We are called to minister in three directions
- Minister to god first
- Minister to other believers
- Minister to those not in relationship to each other
Romans 12: 14, 17 – 21
1. Forgiveness poured back
Matthew 6: 14, 15 “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins
Key Point: You haven’t really experienced forgiveness in your own life if you are not able to forgive others.
Romans 12: 17 those who do evil to you.
- those in the church
- those not in the church
- those in the grave
2. Requirements of forgiveness
a. Don’t take revenge
Proverbs 24: 29 And don’t say Now I can pay them back for what they’ve done to me! I’ll get even with them
b. Love your enemies and bless them
Love your enemies does not mean affection for them, but moral understanding that this is the right thing to do
Romans 12: 21 don’t let evil conqueror you, but overcome evil by doing good.
c. Forgive yourself
Psalm 51: 12 Restore unto me the joy of your salvation.
Key Point: You haven’t really experienced forgiveness in your own life if you are not able to forgive others.
Jesus is more willing to forgive than we are to confess.