Forgiveness or Bitterness?

Category: Excerpts
Topic:

“And if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other.” Paul rightly assumes there’s going to be problems in the church. Right? You gather a few hundred people together on a regular basis, and they’re still dwelling in their mortal flesh, you’re probably going to have a problem or two pop up, right? There’s a pretty good chance that someone’s going to have a complaint as Paul calls it against another. Legitimate or not, complaints are going to happen. If and when they do, Paul doesn’t say just seek to avoid that person as much as you can. No, he says, forgive each other. Have a charizomenoi mindset with one another. Be gracious. Bestow kindness. Forgive that thing and move on. Not seperate – move on together. Don’t begrudgingly or mechanically say the words, “I forgive you,” and yet your heart is still holding on to that thing. That’s not biblical forgiveness. That’s biblical bitterness.


View the full sermon here.