[00:00:00] Welcome to Forgiveness Power with Don Gossett, sharing with you the Bible principle of Bold Bible Living. How to achieve health, prosperity, and personal victory through the power of the living word. And now to help us do so, here's radio teacher and friend Don Gossett with Forgiveness Power. Thank you, Mike O'Dell. I'm continuing this subject of Unforgiveness Power or Forgiveness Power.
[00:00:24] I could turn it around with that title. The importance of not having unforgiveness toward anybody. The manifestation of God's ability to forgive. Now with God's help we must forgive the ones who have hurt us. Christ suffered rejection, all manner of hatred, physical torture, and even death. But he prayed from the cross for their forgiveness. And we're called to forgive those who have wronged us.
[00:00:51] Then we ask God's forgiveness for our own sin of bitterness and claim his healing for our past hurts. So we must learn to deal with anger or rejection on a regular basis. Ephesians 4 26 gives the secret of how to keep bitterness from taking root in our hearts. It reads, Be angry and sin not. Let not the sun go down upon your wrath. That is, to make peace with the one who caused the hurt before sundown, as it were.
[00:01:19] We should also ask God to fill us with his love toward those for whom we have hatred or resentment. Romans 5 5 says, The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us. An enemy is one who seeks to harm us, show hostility or ill will, or has a destructive or antagonistic attitude toward us. God's instruction is to love our enemies. And again, I quote Dr. Billy Graham.
[00:01:48] He wrote, It's time for personal consecration, holy living. When revival comes, I believe our churches and our spiritual leaders will begin to live the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the teachings of the New Testament every day and every moment, in the factory and in the shop and every place. We'll begin to forgive, 70 times 7. We'll begin to turn the other cheek. We'll begin to go the second mile. We'll give our cloak as well as our coat.
[00:02:17] We'll begin to live by 1 Corinthians 13, and we'll love one another, unquote. Now God's wisdom encourages us to eliminate all enemies by making them friends, if possible, through forgiving them and seeking their forgiveness. God's way is the love way, the more excellent way mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12, 31. Billy Graham also has written, Forgiveness is natural for the Christian and is contrary to the non-Christian.
[00:02:46] Even the non-Christian has friends and loved ones, but he loves them because they love him in return. And here is the distinctiveness of the Christian life. Jesus said, Love your enemies. Be good to them that despitefully use you. On another occasion, Jesus said we should forgive until 70 times 7. God can and will give his ability that you can forgive until 70 times 7.
[00:03:13] He'll give you a forgiving spirit when you accept his forgiveness through Jesus Christ. And when you do, you'll realize that he has forgiven you so much that you'll desire to forgive any wrong done to you. In the world, a policy of getting even with the other fellow is generally followed. But among Christians, it's a policy of enduring wrong for the sake of Christ and forgiving that men might, through us, discover the grace of God in forgiving the sinner.
[00:03:40] One of the most startling accounts of forgiveness is demonstrated in Acts 7, verse 60. And Stephen kneeled down and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep. Jeremiah 29, verse 17.
[00:04:18] In Psalm 56, verse 19. Isaiah 54, verse 17. Isaiah 54, verse 17. No weapon that's formed against thee shall prosper, and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.
[00:04:46] Let me deal today with anger, which is a part of the manifestation of unforgiveness. In dealing with this subject of unforgiveness, malice, ill will, grudges, resentment, bitterness, and hatred, we must deal with a kindred spirit, anger. Uncontrolled anger is a devastating sin which God hates.
[00:05:10] It is condemned in scripture and is the cause of much heartache, discord, bitterness, and confusion. I quote again from Dr. Billy Graham. He wrote, Anger is a heinous sin because it reveals the animal nature in man. Many people are charming, lovable, and likable until they become obsessed with a fit of rage and then they are transformed into repulsive, irrational creatures, more like wild beasts than civilized men.
[00:05:37] Doctors tell us that when my human emotion is overstimulated, excessive amounts of adrenaline are supplied by nature to replenish the emotional drain on our systems. The person with a violent temper uses up his extra supply of energy to feed the flame of his passion rather than put out the fire. Anger not only brings out the animal nature of man but hinders Christian testimony.
[00:06:03] Peter, angered at the Roman soldiers, grabbed his sword and cut off the servant's ear. But Jesus reproved him for his angry spirit and said in Matthew 26, 52, They that take the sword shall perish with the sword. Many a Christian witness has been ruined by carnal anger. The Bible states, Be ye angry and sin not. It's important to deal with the distinction between destructive sinful anger and the legitimate emotional response.
[00:06:33] Anger is an energy producing emotion and this energy needs to be used to deal with a problem rather than lashing out at people or things. We're never justified in hating or desiring to harm another person. In dealing with anger, two extremes must be avoided. To explode in a violent fit of anger on one hand and to be holding feelings of resentment and bitterness on the other. They're equally sinful.
[00:07:00] The first step in dealing with unjustified anger is to desire to get rid of it. One must recognize his own responsibility for his sinful behavior. We cannot justify ourselves by blaming our quick temper on her reddity or by comparing ourselves with others. The person who explodes needs to use restraint and release the anger to the control of the Holy Spirit. The Bible says in Psalms 37, 8, Cease from anger and forsake wrath.
[00:07:29] And in James 1, 19, Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. But I say unto you, Whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment, and whosoever shall say thou fool should be in danger of hell fire. Matthew 5, 22. And again, Proverbs 14, 17 reads, He that is soon angered doeth foolishly,
[00:07:57] and a man of wicked devices is hated. And we read, He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh his city. And the scripture says, A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control. A soft answer turns away wrath, but grievous words stir up anger. And he that is slow to wrath is of great understanding, but he that's hasty of spirit exalts folly.
[00:08:28] Now, I would like you to notice these words that I have been emphasizing as I've shared on this particular study of the importance of forgiveness. And that is, there are a few words that will more quickly bring you down. And that is, having unforgiveness, having bitterness, grudges, resentment, malice, ill will, retaliation. For when you truly give, only then you can experience God's best, which will enable you to forgive.
[00:08:57] And you'll let go of all those grudges, those resentments, those bitterness, that ill will, and you'll let God's grace give you ability to overcome. On my next session of this teaching, I want to share with you about payback. This is one of the cruelest methods of dealing with unforgiveness I've ever met. And I have gone a number of times to the outback of Australia to minister to the dear aborigines. And it's an experience I can never forget
[00:09:27] how I learned about the payback policy they have. And yet, when I've considered the extreme type of lifestyle that presents, I think I've seen payback in another form among many Christians, even here in our culture. And so it's essential that you give no place to this payback spirit, but you let God give you a wonderful victory. Heavenly Father,
[00:09:56] I'm speaking about realities, about the life that pleases you when we truly forgive one another, that we have no bitterness or unforgiveness or malice or ill will or grudges in our heart toward anybody. But Lord, we live and dwell with your ability to forgive. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen. Well, it's essential that you understand these wonderful principles I'm sharing with you.
[00:10:24] And I would like to suggest that for a full, comprehensive study that you write for my book on Words That Work Wonders. That's the title of the book, Words That Work Wonders. And it has a whole series of teachings on this subject of overcoming unforgiveness. It will minister to you and you can write to me at Box 2, Blaine, Washington, 98231 or Post Office Box 75120,
[00:10:55] White Rock, British Columbia, V4B5L3. I want to thank you that pray for our ministry and I want to thank you that fellowship with us financially to enable us to continue to be a force for God in world evangelism. I look forward to your letter and may the Lord bless you abundantly. Join me now as we praise the Lord together. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.
[00:11:24] Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Hallelujah.