Rck Slid: Laying the fundatin fr spiritual grwth LESSON 8 Frgiveness Nthing causes us t s nearly resemble Gd as the frgiveness f injuries. CHRYSOSTOM Discussin: PRAY FIRST: O Father, I thank thee that in fullness f grace thu hast given me t Jesus, t be His sheep, jewel, prtin; I Jesus I thank thee that in fullness f grace thu hast accepted, espused, bund me; O Hly Spirit, I thank thee that in fullness f grace thu hast exhibited Jesus as my salvatin, implanted faith within me, subdued my stubbrn heart, made me ne with him frever. Understanding the Truth What des it mean t be frgiven? Hw can a believer experience frgiveness nce he has failed? Hw shuld frgiveness affect ur relatinships with thers? 55
What Is Frgiveness? Frgiveness is the act f setting smene free frm an bligatin t yu that is the result f a wrng dne against yu. When smene des smething wrng t us, what are sme bligatins that we place n them t pay us back? What Des it Mean t Be Frgiven? A. Whm did David say he wrnged, accrding t Psalm 51:4? B. What is the penalty/bligatin f everyne wh sins against Gd, accrding t Ezekiel 18:4? C. What did Gd d in rder t set us free frm this bligatin? (Read 2 Crinthians 5:21) Hw Can One Experience Frgiveness? A. What did Peter say is necessary t experience frgiveness? (Read Acts 3:19) B. What must we d t experience frgiveness in a practical way? (Read 1 Jhn 1:9) C. What is Gd s prmise? T cnfess means t agree with r speak the same as Gd abut it. Cnfessin withut a change f cnduct simply makes yu feel gd, but cnfessin with repentance brings the cmpassin and cleansing f Gd (Prverbs 28:13). What Des Gd D With Our Debts (sins)? Read the fllwing verses and match the verse with the right answer Psalm 103:12 Cast behind His back Isaiah 38:17 Remembered n mre Isaiah 43:25 Cast int the depths f the sea Micah 7:19 Remved as far as the East is frm the We 56
Hw Shuld Frgiveness Affect Our Relatinships? A. Accrding t Ephesians 4:32, why shuld we frgive thers? B. What is ne cnsequence f nt frgiving thers, accrding t Matthew 6:14-15? C. Read Matthew 18:21-35. Let s interpret this parable. 1. Wh is the king? 2. Wh is the slave? 3. What des the debt (10,000 talents) represent? 4. Wh are the fellw slaves? 5. Why did the king get s angry with the slave wh refused t frgive his fellw slave? 6. What is the message t us? Discussin: Is this passage saying ur relatinship r fellwship with Gd is cnditined upn ur frgiveness f thers? Frgiveness des nt mean frgetting. Only Gd has the ability t frget (Hebrews 10:17). We are given memry s that we may learn. Gd desn t need t remember anything because He knws everything (Isaiah 40:28). Just because yu remember smething smene has dne t yu des nt mean yu have nt frgiven him r her. The key is yur attitude twards that persn and yur expectatin f him. Are yu still bligating him t pay yu back? Embracing the Truth Knitting the truth f Gd s Wrd int ur lives 1. Let s take a self-examinatin n frgiveness. G thrugh this list f peple and ask yurself: Have any f these peple hurt me? Am I expecting smene t pay me back fr the hurt I m feeling? Yur parents Yur spuse r ex-spuse Yur children A c-wrker A friend r frmer friend A fellw believer 57
2. Is it pssible fr yu t make peace with this persn? If s, as a believer, yu need t make the first mve. (Read Rmans 12:18) 3. What des the Lrd Jesus tell us t d befre cming t wrship, accrding t Matthew 5:23-24? Frgiveness is nt easy, but it is essential. When there is unfrgiveness in yur life, it will weigh yu dwn and hinder yur walk with Christ. If yu have unfrgiveness in yur life, stp right nw and ask Gd t frgive yu. Then make plans t g t the persn that yu have nt frgiven and get it right. Here are sme suggested steps: 1. Set up a time t talk with him r her persnally and privately. 2. Express hw yu were hurt. Smetimes the ther persn has n idea. 3. Dn t expect him r her t respnd in any particular way whatsever. 4. Let him r her knw why yu desire t get it right. 5. N matter what the respnse, give the debt t Christ and d nt hld any bligatin upn the persn t repay yu fr a wrng dne t yu. APPLICATION Being a der f the Wrd 1. What did I learn ( teaching )? 2. Where d I fall shrt ( reprf )? 3. What d I need t d abut it ( crrectin )? 4. Hw can I make this a cnsistent part f my life ( training )? ACCOUNTABILITY Placing yurself in transparency and accuntable relatinships Hw are yu ding in the areas f INTEGRITY and CHARACTER? Assess yur battle against ungdly thughts (unbelief, bitterness resentment, lust, pride, selfrighteusness, cynicism, jealusy, cvetusness, racism, etc.) (Unstable) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 (Stable) Have yu been with a man r wman in the past week in a way that culd be viewed as cmprmising? Yes/N Have yu viewed sexually explicit material? Yes/N Have yu had any financial dealings that failed t be filled with integrity? Yes/N 58
Obeying the Truth yur missin this week Engaging the lst thrugh wrd and deed with the intentin f imparting the Gspel. Reach ut t a brther r sister with whm yu have had differences and seek t cnvey yur desire t be rightly related t them fr Christ sake. MEMORY VERSE FOR THE WEEK: Ephesians 4:32 Be kind t ne anther, tender-hearted, frgiving each ther, just as Gd in Christ als has frgiven yu. EXTRA RESOURCES FOR THE VAULT Pink, A.W. The Wrd f Frgiveness. Refrmed Perspectives Magazine. http://thirdmill.rg/newfiles/aw_pink/aw_pink.frgiveness.html. Web. 15 July 2007. Challies, Tim. Never Srry Enugh. Challies.Cm. http://www.challies.cm/articles/never-srry-enugh. Web. 30 March 2015. 59
Answer Key What Is Frgiveness? aplgize, feel guilty, repay, repair, prmises, change f behavir, suffer, servanthd (answers may vary) What Des it Mean t Be Frgiven? A. Gd B. death C. He made Christ t be sin n ur behalf, He paid ur debt Hw Can One Experience Frgiveness? A. repent and return B. cnfess ur sins C. He will frgive ur sins and cleanse us frm all unrighteusness What Des Gd D With Our Debts (sins)? Psalm 103:12 Cast behind His back Isaiah 38:17 Remembered n mre Isaiah 43:25 Cast int the depths f the sea Micah 7:19 Remved as far as the East is frm the West Hw Shuld Frgiveness Affect Our Relatinships? A. because Gd has frgiven us B. Gd will nt frgive yu C. 1. Jesus Christ 2. a believer 3. sin, my unpayable debt 4. ther peple, fellw believers 60
5. he was frgiven much but unwilling t frgive a little 6. frgive freely as Christ has frgiven us Embracing the Truth 3. be recnciled t yur brther 61
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