"The Case for Forgiveness"

"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you" ~ Ephesians 4:32

One of the most important things for Christians to remember every day of our lives, and one of the things many sadly forget, is just how much God has forgiven us. This remembrance should go a long way in dictating how we will react toward others. Some believers pretend that the choice to forgive or not to forgive gives them some power in a given situation. But if we persist in unforgiveness, it's not power that we are ingesting but poison. And it's poison that not only sickens you for the rest of this life, but also prevents you from spending eternity with Christ - a much more severe penalty. Part of the change that must happen when we experience salvation - when we begin to learn what it means to work out our salvation with fear and trembling - is that we no longer count others' sins against them. This is not optional for believers; it is a command. This week at Friendship, we'll make "The Case for Forgiveness" and look at the eternal danger of refusing to let go of others' sins while knowing that God has let go of ours. We all experience pain at the hands of others, which means this message is for all of us!