Anger and Forgiveness Pt. 3

TGIF!!! Today is going to be pretty light. It's the final part that I'll cover of Charles Stanley's sermon on Anger and Forgiveness! If you're interested in learning more there are a few more parts, just YouTube it.

Anger and Forgiveness Pt. 3:


- Unforginvess is a divider and a destroyer
- God has positions for us but unforgiveness stops us dead in our tracks because He does not like that.
- Ephesians 4: 30-32 | Colossians 3:12

Ephesians 4:30-32 (New International Version, ©2010)³⁰ And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. ³¹ Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. ³² Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Colossians 3:12 (New International Version, ©2010) ¹² Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 

- God always forgives us but we must come to Him correct.
- Genuine confession means to "agree with." To confess your sin is to agree with God about the nature of it and what needs to be done about it.
- How many times do we forgive? Every time we are hurt.
- Forgiveness doesn't always happen instantaneously.
- It is our responsibility to take the initiative in dealing with forgiveness.
- Forgiveness isn't easy.
- Don't allow anger to be deep-rooted bitterness. Forgiveness does take time though.
- There's a shock that comes with forgiveness (The questions like why? how? I don't understand)
- Forgiveness is the most unselfish act we could perform.
- You can't be in a right relationship with God and have an unforgiving heart towards someone.


I challenge you to examine your heart and see if there is any unforgiveness towards anyone left to be resolved.  Forgiveness won't always happen overnight and take the time that you need but don't let it enslave you. There is freedom in forgiveness!

We've Got Work To Do

"For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."- Ephesians 2:10 (NIV 2010 Edition)

Back when I was in undergrad, one of the cool things about college was that you could pick from a TON of courses to fill the requirements for your major. To fulfill your English class you could take regular English, Poetry 101, Shakespeare, or some other courses. The same would go for math, science, etc. etc.


The interesting thing about all of these classes is that no matter which class I'd pick, I would get the syllabus at the beginning of the semester and freak out. "You want me to write a 25 page paper on what?!?!" I'd say as I go back to the registration website and look for new classes. But the bottom line was that a class had to be picked and a class had to be completed. Imagine my amazement when I'd reach the end of the semester and receive a passing grade on the course when prior to the class I may have known little to no information about the subject matter. I had learned so much along the way that it all actually prepared me for the exams and papers at the end of the class.


That's a little bit like how God works.


Before we were even born, God knew us. Not only did He know us in the past tense but He knew what we would become, who we would marry, what jobs we would have, and so on and so on. As we came into the world and continued to live out our days, we would come across different life hurdles or challenges that test us or prove us in a certain way. Sort of like an invisible syllabus. 


See, God has already scripted out our lives and allows us to go through learning, growing and doing good things along the way. That is what the passage in Ephesians teaches us. Life is not a matter of happenstance or luck of the draw. Instead it is a set collection of opportunities that God set in our path long before we even knew we'd get there. 


If you've been studying and learning along the way, that will help you pass every test!