Faith Till The End (part 10) Faith only works in a forgiving heart.

Faith Till The End (part 10)

Faith only works in a forgiving heart.

9.18.2022

Review

1 John 5:4 (NKJV)

For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

Ephesians 6:16 (NKJV)

Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.

1 Timothy 6:12 (NKJV)

Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV)

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

I am covering 8 things you need to know about faith. We have covered the 1^st 7 points.

1. Faith is a gift given to you by Jesus.

2. Faith can be increased by meditation and practice of the word.

3. Faith takes the place of what cannot be seen or felt until it actually appears.

4. Faith is never future. Faith is always in the present tense.

5. Faith cannot be separated from Words. (2 weeks on this!)

6. The foundation for faith is a heart relationship with God.

7. Unrepentant sin can hinder faith.

8. Faith only works in a forgiving heart.

Since God forgives us, we must forgive others and not hold offense towards anyone for any reason!

Mark 11:25-26 (AMPC)

And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him and let it drop (leave it, let it go), in order that your Father Who is in heaven may also forgive you your [own] failings and shortcomings and let them drop. 26 But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your failings and shortcomings.

Some find it easier to forgive because of the nature of their family. Some are quite challenged in letting things go when offenses occur.

We must CHOOSE to forgive just as God forgives us!

Ephesians 4:32 (AMPC)

And become useful and helpful and kind to one another, tenderhearted (compassionate, understanding, loving-hearted), forgiving one another [readily and freely], as God in Christ forgave you.

Hebrews 12:15 (NLT)

Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.

Romans 2:1 (AMPC)

THEREFORE YOU have no excuse or defense or justification, O man, whoever you are who judges and condemns another. For in posing as judge and passing sentence on another, you condemn yourself, because you who judge are habitually practicing the very same things [that you censure and denounce].

When God forgives us He says:

1) I will not bring the issue up to you again.

2) I will not bring it up to others.

3) I will think of it NO MORE.

When we forgive, we say:

1) I will not bring it up to you again.

2) I will not talk about it to others.

3) Instead of thinking about the offense, I will pray for you.

Colossians 3:13 (NLT)

Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.

1 Peter 4:8 (AMPC)

Above all things have intense and unfailing love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins [forgives and disregards the offenses of others].

Proverbs 10:12 (AMPC)

Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers and overwhelms all transgressions [forgiving and overlooking others faults].

Matthew 18:21-35 (NLT)

Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?” 22 “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!

23 “Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him. 24 In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars. 25 He couldn’t pay, so his master ordered that he be sold—along with his wife, his children, and everything he owned—to pay the debt. 26 “But the man fell down before his master and begged him, ‘Please, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.’ 27 Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt. 28 “But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment.29 “His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it,’ he pleaded. 30 But his creditor wouldn’t wait. He had the man arrested and put in prison until the debt could be paid in full. 31 “When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him everything that had happened. 32 Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. 33 Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ 34 Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt.

35 “That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.”

Forgiveness does not always mean the relationship is restored to normal if a person has been irresponsible, unless they too repent and change how they are acting!

Husbands. Love your wives and give them grace!

1 Peter 3:7 (AMPC)

In the same way, you husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way [with great gentleness and tact, and with an intelligent regard for the marriage relationship], as with someone physically weaker, since she is a woman. Show her honor and respect as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered or ineffective.

Let’s keep our hearts soft towards others, and our faith will continue to be a robust, working faith!

Action Points:

1. Sin will hinder my faith life with the Lord. Do I confess my sins immediately or do I wait a while?

2. Forgiveness is a must if my faith is to work properly. Do I forgive others when their actions offend me in some way?

3. Do I forgive the way God forgives? Once He forgives, He never brings it up to me again, He doesn’t bring it up to others, and He chooses to never think about it again. Do I do that and pray for those who wrong me instead of brooding over their actions?