Joel 3

***The Jewish people would be restored back to Jesus – v1

a. their restoration takes place through forgiveness

                 THE LORD STANDS READY TO FORGIVE

Bless the Lord – David is praising the Lord because He forgives our sins

***Bless the Lord praise is a “NO MATTER WHAT PRAISE”

One sin that will not be forgiven is Blaspheming the Holy Spirit

*Matthew 12:22-32

-Blaspheming the Holy spirit is when you die in a state of rejecting Jesus Christ

-Not only does the Lord forgive us, but we need to forgive also

     FORGIVE STATEMENTS

(1)  We forgive because Jesus is our example to follow – Luke 7:36-50 and

1 Peter 2:21

a. Jesus is our example, model and pattern to follow; to imitate

b. Following Jesus as our example is a testimony

-how our lives have been changed

-the world is looking for different – 1 Peter 2:11-12

(2) Forgiveness is not approval of what was done to you – John 8:1-12

a. The Lord does not approve of our sin if we sin, but still forgives us

b. We sin at times, but will sin less and less as we grow in Jesus

-1 John 1:8, 10, 9

-when someone sins against us and hurts us, forgive but that does not mean we approve of what was done to us

(3) Forgiveness is Obedience – Ephesians 4:32 and Col 3:12-13

a. forgiving people is a decision, an action of the will

b. forgiving is not a feeling or an emotion

c. our feelings will catch up with our obedience

d. forgive quickly and develop a habit of forgiving

(4) Forgiving does not always mean Forgetting – Philippians 3:13-14

-we can forgive and still remember

-we all have some great hurts in our lives

-we never want to get even with the person or hope something bad happens to them because they hurt us- release the person to the Lord – Romans 12:17-19 & 1 Peter 2:21-23 – and allow the Lord to deal with them…