April 8, 2025 • 28 mins
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to this edition of PowerPoint with Jack Graham. A
little later in the program, we'll tell you how you
can get a copy of doctor Graham's book Ask. But first,
here's the message, Forgiven and forgiven.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Take your bibles and turn to Ephesians four. If you
could encapsulate the Christian life in just these three words. Forgiven,
we have been forgiven in Christ, and therefore forgiving, forgiven
and forgiving, because forgiven people forgive people. The last time
we were together in Ephesians, which is verse thirty one,
(00:43):
it says, let all bitterness and wrath, and anger, and
clamor and slander be put away from you, along with
all malice. Those words these six vices. Bitterness which produces
all the others. Bitterness, which is internalized, seething, and anger
is the anger that is within. It is a deep
root in a person's heart. That's why the scripture says
(01:07):
that we should not allow a root of bitterness in
our lives because it does so much harm, so much
destruction as a result of bitterness. It's the word for resentment, unforgiveness.
Then wrath, which is it means to burn, and then
anger which means to express anger, and then clamor, which
(01:29):
is outburst and shouting and cursing and blaspheming. And then slander,
which is turning our tongues and our words into missiles
against others.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
And then malice, which.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
You actually actually can get to the place in your
life where you.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
Want to hurt somebody, hit somebody.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
That's malice, these six thysis that destroys so many lives.
Domestic violence is way way up, child abuse, verbal abuse
as well as physical abuse in homes. Divorce rate is
rapidly rising. But just reading someone was doing a study
(02:07):
on marriage. They said, the number one sign, the number
one symptom that the couple is heading for a breakdown
and a split and a divorce. You know what it
is contempt? Contempt when you begin to contempt the other person.
That is, that's that thing when you roll your eyes
(02:31):
just when they walk in the room, when you're just
disgusted with the other person. And that's all related to
the kind of anger that we're talking about. Happens to churches,
doesn't it. How many churches were born not in revival,
but born in a split because somebody got mad at
one another, some big cog in the synagogue didn't like
the other cog in the synagogue, and the churches are split.
(02:55):
You got first Baptist, second Baptist, third Baptist, fourth Baptist,
fifth Baptist, all because one.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
Of them couldn't stand the other churches.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
I believe it's the one thing that's holding the primary
thing that is holding back revival. And it's all this
anger and unresolved conflicts and unforgiveness. Anger can be anything
from small irritations and frustrations to.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
Full blown rage.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
But God has an answer to this anger. He has
a cure for this problem. And it's verse thirty two.
Be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving one another.
How as God in Christ has forgiven you, forgiveness.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
Is God's grace and God's gift to you.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
Jesus Christ came into the world to what save us
from our sins? And how does he forgive us? How
does he forgive us and thereby give us eternal life?
You can just back up in Ephesians chapter one and
verse seven. It says in him Jesus we have redemption
through His blood, the forgiveness.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
Of our trespasses.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
One of the words for forgiveness, or the word forgiveness
actually means to relieve a debt, to relieve a debt,
if I forgive you, I forgive the debt you owe me.
And so is forgiveness of our trespasses. How according to
(04:42):
the riches of his grace, God's amazing grace, we have
been given this grace, undeserved, unmerited. It was paid in full,
this debt at the Cross. We've said it many times,
in many ways. Jesus paid it all to him. I
owe he paid a debt that he did not owe,
because we owed a debt we could not pay. He
(05:04):
died on the cross, his blood poured out that he
might provide for all who believe and repent of their sins.
You know, it's more than being sorry for your sins.
A lot of people are sorry for their sins. It's
not being sorry for your sins, but it is turning
from your sins. That's repentance and receiving.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
The gift of grace.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
Jesus Christ, who will save you, forgive all your sins
and come in to live in your life.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
That is forgiveness.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
Isn't it good to know that every sin you have committed,
are committing, and will commit, is under the blood of
the Lord, Jesus Christ buried in the sea of God's forgetfulness.
God separates our sins as far as the east is
from the west. He unreservedly and completely and freely and
(05:55):
fully and forever forgives us.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
Of our sins, sins. Amazing.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
It's mercy, God, steadfast love and mercy and grace describe
through the Bible. So what we have been given, this forgiveness,
this grace, we now are to give to others, not
(06:26):
human forgiveness, but as God has forgiven us in Christ.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
Jesus taught us when we pray.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
To pray, Lord, forgive us our debts, as we forgive
our debtors. Lord, forgive us our sins, as we forgive
those who sin against us. Forgiven people, forgive people. And
(06:57):
yet so many levers and followers of Jesus are not
living a much more life, but living a much less life.
Because you are not practicing this principle of forgiveness. You
don't know the power and the freedom in your life
(07:20):
that only forgiveness in Christ can bring.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
It flows out of a transformed heart.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
It flows out of a life that is no longer
living the old way, but a brand new way. This
is why it is unacceptable as we take off the
old clothes from the past, the grave clothes, and put
on the grace clothes, and we are to exchange this
and exchange life.
Speaker 3 (07:47):
We are to exchange lives for the.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
Truth and stealing for good, hard work and generosity and
unwholesome vile words for edifying, and words that build up
for unrighteous anger for a righteous anger.
Speaker 3 (08:03):
All of this.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
But you know, life can be hardened. We get beat
up in life. People disappoint us, people offend us, people
wound us. Our kids don't turn out the way we
plan for our kids to turn out. All manner of
things over time, and if you are not careful, you
can die of hardening of not the arteries but your attitude,
(08:27):
the hardening of the heart, not the.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
Physical, but the soul.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
And this is why so many people over time can
become sour and cynical and suspicious and yes, walking out
walking around in a general state of being angry. You're
not living an abundant life. You're living an angry life,
and everybody around you is miserable because of it. You
(08:55):
know you're bitter. Nobody likes to be with people. I'm
just telling you straight up. If you're a bitter person,
you may wonder why nobody wants to go to dinner
with you. You go to dinner and you say, you know,
bitter party of one.
Speaker 3 (09:19):
It's true. This is not how we're to live.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
Rather than these six vices, he mentions three virtues.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
One is kindness. You see it there in verse thirty two,
the sweetest verse in the Bible. Kindness.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
In the Greek, it is krestos cr e s c
r e s t o s Crestos kindness. It's related
to grace, even caris. But I tell you it's also
related not just to Cresto's kindness, Butos. You know what
(10:02):
Christos is c hr sts Christos is Christ, and in
Christ we are given kindness. These words, just like they
are close in the Bible, are doubly close in our lives.
When Christ lives in us, his kindness is in us
(10:23):
the kindness of God. The Bible often speaks of the
loving kindness of God. In fact, you can read about
it in Psalm one hundred and three, verse eight. The
Lord is merciful and gracious, and slow to anger, and
abounding in steadfast love. He will not always child, nor
(10:45):
will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal
with us according to our sins, nor repay us according
to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are
above the earth, so great is the steadfast love to
those who fear him.
Speaker 3 (10:58):
As far as the east.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
Is from the world, so far does he remove our
transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children,
so does the Lord show compassion to those who fear him.
For he knows our frame, and he remembers that we.
Speaker 3 (11:13):
Are thus.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
Forgive, as God in Christ has forgiven you. Unless you
envision the God of the Bible as being in particular,
some of you think of the Old Testament God is
being harsh and judgmental and ready to destroy someone.
Speaker 3 (11:35):
No, the God of the Bible, old and New, is.
Speaker 2 (11:38):
A God of steadfast love and mercy and grace and peace.
And therefore it's demonstrated in Christ perfectly on earth and
at the Cross. This is the love of God that
is poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
You are listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the
message Forgiven and Forgiving in his powerful book Ask Doctor
Graham helps you unlock the power of prayer in your
life using Jesus' teaching to ask, seek, and knock. As
you follow these three simple commands, you'll completely transform how
you pray. We want to help you discover a deeper,
(12:16):
more meaningful, and more powerful prayer life by sending you
a copy of Ask as our thanks for your gift
of ten dollars or more. Call now to request your
copy of this powerful resource. Call one eight hundred seven
ninety five four six two seven. That's one eight hundred
seven ninety five four six two seven. You can also
(12:37):
text the word ask to five nine seven eight nine.
Don't let stress rob you of peace. It is possible
to break the destructive grip of stress on your life
and enjoy the peace and abundance God desires for you.
That's what doctor Graham helps you do in his booklet
Breaking Free from Stress. We'll send you a digital download
of Breaking Free from Stress when you sign up for
(12:58):
email updates from power Point Today. Just go to PowerPoint
dot org slash stress and sign up today. Now let's
get back to today's message forgiven and forgiving.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
Kindness and then tenderheartedness. See that word tenderhearted. It doesn't
mean soft hearted. To be tenderhearted. Is not to be soft.
In fact, the hardest thing you will ever do in
your life is to be tender hearted. Possible without the
(13:33):
love of God. So don't see tender hearted is just
kind of soft and weak. No, tenderhearted means merciful and empathetic.
It's to substitute the word compassionate. That's a strong word,
to show passion, to join, to comfort others, to care
for others. That's hard work, that's not soft work. But again,
(13:59):
too many many people end up, and I'm talking about Christians.
Speaker 3 (14:02):
Now hard hearted, cold hearted, rather than tender hearted. And
then of course forgiven or forgiving to pay off the debt.
Speaker 2 (14:24):
Now, the consequences of resentment and bitterness in our life
are worth mentioning because in case anyone's thinking this is
not that big a deal, it's a big deal. I
believe it is the scourge of the church today. The
one thing, as I mentioned, this holding back revival in
the church. It's all this anger, all this resentment, all
(14:46):
this fighting, all this infighting. This was written to the
church to bring the church together, love one another and
forgive one another as God has forgiven you in Christ.
Because if you don't hear just a few of the
devastating effects of bitterness unforgiveness. Number one, we disobey God.
Speaker 3 (15:08):
We disobey God.
Speaker 2 (15:12):
And one of the first things, the primary thing that
motivates me to forgive others, is simply to obey God.
I don't always have to feel it, but just do it.
In Jesus' nay said, well, I don't. I just don't
feel like forgiving him. I don't feel like forgiving her.
(15:34):
Does it say feel like? It says?
Speaker 3 (15:36):
Do it? Do it?
Speaker 2 (15:41):
When my father was brutally murdered in nineteen seventy, I
had a choice to make spend the rest of my
life angry and bitter, or to choose the freedom of
forgiveness by forgiving the person who murdered my dad. To
forgive because I would not allow the bitterness, like a cancer,
(16:04):
to eat my soul away, my life away, and spend
the rest of my life angry and mad at something
that I certainly couldn't control. But God was in control
of it all. So, as a twenty year old college student,
college athlete, young preacher, I chose to forgive. It's set
(16:26):
my life on a pattern to learning how to forgive,
and I've had to forgive others.
Speaker 3 (16:30):
Nothing that devastating.
Speaker 2 (16:33):
But and I don't tell you that story to make
me the hero, but just to tell you that.
Speaker 3 (16:41):
I battled with it, I dealt with it, and I
chose God. I'm going to obey you.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
So the other consequence for not forgiving people is your
life's going to be miserable. Take my word for it.
As a pastor, we as pastor and churches, we see
it all the time, people who are absolutely miserable because
they're just so filled with anger they cannot forgive towards others.
(17:12):
So devastation number one is you disobey God. When you
disobey God, then you open the door to Satan. That's
why Ephesians four right here it says and talking about anger,
he says, don't let the sun go down on your
wrath or give place to the devil.
Speaker 3 (17:31):
When you do.
Speaker 2 (17:32):
Not forgive others, you are inviting Satan in to do
all manner of evil in your life, in your family.
Can you imagine if Satan came to your door, knocked
on the door and you said, oh, well, come.
Speaker 3 (17:43):
On in Satan.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
You're not resolving conflict, you're not settling the scores that
are around you. You're not forgiving freely and fully as
God in Christ has forgiven you.
Speaker 3 (17:54):
You're just giving place to the devil. Devil.
Speaker 2 (17:57):
You're sleeping with the devil, and you're waking up every
morning with the devil breathing down your neck. When you
are not forgiving of others. I believe the scourge of
the church, the thing that's beating the church down more
than anything, is this unrelenting, unrepentant forgiveness, with so many
people unwilling to do what God says right here, which
(18:21):
is to forgive. We open the door of Satan. He
comes in to kill, steal, and destroy. We hinder. Next,
we hinder the flow of God's spirit. Verse thirty. Just above,
look at verse thirty. It says, do not grieve the
Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a person who can
be grieve. God the Spirit can be grieve. You can
(18:41):
make God sad. Live with a spirit that is kind
and tenderhearted and forgiving. Can you forgive your husband? Can
you forgive your wife? You say no, I can't. Well,
you're not a Christian because in Christ you can do this.
(19:05):
You must do this.
Speaker 3 (19:07):
Now.
Speaker 2 (19:07):
I emotionally could take you a while to get there,
because this isn't easy. We want to take vengeance. I'll
show you the verses that helped me in my time
of seeking forgiveness for the killer of my father. Roma's
(19:28):
twelfth repay no one evil for evil. This is verse seventeen.
Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to
do what is honorable in the sight of all, if possible,
so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
(19:49):
Would you rather live in peace than misery? And so
it's as much as depends on you. Now, some people
don't want peace, And let me hasten to say that
reconciliation takes two people. It takes multiple people sometimes to reconcile.
But forgiveness is not reconciliation. You know why, because forgiveness
(20:13):
only takes one person, and that one person is you.
It doesn't matter if the person receives your apology or
your forgiveness, or the offense is forgotten or not. You
forgive as much as as possible.
Speaker 3 (20:36):
And then look at verse nineteen.
Speaker 2 (20:38):
This is what I believed so long ago about the
injustice against my father beloved. Never avenge yourselves, but leave
it to the wrath of God, for it is written
vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord. In
other words, you let God handle the justice part. A
(21:00):
world full of injustice, and we could we should work
for justice and righteousness.
Speaker 3 (21:04):
Yes, but on a personal.
Speaker 2 (21:06):
Level, you've got to be willing to let those injustices
and insults and hurts go in Jesus' name. Doesn't mean
you don't stand up for yourself, doesn't mean you don't
work for change, doesn't mean you don't go get counseling
when you're in a marriage and there's conflict in those things.
The fact the contrary is true. You should do all
(21:26):
those things. But the forgiveness part, the forgiveness part, it's
the start, and it's the finishes everything forgive says, don't
avenge yourselves Verse twenty. To the contrary, if your enemy
is hungry, feed him, if he's thirsty, giving something to
drink for In doing so, you will heap burning coals
(21:47):
on his head. And then here's the verse that changed
my life as a young man. Do not be overcome
by evil, but overcome evil with good. Better to light
a candle than to curse the darkness. So you make
a decision. You have a desire in your heart to
forgive that comes from the Holy Spirit. You make a
decision to do it. You let God take care of
(22:12):
your enemies and your adversaries, and let me tell you something,
God will do a lot better job with that than
you could possibly do. So the cure is kindness and
compassion or tender heartedness and forgiveness. I like the definition
of forgiveness that says forgiveness is giving up my right
(22:35):
to hurt you for hurting me. You know, hurt people.
Hurting people hurt people. That's what happens. And so you
have to walk away in the grace of God and
live in an abundant life, not an angry life. Are
(22:56):
you mad at someone right now? You're gotta walked in
here mad watching online? Are you mad? Are you angry
with someone? Are you holding offense a grudge, grievance? It's
been there a long long time. Why don't you start
obeying God right now and forgive and start getting on
(23:17):
with the rest of your life. Why do you want
to live with all these past grievances and grudges and
battles that may never be won. Why do you want
to be chained with bitterness and resentment? It's a prison
it will paralyze you. And when you forgive, It's been said,
(23:41):
when you forgive, you set the prisoner free, and you
discover that the prisoner is you that is set free.
Speaker 1 (23:52):
You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message
Forgiven and Forgiven. As you begin to see God as
a person, loving father who desires to hear and answer
your prayers, it transforms your life. And thanks to friends
like you, more people all around the world are hearing
about their loving God and his son Jesus through the TV,
(24:14):
radio and online outreach of PowerPoint. That's why your support
of this ministry is so vital. We'll say thanks for
your gift of ten dollars or more by sending you
a copy of doctor Graham's book Ask. This is a
great resource to help you strengthen your own prayer life
and teach you to approach God with boldness and confidence.
So call now to request your copy. When you give,
(24:36):
call one eight hundred seven ninety five four six two seven.
That's one eight hundred seven ninety five four six two seven.
You can also text the word ASK to five nine
seven eight nine, and don't forget to visit Jack Graham
dot org. Where you can shop our eastore, give a
gift online, or sign up for doctor Graham's free daily
(24:57):
email devotional. Our website again is Jack Graham dot org,
and also be sure to sign up for doctor Graham's
podcast Bible in a Year pastor what is your PowerPoint
for Today?
Speaker 2 (25:11):
We've all been heard or mistreated by others. It's part
of life. And the truth is, we can't change the past,
and it doesn't really do that much good to ask why.
What we need to do is move forward. And yet
one of the things that hold most people back from
moving forward are the hurts in life, and it creates
an unforgiving spirit. If your heart has been broken, but
(25:32):
you want to get on with your life today, you
must be willing to forgive. You can never fully realize
God's grace in your own life if you are harboring
hate or bitterness, or resentment or pain towards others from
your past. But what if you don't forgive, Well, there
are consequences if we don't forgive. The Scripture warns us
about these consequences. Unforgiveness can contaminate your personality with bitterness.
(25:56):
It's like a weed that gets out of control in
your life. Become bitter, You become negative and critical. Anger
and resentfulness can grow unchecked, and before you realize it,
joy and happiness have leaked out of your life. If
left unchecked, unforgiveness will devour your relationships and jeopardize your future.
Bitterness can spread to your marriage and be passed along
(26:18):
to your children, even from generation to generation. Worst of all,
unforgiveness can rob you of a growing relationship with God.
Listen to the words of Scripture Hebrew twelve fifteen. See
to it that no one fails to obtain the grace
of God, that no root of bitterness springs up and
causes trouble, and by it many become defiled. If you've
(26:41):
been living with bitterness and anger in your life, there's
some things you can do to begin the healing process.
Admit the bitterness in your heart, confess it to God
as sin. Then ask God to heal your hurt and
restore your spirit. And then ask God to help you
fully forgive those who.
Speaker 3 (26:57):
Have hurt you.
Speaker 2 (26:58):
Right now, take it in tory of your life. Do
you harbor any resentment or anger. It's not healthy for
your life and your relationships. Forgiveness is not only a
gift that you give to others, it is a gift
you give to yourself. And when you forgive, you experience
the freedom to love, to trust, and to begin living
again according to God's plan for your life.
Speaker 1 (27:19):
And that is today's power Point. Remember when you give
a gift of ten dollars or more to PowerPoint, we'll
send you doctor Graham's book, Ask as Our thanks. Call
one eight hundred seven ninety five four six two seven.
That's one eight hundred seven ninety five four six two seven.
You can also text the word ASK to five nine
(27:40):
seven eight nine and join us again next time as
doctor Graham brings a message about how you can live
purely in an unclean world. That's next time on PowerPoint
with Jack Graham. PowerPoint with Jack Graham is sponsored by
PowerPoint Ministries.
Welcome to this edition of PowerPoint with Jack Graham. A
little later in the program, we'll tell you how you
can get a copy of doctor Graham's book Ask. But first,
here's the message, Forgiven and forgiven.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Take your bibles and turn to Ephesians four. If you
could encapsulate the Christian life in just these three words. Forgiven,
we have been forgiven in Christ, and therefore forgiving, forgiven
and forgiving, because forgiven people forgive people. The last time
we were together in Ephesians, which is verse thirty one,
(00:43):
it says, let all bitterness and wrath, and anger, and
clamor and slander be put away from you, along with
all malice. Those words these six vices. Bitterness which produces
all the others. Bitterness, which is internalized, seething, and anger
is the anger that is within. It is a deep
root in a person's heart. That's why the scripture says
(01:07):
that we should not allow a root of bitterness in
our lives because it does so much harm, so much
destruction as a result of bitterness. It's the word for resentment, unforgiveness.
Then wrath, which is it means to burn, and then
anger which means to express anger, and then clamor, which
(01:29):
is outburst and shouting and cursing and blaspheming. And then slander,
which is turning our tongues and our words into missiles
against others.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
And then malice, which.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
You actually actually can get to the place in your
life where you.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
Want to hurt somebody, hit somebody.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
That's malice, these six thysis that destroys so many lives.
Domestic violence is way way up, child abuse, verbal abuse
as well as physical abuse in homes. Divorce rate is
rapidly rising. But just reading someone was doing a study
(02:07):
on marriage. They said, the number one sign, the number
one symptom that the couple is heading for a breakdown
and a split and a divorce. You know what it
is contempt? Contempt when you begin to contempt the other person.
That is, that's that thing when you roll your eyes
(02:31):
just when they walk in the room, when you're just
disgusted with the other person. And that's all related to
the kind of anger that we're talking about. Happens to churches,
doesn't it. How many churches were born not in revival,
but born in a split because somebody got mad at
one another, some big cog in the synagogue didn't like
the other cog in the synagogue, and the churches are split.
(02:55):
You got first Baptist, second Baptist, third Baptist, fourth Baptist,
fifth Baptist, all because one.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
Of them couldn't stand the other churches.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
I believe it's the one thing that's holding the primary
thing that is holding back revival. And it's all this
anger and unresolved conflicts and unforgiveness. Anger can be anything
from small irritations and frustrations to.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
Full blown rage.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
But God has an answer to this anger. He has
a cure for this problem. And it's verse thirty two.
Be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving one another.
How as God in Christ has forgiven you, forgiveness.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
Is God's grace and God's gift to you.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
Jesus Christ came into the world to what save us
from our sins? And how does he forgive us? How
does he forgive us and thereby give us eternal life?
You can just back up in Ephesians chapter one and
verse seven. It says in him Jesus we have redemption
through His blood, the forgiveness.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
Of our trespasses.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
One of the words for forgiveness, or the word forgiveness
actually means to relieve a debt, to relieve a debt,
if I forgive you, I forgive the debt you owe me.
And so is forgiveness of our trespasses. How according to
(04:42):
the riches of his grace, God's amazing grace, we have
been given this grace, undeserved, unmerited. It was paid in full,
this debt at the Cross. We've said it many times,
in many ways. Jesus paid it all to him. I
owe he paid a debt that he did not owe,
because we owed a debt we could not pay. He
(05:04):
died on the cross, his blood poured out that he
might provide for all who believe and repent of their sins.
You know, it's more than being sorry for your sins.
A lot of people are sorry for their sins. It's
not being sorry for your sins, but it is turning
from your sins. That's repentance and receiving.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
The gift of grace.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
Jesus Christ, who will save you, forgive all your sins
and come in to live in your life.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
That is forgiveness.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
Isn't it good to know that every sin you have committed,
are committing, and will commit, is under the blood of
the Lord, Jesus Christ buried in the sea of God's forgetfulness.
God separates our sins as far as the east is
from the west. He unreservedly and completely and freely and
(05:55):
fully and forever forgives us.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
Of our sins, sins. Amazing.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
It's mercy, God, steadfast love and mercy and grace describe
through the Bible. So what we have been given, this forgiveness,
this grace, we now are to give to others, not
(06:26):
human forgiveness, but as God has forgiven us in Christ.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
Jesus taught us when we pray.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
To pray, Lord, forgive us our debts, as we forgive
our debtors. Lord, forgive us our sins, as we forgive
those who sin against us. Forgiven people, forgive people. And
(06:57):
yet so many levers and followers of Jesus are not
living a much more life, but living a much less life.
Because you are not practicing this principle of forgiveness. You
don't know the power and the freedom in your life
(07:20):
that only forgiveness in Christ can bring.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
It flows out of a transformed heart.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
It flows out of a life that is no longer
living the old way, but a brand new way. This
is why it is unacceptable as we take off the
old clothes from the past, the grave clothes, and put
on the grace clothes, and we are to exchange this
and exchange life.
Speaker 3 (07:47):
We are to exchange lives for the.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
Truth and stealing for good, hard work and generosity and
unwholesome vile words for edifying, and words that build up
for unrighteous anger for a righteous anger.
Speaker 3 (08:03):
All of this.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
But you know, life can be hardened. We get beat
up in life. People disappoint us, people offend us, people
wound us. Our kids don't turn out the way we
plan for our kids to turn out. All manner of
things over time, and if you are not careful, you
can die of hardening of not the arteries but your attitude,
(08:27):
the hardening of the heart, not the.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
Physical, but the soul.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
And this is why so many people over time can
become sour and cynical and suspicious and yes, walking out
walking around in a general state of being angry. You're
not living an abundant life. You're living an angry life,
and everybody around you is miserable because of it. You
(08:55):
know you're bitter. Nobody likes to be with people. I'm
just telling you straight up. If you're a bitter person,
you may wonder why nobody wants to go to dinner
with you. You go to dinner and you say, you know,
bitter party of one.
Speaker 3 (09:19):
It's true. This is not how we're to live.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
Rather than these six vices, he mentions three virtues.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
One is kindness. You see it there in verse thirty two,
the sweetest verse in the Bible. Kindness.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
In the Greek, it is krestos cr e s c
r e s t o s Crestos kindness. It's related
to grace, even caris. But I tell you it's also
related not just to Cresto's kindness, Butos. You know what
(10:02):
Christos is c hr sts Christos is Christ, and in
Christ we are given kindness. These words, just like they
are close in the Bible, are doubly close in our lives.
When Christ lives in us, his kindness is in us
(10:23):
the kindness of God. The Bible often speaks of the
loving kindness of God. In fact, you can read about
it in Psalm one hundred and three, verse eight. The
Lord is merciful and gracious, and slow to anger, and
abounding in steadfast love. He will not always child, nor
(10:45):
will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal
with us according to our sins, nor repay us according
to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are
above the earth, so great is the steadfast love to
those who fear him.
Speaker 3 (10:58):
As far as the east.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
Is from the world, so far does he remove our
transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children,
so does the Lord show compassion to those who fear him.
For he knows our frame, and he remembers that we.
Speaker 3 (11:13):
Are thus.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
Forgive, as God in Christ has forgiven you. Unless you
envision the God of the Bible as being in particular,
some of you think of the Old Testament God is
being harsh and judgmental and ready to destroy someone.
Speaker 3 (11:35):
No, the God of the Bible, old and New, is.
Speaker 2 (11:38):
A God of steadfast love and mercy and grace and peace.
And therefore it's demonstrated in Christ perfectly on earth and
at the Cross. This is the love of God that
is poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
You are listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the
message Forgiven and Forgiving in his powerful book Ask Doctor
Graham helps you unlock the power of prayer in your
life using Jesus' teaching to ask, seek, and knock. As
you follow these three simple commands, you'll completely transform how
you pray. We want to help you discover a deeper,
(12:16):
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seven ninety five four six two seven. You can also
(12:37):
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(12:58):
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get back to today's message forgiven and forgiving.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
Kindness and then tenderheartedness. See that word tenderhearted. It doesn't
mean soft hearted. To be tenderhearted. Is not to be soft.
In fact, the hardest thing you will ever do in
your life is to be tender hearted. Possible without the
(13:33):
love of God. So don't see tender hearted is just
kind of soft and weak. No, tenderhearted means merciful and empathetic.
It's to substitute the word compassionate. That's a strong word,
to show passion, to join, to comfort others, to care
for others. That's hard work, that's not soft work. But again,
(13:59):
too many many people end up, and I'm talking about Christians.
Speaker 3 (14:02):
Now hard hearted, cold hearted, rather than tender hearted. And
then of course forgiven or forgiving to pay off the debt.
Speaker 2 (14:24):
Now, the consequences of resentment and bitterness in our life
are worth mentioning because in case anyone's thinking this is
not that big a deal, it's a big deal. I
believe it is the scourge of the church today. The
one thing, as I mentioned, this holding back revival in
the church. It's all this anger, all this resentment, all
(14:46):
this fighting, all this infighting. This was written to the
church to bring the church together, love one another and
forgive one another as God has forgiven you in Christ.
Because if you don't hear just a few of the
devastating effects of bitterness unforgiveness. Number one, we disobey God.
Speaker 3 (15:08):
We disobey God.
Speaker 2 (15:12):
And one of the first things, the primary thing that
motivates me to forgive others, is simply to obey God.
I don't always have to feel it, but just do it.
In Jesus' nay said, well, I don't. I just don't
feel like forgiving him. I don't feel like forgiving her.
(15:34):
Does it say feel like? It says?
Speaker 3 (15:36):
Do it? Do it?
Speaker 2 (15:41):
When my father was brutally murdered in nineteen seventy, I
had a choice to make spend the rest of my
life angry and bitter, or to choose the freedom of
forgiveness by forgiving the person who murdered my dad. To
forgive because I would not allow the bitterness, like a cancer,
(16:04):
to eat my soul away, my life away, and spend
the rest of my life angry and mad at something
that I certainly couldn't control. But God was in control
of it all. So, as a twenty year old college student,
college athlete, young preacher, I chose to forgive. It's set
(16:26):
my life on a pattern to learning how to forgive,
and I've had to forgive others.
Speaker 3 (16:30):
Nothing that devastating.
Speaker 2 (16:33):
But and I don't tell you that story to make
me the hero, but just to tell you that.
Speaker 3 (16:41):
I battled with it, I dealt with it, and I
chose God. I'm going to obey you.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
So the other consequence for not forgiving people is your
life's going to be miserable. Take my word for it.
As a pastor, we as pastor and churches, we see
it all the time, people who are absolutely miserable because
they're just so filled with anger they cannot forgive towards others.
(17:12):
So devastation number one is you disobey God. When you
disobey God, then you open the door to Satan. That's
why Ephesians four right here it says and talking about anger,
he says, don't let the sun go down on your
wrath or give place to the devil.
Speaker 3 (17:31):
When you do.
Speaker 2 (17:32):
Not forgive others, you are inviting Satan in to do
all manner of evil in your life, in your family.
Can you imagine if Satan came to your door, knocked
on the door and you said, oh, well, come.
Speaker 3 (17:43):
On in Satan.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
You're not resolving conflict, you're not settling the scores that
are around you. You're not forgiving freely and fully as
God in Christ has forgiven you.
Speaker 3 (17:54):
You're just giving place to the devil. Devil.
Speaker 2 (17:57):
You're sleeping with the devil, and you're waking up every
morning with the devil breathing down your neck. When you
are not forgiving of others. I believe the scourge of
the church, the thing that's beating the church down more
than anything, is this unrelenting, unrepentant forgiveness, with so many
people unwilling to do what God says right here, which
(18:21):
is to forgive. We open the door of Satan. He
comes in to kill, steal, and destroy. We hinder. Next,
we hinder the flow of God's spirit. Verse thirty. Just above,
look at verse thirty. It says, do not grieve the
Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a person who can
be grieve. God the Spirit can be grieve. You can
(18:41):
make God sad. Live with a spirit that is kind
and tenderhearted and forgiving. Can you forgive your husband? Can
you forgive your wife? You say no, I can't. Well,
you're not a Christian because in Christ you can do this.
(19:05):
You must do this.
Speaker 3 (19:07):
Now.
Speaker 2 (19:07):
I emotionally could take you a while to get there,
because this isn't easy. We want to take vengeance. I'll
show you the verses that helped me in my time
of seeking forgiveness for the killer of my father. Roma's
(19:28):
twelfth repay no one evil for evil. This is verse seventeen.
Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to
do what is honorable in the sight of all, if possible,
so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
(19:49):
Would you rather live in peace than misery? And so
it's as much as depends on you. Now, some people
don't want peace, And let me hasten to say that
reconciliation takes two people. It takes multiple people sometimes to reconcile.
But forgiveness is not reconciliation. You know why, because forgiveness
(20:13):
only takes one person, and that one person is you.
It doesn't matter if the person receives your apology or
your forgiveness, or the offense is forgotten or not. You
forgive as much as as possible.
Speaker 3 (20:36):
And then look at verse nineteen.
Speaker 2 (20:38):
This is what I believed so long ago about the
injustice against my father beloved. Never avenge yourselves, but leave
it to the wrath of God, for it is written
vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord. In
other words, you let God handle the justice part. A
(21:00):
world full of injustice, and we could we should work
for justice and righteousness.
Speaker 3 (21:04):
Yes, but on a personal.
Speaker 2 (21:06):
Level, you've got to be willing to let those injustices
and insults and hurts go in Jesus' name. Doesn't mean
you don't stand up for yourself, doesn't mean you don't
work for change, doesn't mean you don't go get counseling
when you're in a marriage and there's conflict in those things.
The fact the contrary is true. You should do all
(21:26):
those things. But the forgiveness part, the forgiveness part, it's
the start, and it's the finishes everything forgive says, don't
avenge yourselves Verse twenty. To the contrary, if your enemy
is hungry, feed him, if he's thirsty, giving something to
drink for In doing so, you will heap burning coals
(21:47):
on his head. And then here's the verse that changed
my life as a young man. Do not be overcome
by evil, but overcome evil with good. Better to light
a candle than to curse the darkness. So you make
a decision. You have a desire in your heart to
forgive that comes from the Holy Spirit. You make a
decision to do it. You let God take care of
(22:12):
your enemies and your adversaries, and let me tell you something,
God will do a lot better job with that than
you could possibly do. So the cure is kindness and
compassion or tender heartedness and forgiveness. I like the definition
of forgiveness that says forgiveness is giving up my right
(22:35):
to hurt you for hurting me. You know, hurt people.
Hurting people hurt people. That's what happens. And so you
have to walk away in the grace of God and
live in an abundant life, not an angry life. Are
(22:56):
you mad at someone right now? You're gotta walked in
here mad watching online? Are you mad? Are you angry
with someone? Are you holding offense a grudge, grievance? It's
been there a long long time. Why don't you start
obeying God right now and forgive and start getting on
(23:17):
with the rest of your life. Why do you want
to live with all these past grievances and grudges and
battles that may never be won. Why do you want
to be chained with bitterness and resentment? It's a prison
it will paralyze you. And when you forgive, It's been said,
(23:41):
when you forgive, you set the prisoner free, and you
discover that the prisoner is you that is set free.
Speaker 1 (23:52):
You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message
Forgiven and Forgiven. As you begin to see God as
a person, loving father who desires to hear and answer
your prayers, it transforms your life. And thanks to friends
like you, more people all around the world are hearing
about their loving God and his son Jesus through the TV,
(24:14):
radio and online outreach of PowerPoint. That's why your support
of this ministry is so vital. We'll say thanks for
your gift of ten dollars or more by sending you
a copy of doctor Graham's book Ask. This is a
great resource to help you strengthen your own prayer life
and teach you to approach God with boldness and confidence.
So call now to request your copy. When you give,
(24:36):
call one eight hundred seven ninety five four six two seven.
That's one eight hundred seven ninety five four six two seven.
You can also text the word ASK to five nine
seven eight nine, and don't forget to visit Jack Graham
dot org. Where you can shop our eastore, give a
gift online, or sign up for doctor Graham's free daily
(24:57):
email devotional. Our website again is Jack Graham dot org,
and also be sure to sign up for doctor Graham's
podcast Bible in a Year pastor what is your PowerPoint
for Today?
Speaker 2 (25:11):
We've all been heard or mistreated by others. It's part
of life. And the truth is, we can't change the past,
and it doesn't really do that much good to ask why.
What we need to do is move forward. And yet
one of the things that hold most people back from
moving forward are the hurts in life, and it creates
an unforgiving spirit. If your heart has been broken, but
(25:32):
you want to get on with your life today, you
must be willing to forgive. You can never fully realize
God's grace in your own life if you are harboring
hate or bitterness, or resentment or pain towards others from
your past. But what if you don't forgive, Well, there
are consequences if we don't forgive. The Scripture warns us
about these consequences. Unforgiveness can contaminate your personality with bitterness.
(25:56):
It's like a weed that gets out of control in
your life. Become bitter, You become negative and critical. Anger
and resentfulness can grow unchecked, and before you realize it,
joy and happiness have leaked out of your life. If
left unchecked, unforgiveness will devour your relationships and jeopardize your future.
Bitterness can spread to your marriage and be passed along
(26:18):
to your children, even from generation to generation. Worst of all,
unforgiveness can rob you of a growing relationship with God.
Listen to the words of Scripture Hebrew twelve fifteen. See
to it that no one fails to obtain the grace
of God, that no root of bitterness springs up and
causes trouble, and by it many become defiled. If you've
(26:41):
been living with bitterness and anger in your life, there's
some things you can do to begin the healing process.
Admit the bitterness in your heart, confess it to God
as sin. Then ask God to heal your hurt and
restore your spirit. And then ask God to help you
fully forgive those who.
Speaker 3 (26:57):
Have hurt you.
Speaker 2 (26:58):
Right now, take it in tory of your life. Do
you harbor any resentment or anger. It's not healthy for
your life and your relationships. Forgiveness is not only a
gift that you give to others, it is a gift
you give to yourself. And when you forgive, you experience
the freedom to love, to trust, and to begin living
again according to God's plan for your life.
Speaker 1 (27:19):
And that is today's power Point. Remember when you give
a gift of ten dollars or more to PowerPoint, we'll
send you doctor Graham's book, Ask as Our thanks. Call
one eight hundred seven ninety five four six two seven.
That's one eight hundred seven ninety five four six two seven.
You can also text the word ASK to five nine
(27:40):
seven eight nine and join us again next time as
doctor Graham brings a message about how you can live
purely in an unclean world. That's next time on PowerPoint
with Jack Graham. PowerPoint with Jack Graham is sponsored by
PowerPoint Ministries.
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