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What Does it Mean to Forgive?

What Does it Mean to Forgive?. One of the real tests of faith is ones willingness to forgive another. What Does it Mean to Forgive?. One of the real tests of faith is ones willingness to forgive another. While this may not seem like a trial, it showed much about the character of Joseph.

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What Does it Mean to Forgive?

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  1. What Does it Mean to Forgive? • One of the real tests of faith is ones willingness to forgive another.

  2. What Does it Mean to Forgive? • One of the real tests of faith is ones willingness to forgive another. • While this may not seem like a trial, it showed much about the character of Joseph.

  3. What Does it Mean to Forgive? • One of the real tests of faith is ones willingness to forgive another. • While this may not seem like a trial, it showed much about the character of Joseph. • Joseph was now the second most powerful man in Egypt.

  4. What Does it Mean to Forgive? • One of the real tests of faith is ones willingness to forgive another. • While this may not seem like a trial, it showed much about the character of Joseph. • Joseph was now the second most powerful man in Egypt. • His brothers through famine were now at his mercy. What was he to do?

  5. What Does it Mean to Forgive? • God exhorts everyone to be like Him. Our God majors in forgiveness! (Ex 34:6-7)

  6. What Does it Mean to Forgive? • Exodus 34:6-7 (NKJV)6 And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, 7keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.”

  7. What Does it Mean to Forgive? • Anyone who wishes to please God must learn to forgive. (Mt 6:11-15)

  8. What Does it Mean to Forgive? • Matthew 6:11-15 (NKJV) - Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. 13 And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

  9. What Does it Mean to Forgive? • 14“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

  10. What Does it Mean to Forgive? • Forgiveness does not come naturally. We must be taught by God!

  11. God now comes to test Joseph’s brothers • They had time to think about what they had done. (Gen 42:18-22)

  12. God now comes to test Joseph’s brothers • They had time to think about what they had done. (Gen 42:18-22) • The conscience if not destroyed can bring changes in time.

  13. God now comes to test Joseph’s brothers • They had time to think about what they had done. (Gen 42:18-22) • The conscience if not destroyed can bring changes in time. • Satan’s lies of quick revenge and reward can be seen for what it is in time.

  14. God now comes to test Joseph’s brothers • They had time to think about what they had done. (Gen 42:18-22) • The conscience if not destroyed can bring changes in time. • Satan’s lies of quick revenge and reward can be seen for what it is in time. • God’s word taught by example and word by a godly father would also have its effect. (Rom 6:20-21)

  15. God now comes to test Joseph’s brothers • God now brings a series of calamities upon Joseph’s family.

  16. God now comes to test Joseph’s brothers • God now brings a series of calamities upon Joseph’s family. • He first brings drought and famine that drives the brothers to Egypt. (Gen 42:1-5)

  17. God now comes to test Joseph’s brothers • God now brings a series of calamities upon Joseph’s family. • He first brings drought and famine that drives the brothers to Egypt. (Gen 42:1-5) • He then makes the brothers leave one behind. (Gen 42:8-17, 24)

  18. God now comes to test Joseph’s brothers • God now brings a series of calamities upon Joseph’s family. • He first brings drought and famine that drives the brothers to Egypt. (Gen 42:1-5) • He then makes the brothers leave one behind. (Gen 42:8-17, 24) • The rash, selfish action of the past is now replaced by a painful choice to serve and help.

  19. God now comes to test Joseph’s brothers • Where the life of one brother was disregarded in the past now every family member is important. (Gen 42:35-38)

  20. God now comes to test Joseph’s brothers • Where the life of one brother was disregarded in the past now every family member is important. (Gen 42:35-38) • God is also working a plan to provide!

  21. God now comes to test Joseph’s brothers • Where the life of one brother was disregarded in the past now every family member is important. (Gen 42:35-38) • God is also working a plan to provide! • He then drives the entire family into Egypt because of the famine. (Gen 43:1-14)

  22. God now comes to test Joseph’s brothers • Where the life of one brother was disregarded in the past now every family member is important. (Gen 42:35-38) • God is also working a plan to provide! • He then drives the entire family into Egypt because of the famine. (Gen 43:1-14) • The brothers are put through one more major test.

  23. God now comes to test Joseph’s brothers • Circumstances are created to make it appear that Benjamin is in danger. (Gen 44:1-5, 14-15)

  24. God now comes to test Joseph’s brothers • Circumstances are created to make it appear that Benjamin is in danger. (Gen 44:1-5, 14-15) • A true attitude of selfless sacrifice in now shown. (Gen 44:16-34)

  25. God now comes to test Joseph’s brothers • Circumstances are created to make it appear that Benjamin is in danger. (Gen 44:1-5, 14-15) • A true attitude of selfless sacrifice in now shown. (Gen 44:16-34) • Joseph reveals himself to his family and now a new test begins. (Gen 45:1-8)

  26. God now comes to test Joseph’s brothers • Circumstances are created to make it appear that Benjamin is in danger. (Gen 44:1-5, 14-15) • A true attitude of selfless sacrifice in now shown. (Gen 44:16-34) • Joseph reveals himself to his family and now a new test begins. (Gen 45:1-8) • Will Joseph forgive his brothers?

  27. God now comes to test Joseph’s brothers • Will Joseph’s brothers accept his forgiveness?

  28. What is forgiveness? • What does it mean for God to forgive?

  29. What is forgiveness? • What does it mean for God to forgive? • He blots out our sins!(Acts 3:19; Isa 43:25)

  30. What is forgiveness? • Acts 3:19 (NKJV) - Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,

  31. What is forgiveness? • Isaiah 43:25 (NKJV) - “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins.

  32. What is forgiveness? • God hates sin, but He loves us.

  33. What is forgiveness? • God hates sin, but He loves us. • If I can live and die in this forgiveness then all is well.

  34. What is forgiveness? • God hates sin, but He loves us. • If I can live and die in this forgiveness then all is well. • God does not remember our sins any more.(Heb 8:12)

  35. What is forgiveness? • Hebrews 8:12 (NKJV) - For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness,and their sinsand their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”

  36. What is forgiveness? • He is described as casting them into the sea. (Mic 7:18-19)

  37. What is forgiveness? • Micah 7:18-19 (NKJV) - Who is a God like You, Pardoning iniquity And passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in mercy. 19 He will again have compassion on us, And will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins Into the depths of the sea.

  38. What is forgiveness? • "When God buries our sins in the deepest sea, He posts a sign which reads: No Fishing!”

  39. What is forgiveness? • When God forgives our sin is long gone! Do you believe this?

  40. What is forgiveness? • "Everyone has an irrevocable past. What is done is done. It can never be changed or recalled. Lord Byron, the English poet, once wrote, "No hand can make the clock strike for me the hours that are past.""

  41. What is forgiveness? • God receives us back to a full fellowship.(Lk 15:20-24)

  42. What is forgiveness? • Luke 15:20-24 (NKJV) - “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. 21And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

  43. What is forgiveness? • 22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. 23 And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 24for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.

  44. What is forgiveness? • There is no grudge holding with God.

  45. What is forgiveness? • Our biggest problem is in believing this.

  46. What is forgiveness? • Our biggest problem is in believing this. • Why is forgiveness hard?

  47. What is forgiveness? • Our biggest problem is in believing this. • Why is forgiveness hard? • In real forgiveness you take the loss or hurt and write it off.

  48. What is forgiveness? • Our biggest problem is in believing this. • Why is forgiveness hard? • In real forgiveness you take the loss or hurt and write it off. • We are a people who do not want to be cheated! It is with the utmost difficulty that we let go of a real debt!

  49. What is forgiveness? • Before you try to justify your holy war over your hurts ask this question: "What if God treated my debt to Him as I am treating others?" (Mt 18:23-35)

  50. What is forgiveness? • Matthew 18:23-35 (NKJV) -Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made.

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