Love Forgives

Dr Steve Lawson recently gave a sermon entitled Love Forgives.  (It can be found at this link) Too often we are believers do not dwell enough on what has been The following are scriptures that show we are to forgive.  COMPLETELY forgive….no remembering wrongs, no petty looking at someone in disgust as they walk by.  Read the following slowly, in contemplation of how petty the wrongs against you are compared to the sins you have committed against the holy God and how graciously he forgave you through the blood of Jesus Christ. 

I Corinthians 13:5

⁴ Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant,

⁵ does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered.

Matt 6:14-15

¹⁴  For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵ But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.

Ephesians 4:32

³²  Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

Colossians 3:15

¹⁵ Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.

(Unforgiveness is an invitation to Satan to come in)

II Corinthians 2:5-11

¹⁰ But one whom you forgive anything, I forgive also; for indeed what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did it for your sakes in the presence of Christ, ¹¹ so that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes.

Matthew 18:21-35

²¹ Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” ²² Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

²³ “For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. ²⁴ When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. ²⁵ But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made. ²⁶ So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.’ ²⁷ And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt. ²⁸ But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ ²⁹ So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you.’ ³⁰ But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed. ³¹ So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened. ³² Then summoning him, his lord *said to him, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. ³³  Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?’ ³⁴ And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. ³⁵  My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.”

(We are to pardon whether they ask for forgiveness or not)

Luke 23:34
But Jesus was saying, “ Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.”