Matt Richards
Matthew 6:14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
This verse is directly after the Lord's prayer in the bible. It's written in my bible in red letters. Yet for many of us we overlook it.
We need to forgive.
And what's real scary, I mean really scary is that if we refuse to forgive others, God refuses to forgive us.
That's what it says in the red letters.
My forgiveness from God is dependent on me forgiving others.
Forgiving is not an option; it's a command. Jesus forgave us so we should forgive others.
So what is forgiveness?
Forgiveness is not a feeling. We don't forgive because we feel like it. Forgiveness is not saying what was done for us was excusable, or shouldn't be judged. We don't make excuses for wicked behaviour.
Forgiveness is choosing to hand someone over to God to judge.
You are going to live with the consequences of someone else's sin whether you forgive or not.
But you can live with it in the freedom of forgiveness or the bandage of unforgiveness.
Forgiveness is a command.
But forgiveness is also a choice.
Your choice.
No matter what's happened to you, (and I mean no matter; as many, many people have suffered evil, wicked, hideous sexual abuse). Choose to forgive.
Choose to hand that person over to God to judge.
I find forgiveness is the most powerful key to see someone free from all sorts of bondage and torment. (To include anger, rage, depression, anxiety, nightmares to name a few).
Choose life. Choose to forgive.
For a more in depth life-changing audio teaching on forgiveness, with prayers:
Download the 'Radical Church' app. Click on Podcasts, then 'Discipleship the Jesus Way' or the 'Jesus Gypsy Way', then click on the 'Power of Forgiveness'
For android users:
For IOS users:
...Or go to our website radicalchurchuk.com and click on Podcasts, then 'Discipleship the Jesus Way' or the 'Jesus Gypsy Way', then click on the 'Power of Forgiveness'
Choose to forgive and forgiveness will totally transform your life.
Prayer:
Father thank You that You are willing to forgive me all the bad things I've done. I choose today to forgive others. I choose today to hand people over to You to judge. Holy Spirit show me who I need to forgive now in Jesus' name amen.
[please, please download this teaching]