Decisions: I Will Have a Forgiving Heart

1.  I will take responsibility 

2.  I will seek wisdom

3.  I will be a person of action

4.  I will have a decided heart

5.  I will choose to be grateful  

Jonah 1:1-2 (AMP) Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah…saying, 2 “Go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim [judgment] against it, for their wickedness has come up before Me.” 

Jonah 1:3 (AMP) But Jonah ran away to Tarshish to escape from the presence of the Lord [and his duty as His prophet].  He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish [the most remote of the Phoenician trading cities].  So he paid the fare and went down into the ship to go with them to Tarshish away from the presence of the Lord.

Jonah 1:4-6 (AMP) But the Lord hurled a great wind toward the sea, and there was a violent tempest on the sea so that the ship was about to break up. 5 Then the sailors were afraid, and each man cried out to his god; and to lighten the ship [and diminish the danger] they threw the ship’s cargo into the sea.  But Jonah had gone below…and was sound asleep. 6 So the captain came up to him and said, “How can you stay asleep?  Get up!  Call on your god!  Perhaps your god will give a thought to us so that we will not perish.” 

Jonah 4:1-4 (AMP) But it greatly displeased Jonah and he became angry. 2 He prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, is this not what I said when I was still in my country?  That is why I ran to Tarshish, because I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and great in lovingkindness, and [when sinners turn to You] You revoke the [sentence of] disaster [against them]. 3 Therefore now, O Lord, just take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.” 4 Then the Lord said, “Do you have a good reason to be angry?” 

A.  We all know what it is like to be at odds with another person. 

B.  We’ve all experienced internal storms that have robbed us of our peace. 

C.  We’ve all convinced ourselves the other person didn’t deserve our forgiveness. 

D.  We all know God is merciful and compassionate.

Forgiveness is not…

-letting them off the hook

-approving what they did

-forgetting what took place

-earning forgiveness

-getting revenge

-waiting for an apology

-giving up control

-rehashing the details

-reconciling a relationship

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. 

“Harboring unforgiveness is like drinking poison and hoping your enemy will die.”  —C.S. Lewis

Why we should forgive:

1.  It closes the door to bitterness

Galatians 5:1 (NASB) It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. 

2.  It stops the snowball effect 

“If you never heal from what hurt you, you will bleed on people that didn’t cut you.”     

Hebrews 12:15 (NLT) Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you corrupting many. 

3.  We have been forgiven

“Everyone thinks forgiveness is a lovely idea until he has something to forgive.”  —C.S. Lewis

Ephesians 4:31-32 (NLT) Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

Matthew 6:14-15 (NLT) If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. 15 But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.

“Forgiveness is more about our future than it is about our past.” 

What forgiveness is:

Forgive — “to give up resentment against someone or the desire to punish, to stop being angry with, to pardon.” 

Ephesians 4:32 (NLT) Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.