Mindset, Part 3: Finding Joy in Forgiveness

Minsdset Finding Joy in the Middle of God Knows What

Colossians 3:7-13.  
           ⁷ You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. ⁸ But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. ⁹ Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices ¹⁰ and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. ¹¹ Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all. 
      ¹² Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³ Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

Forgiveness is about , and Jesus has every right to ask this of us
because .

Matthew 18:31-35
       ³¹ When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.
       ³² “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. ³³ Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ ³⁴ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
       ³⁵ “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

Forgiveness is between you and the Lord, not you and another person. It is a . 

True forgiveness is to…

• Release a person from our judgment and into God’s hands
• Stop holding a grudge or making them pay
• Extend mercy when none is deserved

Godly, biblical forgiveness does not mean to…

• Forget or unwisely put ourselves back in harm’s way
• Overlook or deny that harm was done
• Minimize or diminish the effect of another’s sin
• Condone or excuse wrongdoing

Forgiving, in many if not most cases, is not instantaneous or finished all at once; it’s a process God .

3 Benefits of the Deep Work of Forgiving

Reconciliation &

Healing &

Freedom &

Sometimes we are unable to extend forgiveness until we truly experience and receive God’s forgiveness for ourselves.

Small Group Questions

1. Colossians 7:12 starts: “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved…”. We all need to hear that, so affirm each other in that truth. Have each person say to one other group member, “[Person’s name], you are God’s chosen, holy and dearly loved!”
2. Only as much as is appropriate to share, what is the most profound forgiveness you’ve received from another person? What did it feel like, and how did it change you? 
3. For those in the group that have forgiven a serious offense, did the experience bring you joy? Can you share a little about that?
4. In your life, what situation or person was (or still is) the hardest to forgive? Does joy seem like a possible outcome to you right now?
5. How can we pray for you right now and throughout the week?