Trust Issues Sermon Series // Trusting God With Forgiveness // Pastor Nick Smith

<p>Forgiveness is one of the hardest things followers of Christ are called to do, yet holding on to unforgiveness often hurts us far more than the person who wronged us. In Matthew 18, Jesus uses the parable of the unforgiving servant to show that the debt God has forgiven us is incomprehensibly greater than anything another person could ever owe us. Because of that, withholding forgiveness from others is a contradiction of the grace we have freely received. Forgiveness is not a feeling to manufacture but a choice to make, trusting God to be a better judge than we could ever be. It does not mean excusing the offense or pretending the pain did not happen. It means releasing the demand for repayment and trusting God with the outcome. The bitterness we hold on to builds a prison around our own hearts, robbing us of peace and joy. Grace begins where self-sufficiency ends, and so does the freedom that comes with choosing to forgive.</p>