Anger
Paul admonishes us that the way we are to forgive is the same way that God Himself forgives.
We are to base all our forgiveness on the cross of Christ. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 2:10, “ To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ;” Paul’s personal experience with forgiveness was based upon this same principle, he forgave others in the person of Christ.
This is to say, when I consider the offence I compare it to what Christ did to forgive me and I choose Him over my offences. Certainly my own sin that cost Jesus Christ His life on the cross was far more severe than any individual offence that could be committed against me. The Bible says that Jesus bore all of our sin in His own body on the cross.
He died for every one of my sins, He died for all the lies in the world, all the murders, all the rapes, all the thefts, all the adulteries and idolatries all of these things were put on Him while He was on the cross and He made the choice to pay the penalty for them.
After the model prayer Jesus makes the following dramatic statement, “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
Matthew 6:14-15 God says that an individual receiving forgiveness from Him is dependent upon them extending forgiveness to others in the same fashion. Here is why, how could you rightly say that you deserve God’s forgiveness and others do not.
To refuse to extend the same forgiveness that you have received is to despise the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for the payment of sin. truly they do not deserve forgiveness, but neither do you. God’s forgiveness was not based upon deserving it, it was based upon His love. God loved you so much that He was willing to pay the penalty for your sin Himself on the cross. This is the message of the gospel.
Let me say, if you have never acknowledged your sin before God and put your faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sin then you are still responsible for the payment of your sin.
God wants to forgive you, He has paid the price to forgive you but you must accept that forgiveness that He has offered. It says in Romans 10:8-10, “But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
You cannot give something you have never received yourself, and once you have received God’s forgiveness you would not be able to refuse it to others.
Never hold onto things – Ephesians 4:26 “Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:” The last admonition that I want you to see on overcoming anger is that you cannot hold onto things and maintain victory over anger. When the Bible says here don’t let the sun go down upon your wrath it is saying, deal with it properly today instead of letting it fester into resentment and bitterness. If you will follow the steps that we have outlined here you will not have the problem of holding onto grudges.
