Christmas Is Forgiving, Pt.7

I yes, I alone am the one who blots out your sins for my own sake and will never think of them again. (Isaiah 43:25 NLT)

GOD CHOOSES NOT TO REMEMBER MY SINS . CAN I DO THE SAME WITH OTHERS?

God chooses not to remember your sins.  Can you do the same with others?

I have a hard time with the part “NEVER THINK OF THEM AGAIN”. I want to hold onto them; that’s a grudge.  A grudge is when we harness our hurt to hurt others.  Hurt people, hurt people.  Resentment means to re-think. We are thinking of this hurt over and over again. When GOD FORGIVES HE TRULY FREES US AND HE DOESN’T THINK OF IT AGAIN – INSTEAD HE GIVES US GRACE, or ROOM TO CHANGE.

GOD DOESN’T ACCIDENTALLY FORGET – HE CHOOSES NOT TO REMEMBER – THAT’S INTENTIONAL; that’s a CHOICE!

Forgiveness is a choice, not a feeling.  If you wait till you feel like forgiving it will never happen.  Nobody wakes up one morning thinking, “GEE, I JUST CAN’T WAIT UNTIL SOMEBODY BACK-STABS ME, SO I CAN TURN AROUND AND JUST RELEASE THEM.”  Nobody feels like forgiving.

The MIRACLE is not FORGETTING THE OFFENSE – the miracle is OPTING TO FORGIVE!  When we opt to forgive, healing starts to happen!  We want God to heal us in order to forgive, but God says healing happens when we choose to forgive!