FORGIVENESS BUILDS RELATIONSHIPS VERSUS UNFORGIVENESS BREAKS THEM

2 Chronicles 7:14 Christians prepare for a revival with God in the same manner that God has instructed those before us. This is well documented in the Bible, specifically in 2nd Chronicles 7:14. Here God instructed Solomon in regard to the temple and what the Israelites needed to do to be in right relationship with him.

UNFORGIVENESS WILL LEAD US TO FALL FROM GOD'S GRACE

The illustration of The Desire to be Forgiven highlights the deep desire that most people have to be forgiven. This illustration comes from Ernest Hemingway’s short story about the broken relationship between a Spanish father and his teenage son, Paco. From God's perspective, it is most important to be forgiven as well as forgive.

Bible Summary. An important reason to forgive others is in order for us to have a relationship with God and to be a child of God. Jesus is our example of why it is so important for us to forgive others and not to judge others. Jesus showed us that we can forgive others, and honor God’s authority when it comes to forgiveness, judgment and wrath.

Colossians 3:13. When it comes to forgiveness, it is important to understand and follow Christ’s example in forgiving others. It is not in our carnal nature (fleshly desires) to forgive others. If someone does us wrong, it is only natural to pay them back in kind. For most of us, it is almost like a duty for us to hurt people that hurt us.

Matthew 5:24. Another consequence of unforgiveness is that unforgiveness prevents you from coming into God’s presence. If you have unforgiveness in your heart against someone, God does not want you in his presence. No matter how much you desire to worship God and to be in his presence, he does not want to have anything to do with you refuse to forgive others.

Matthew 18:35. There are consequences to unforgiveness. Jesus teaches us that if we do not have in our hearts the ability to forgive, God will not forgive us. The parable of the unmerciful servant teaches us the terrible consequences of unforgiveness.

Matthew 18:33. Another definition of unforgiveness is not having the compassion to forgive. If someone has offended us, we have a choice to either forgive them or not forgive them. Unforgiveness is when we choose not to have compassion for someone that has offended us, and we choose not to have the willingness to forgive them.

The illustration on forgiveness and loving your neighbor, The Lawsuit Over the Fence provides us an example of forgiveness and loving your neighbor. In the story, one neighbor threaten a lawsuit with another neighbor because of the placement of a fence over a land boundary. Eventually, the other neighbor sells the land. The neighbor then threatens the new owner with the lawsuit.