstood quality in our culture. You may think you know what forgiveness is all about, but, if you’re like most people, you really don’t.

Here’s a quiz to help you gauge your understanding of forgiveness; decide if each statement is true or false.

1. A person should not be forgiven until they ask for it.
2. Forgiving includes minimizing the offense and the pain caused.
3. Forgiveness includes restoring trust and reuniting a relationship.
4. You haven’t really forgiven until you’ve forgotten the offense.
5. When you see somebody hurt, it is your duty to forgive the offender.

When you read the Bible and learn what God has to say about forgiveness, you discover that all five of those statements are false.

Since most people don’t understand forgiveness, we’re going to spend the next few days looking at what forgiveness really is.

First, real forgiveness is unconditional. There are no requirements attached to it. You don’t earn it. You don’t deserve it. You don’t bargain for it. Forgiveness is not based on a promise to never do it again. You offer forgiveness to somebody whether they ask for it or not.

When Jesus stretched out his hands on the cross and said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing,” nobody had asked for it (Luke 23:34 NIV). Nobody had said, “Jesus, please forgive me for what we’re doing to you.” He just offered it. He took the initiative.

Second, forgiveness isn’t minimizing the seriousness of the offense. When somebody asks for your forgiveness and you say, “It’s no big deal. It really didn’t hurt,” that actually cheapens forgiveness. If the offense wasn’t a big deal, then you don’t need to ask for or offer forgiveness.

Forgiveness is for the big stuff. You don’t use it for slights that are just minor issues; life’s small slights just require patience and acceptance. It’s life’s big wrongs that require forgiveness—and those wrongs shouldn’t be minimized. If an offense was a big deal, admit that it was. And then forgive, or ask for forgiveness.

Understanding forgiveness is the first step to living it out. So the next time you’ve offended someone, or have been offended yourself, remember these two things: First, forgiveness is unconditional. And, second, forgiveness never minimizes the wrong.

Talk It Over

• Is there someone you’ve forgiven conditionally—with requirements attached? How can you move toward unconditional forgiveness today?
• Why is it so hard to offer forgiveness to someone who has not asked for it? How can you forgive, even when the offender never asks for it?
• How does your attitude about forgiveness change when you consider how Christ forgave you?

Billy Graham - Watch Sermon: The Power of Forgiveness. "Thirsty for something more in life that you haven't found?" Hear Billy Graham explain how God's forgiveness satisfies your soul in this 1993 message from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

John Hagee - Watch Sermon: The Power of Forgiveness. Pastor Hagee tells us that forgiveness is the key that unlocks the door of hatred and resentment. Are you allowing someone in your life to hold you prisoner due to your lack of forgiveness? Approach them today, and ask for forgiveness so that you might be set free.

Joyce Meyer (April-11-2022) Daily Devotional: The Path of Forgiveness

"Why me, God?" was the cry of my heart for many years. Because of my wounded emotions from a lifetime of suffering, I lived in a wilderness of self-pity and unforgiveness. It was a huge problem that kept me from fulfilling the plan of God for my life.

Many people are hurting terribly and are crying out for help, but they aren't willing to receive the help God has to offer. It is amazing how often we want things our way. When someone hurts you, you feel they owe you something, yet Jesus wants you to let it go. No matter how much you may want His help, you will receive only when you become willing to do things God's way.

Prayer Starter: Lord, I know that Your way is forgiveness, so please help me to forgive others, forgive myself, and receive Your forgiveness once and for all.

Watch Christian Movie - Uganda: Ready to Forgive.

This is an African story of God’s amazing grace. Through twenty years of war, the Acholi people of Northern Uganda endured rape, torture and child abduction. Many were displaced in squalid camps. Thousands died. Others are still missing. Despite all of this, the Acholi are united in a belief that the only real solution is reconciliation and forgiveness.

This program is hosted by Rwandan genocide survivor Immaculée Ilibagiza. She takes us to northern Uganda to see God at work in the Church of Uganda. We witness powerful stories of loss, death and disease told by young and old. We see and hear songs and affirmations of faith among the Acholi people.

John MacArthur (January-13-2022) Daily Devotional: Enjoying God's Forgiveness

In Christ we have "the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of [God's] grace, which He lavished upon us" (Eph. 1:7-8).

In Christ we have infinite forgiveness for every sin—past, present, and future.

On Israel's Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) the high priest selected two goats. One was sacrificed; the other set free. Before releasing the second goat, the high priest symbolically placed the sins of the people on it by laying his hands on its head. This "scapegoat" was then taken a great distance from camp and released—never to return again (Lev. 16:7-10).

The Greek word translated "forgiveness" in Ephesians 1:7 means "to send away." It speaks of cancelling a debt or granting a pardon. Like the scapegoat, Christ carried away our sins on the cross.

In Christ, God cancelled your debt and pardoned your transgressions, and He did so "according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon [you]" (v. 8). That means you have infinite forgiveness because God's grace is infinite. You cannot sin beyond God's grace because where sin abounds, grace super-abounds (Rom. 5:20).

God delights in lavishing His grace upon you. Such grace is overflowing and cannot be contained. You are forgiven for every sin—past, present, and future. You will never be condemned by God or separated from Him (Rom. 8:1-2, 31-39). Even when you fail, God doesn't hold your sins against you. Christ bore them all so that you might know the joy and peace that freedom from sin and guilt brings.

Let the reality of God's grace fill your heart with joy and assurance. Let the responsibility of glorifying Him fill you with awe and reverence. Let this day be a sacrifice of praise and service to Him.

Suggestions for Prayer

• Thank God for His infinite grace and forgiveness.
• Look for opportunities to extend forgiveness to others.

Jerry Savelle - Watch Sermon: Back To The Basics: Forgiveness of Sins.

Welcome to "Back to the Basics" with Dr. Jerry Savelle. In today's video we are going to focus on Hebrews 10 “Forgiveness of Sins!” and the reasons why we need the God kind of faith.

1.) The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much (James 5;16)
2.) For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous (1 Peter 3;12)
3.) Can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. (Hebrews 10;1)
4.) For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. (Hebrews 10;2)
5.) For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works (Ephesians 2;10)
6.) But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come (Hebrews 9;11-14) 

Joseph Prince (November-07-2021) Daily Devotional: You Have Been Forgiven Much

Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little. - Luke 7:47

Let’s look at Luke 7:36-50 to see what Jesus said about the forgiveness of sins. Simon, a Pharisee, had invited Jesus to his house. While Jesus was seated at the table in Simon’s house, a woman came to Him. She began to weep and she washed His feet with her tears. Then, she wiped His feet with her hair, kissed them, and anointed them with fragrant oil.

When Simon saw this, he said to himself, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.”

Even though Simon did not speak aloud, it is interesting that Jesus answered him by posing this question to him: “There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?” Simon answered, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.” Jesus said to him, “You have rightly judged.”

Then, Jesus turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”

The woman loved Jesus much because she knew that she was forgiven much. In actuality, no one has been forgiven little. We have all been forgiven much. As for this woman, she knew it. So the most “dangerous” thing about this doctrine of complete forgiveness of sins is that you will fall in love with Jesus and end up effortlessly fulfilling the greatest commandment: “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Matt. 22:36-38). Hallelujah!

If you think that you have been forgiven little, then you will love little. But when you know the truth of how much you have been forgiven, you will love Jesus much! Knowing how much you have been forgiven is the secret to loving Jesus! In other words, you will only love Jesus much when you experience His lavish grace and unmerited favor in forgiving you of all your sins—past, present, and future. But His grace is cheapened when you think that He has only forgiven you of your sins up to the time you got saved, and after that point, you have to depend on your confession of sins to be forgiven.

God’s forgiveness is not given in installments. Don’t go around thinking that when you confess a sin, He forgives you only for that sin. Then, the next time you sin, you need to confess your sin again for Him to forgive you again. Such is the kind of belief that cheapens His grace. And the result of this is that because you think that He has forgiven you little, you will end up loving Him little, and deprive yourself of running to Him and seeing Him help, deliver and prosper you.

Beloved, with one sacrifice on the cross, Jesus blotted out all the sins of your entire life! Don’t cheapen His unmerited favor with your own imperfect efforts to confess all your sins. Accord this gift that Jesus has given you the value that it deserves by fully receiving and experiencing His unmerited favor today!