Good morning and welcome in today. Today we’re going to take a look at some scripture from Ephesians 4 but before we do that I wanted to tell you a story.
Many years ago I was doing some rock climbing out in New Mexico. We had a 50-foot rope with us that we used to descend down the mountainside. We had to hold onto that rope tightly as we went down. If you simply let go of the rope, it was going to hurt because you would fall to the bottom.
God wants us to learn to forgive each other. It requires that we learn to let go of the sins that others have committed against us. It may hurt, but we must remember the suffering that Jesus went through for our salvation at the cross. God could hold our sins against us, but instead chooses to let it go.
When somebody sins against you, do you have the right to be upset?Absolutely. When somebody sins against you, might you hold something against them in your heart because of it? Absolutely.
But when they say I repent and apologize and desire reconciliation with you, this is when you need to leave the resentment go. You need to forgive them from the heart and let It go.
Bitterness is the result of not forgiving somebody else for the wrongs that they committed. They apologize but you refuse to let it go. Think about the Lord Jesus who teaches that if we confess our sins God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins. God doesn’t hold bitterness against us when we simply confess our faults to him and neither should we do that to each other in the church. It only results in a bitter unforgiving heart.
Scripture teaches us that God’s forgiveness is conditional. If you cannot apologize or forgive when somebody apologizes to you, you yourself will not be forgiven by God. It results in a bitter and unforgiving heart.
There’s a false gospel in the world today saying that everybody is forgiven with God whether you admit fault or not. They claim that you don’t have to apologize to others, or admit your faults to those whom you have wronged. If you truly love other people according to God’s command, you will apologize when you wrong them. True forgiveness results in reconciliation. It is the proof that you forgave the other person.
Unforgiveness is a state of emotional and mental distress that results from a delayed response in forgiving an offender. It is characterized by indignation, bitterness, and a demand for punishment or restitution.
Bitterness results when someone apologizes and you refuse to forgive them and reconcile with them. It’s a refusal to forgive because of a hard heart.
Unforgiveness is a sin that causes bitterness. The Bible warns about bitterness:
Heb 12:15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled.
The Bible is clear in the church that when someone asks forgiveness you’re supposed to forgive them from your heart and reconcile with them. God doesn’t even want an offering until you reconcile with a brother that you have wronged. Chances are they might be very upset with you and you need to go and apologize to them.
The issue with bitterness and holding a grudge is when somebody apologizes and you will not forgive and reconcile with them. Can you imagine the prodigal son going home and apologizing to his dad and his dad would not reconcile with him or forgive him? In that situation the dad would be filled with bitterness and holding a grudge because of what his son had done to him.
Before forgiveness comes confession with God and with others. God is not going to be bitter with us and is ready to forgive us completely.
Ephesians 4:31-32 – Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
As I have taught numerous times, if you cannot forgive others and reconcile with them, the end result is bitterness.
If you took a baseball and threw it directly at your neighbors window, what is the end result? A broken window. If you refuse to forgive others and reconcile with them, the result will be a broken and defiled heart.
Bitterness is so bad that can destroy a marriage and relationships with relatives or with friends. Just as God forgives us when we confess our sins we are supposed to forgive others when they confess and admit fault. I will say it again, bitterness is the result of somebody who will not forgive another when they apologize.
Ephesians 4:31 – Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
When somebody approaches you and apologizes but you do not forgive them it can result in a defiled heart
Hebrews 12:15 – Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
When the heart is defiled, it is no longer filled with grace and charity. It is void of forgiveness and mercy. As I’ve already said, forgiveness is conditional with God. It depends on if you truly forgive others in your heart
Matthew 6:14-15 – For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
Can you imagine going up to a parent as a child and saying I’m sorry but they will not forgive you?
Mark 11:25 – And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
Without genuine forgiveness it only results in a bitter heart.
Ephesians 4:32 – And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
Matthew 6:15 – But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
The next time somebody sins against you and apologizes for it, remember what Jesus did for you at the cross. He took the nails and suffered for our misdeeds. Just like Lord Jesus Christ we need to let things go and forgive and forget.
Let’s think about those things for today and Lord willing we’ll talk to you some more tomorrow. Till then but by everybody.♥️
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