How Do I Know I Have truly Forgiven Someone?
After Repentance, forgiveness & Reconciliation a Question that comes Up….
How Do I Know I Have truly Forgiven Someone? The Quick Answer is
When you don’t need to think “have I forgiven them for …….”
Unforgiveness can be out of sight / mind until the Offender comes back into you Life or even the same room as you. It All floods back,
ILL Woman list of obituaries, she kept of people who hurt, it made her feel good she was still alive and they were dead, the truth be known all she did was relive her hurt and anger and it made her feel bad over and over.
However we need to ask is this flood of stuff, Unforgiveness or a reminder of the wound or scare that you experience caused/left by the past offence?
ILL I have lost the top of my Finger, every now and then I see my topless finger and it all floods back what happen that day, but I don’t have unforgiveness.
The flood of memories is not unforgiveness, they are life’s experience and forgiveness dose not bring memory loss.
Unforgiveness, is The desire for vengeance, The use of the Tongue to Discredit or you just Smack them one. So if you feel like any of those it is unforgiveness
I have been Mistreated / hurt / wounded / Scared /disappointed I have won the battle to Forgive, but I still remember, battle to not relive it, don’t want to smack them any more!
Forgiveness is not amnesia, dose not eradicate your memory, Forgiving &Forgetting is impossible without a knock on the head.
God dose not forget! He knows the End from the beginning, Knows all things. However God chooses not to Hold your Sin Against you, He dose not keep bringing it Up, …. When he sees You, He sees You Forgiven as if Never Happened
When the prodigal son came back, his Father only Seen a Son Brother seen Sinful Son what do you see in the person who once upset you.
Forgiveness is a Choice not a feeling, never feel like it. Chose despite the feeling to Forgive.
1. You Know Truly Forgiven when You Chose not to dwell on the hurt. In quite moments, your head on the pillow, Bang, it is there. Uninvited and unwelcome that desire for revenge.
You cannot help the thought coming into your mind. But you are responsible for what you allow your mind to dwell on. Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
2. You Know Truly Forgiven when You Chose not to talk about it. If you talk about it, you think about it. If you think about it, you feel it. If you feel it, it will hurt you.
So when person comes up in Conversation Don’t Look for Sympathy or people to take Sides…… Don’t slander or gossip Proverbs 26:20 Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down. Keep Battle to forgive Between you and God
3. You Know Truly Forgiven when You Chose not to retaliate. Justice may say, “An eye for an eye” “If you do that to me, I’ll do it to you.” Forgiveness says, “I could do it, but I won’t.”
"Do not repay evil for evil . . ." (Romans 12:17-18) "... overcome evil with good." (Romans 12:19-21) Why do Random acts of Kindness, they May not need it deserve it, but it will do you good
4. You Know Truly Forgiven when You Chose to go on choosing.
Matt 18: 21 Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" 22Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times
Why did peter ask this? Cause the other Disciples were winding him up, they were in Peter mind perhaps Competitive, Jealous, Manipulative JUST to Impress Jesus
In the Story of Wicked servant, Jesus is Saying you Reap what you sow
We have a choice to Forgive or not to Forgive, Forgive as Jesus has Forgiven us, To Gain God’s Forgiveness we must Forgive. Wow are you forgiven?
5. How do you know You have Truly Forgiven when You have F so Much Many Times don’t even need to think about.
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