Matthew 18:35
When we say 'There is nothing to forgive' it sounds very gracious, but really it is a way we refuse to forgive. It is a dodge. Most of the time it is anyway.
Other times we say 'OK, you are forgiven' or 'I forgive you' but we say it because we have to NOT because that is what our heart is saying.
God knows when you have forgiven your brother from your heart. We cannot hide from the Lord when we sin in this way. (p25)
Matthew 18:21-22.
Anytime someone counts the number of times he has extended forgiveness, then there is no true forgiveness. (p26)
Colossians 3:13
Matthew 6:12; 6:14.
If I do not forgive I have good reason to doubt my salvation (p28)
1 Corinthians 13:4-5
Some of you have heard a statement like this within marriage. The husband or the wife may say, ' You always do this, and you never do that.' What does this mean? Someone is keeping score. (p30)
in a sense, forgiveness is unilateral. In one sense, Jesus Christ forgave us all before we repented. It did not become active until we received it. But God was not up in heaven holding a grudge until we got around to repenting. He is not up there bitter until we repent. He has forgiveness in His heart before we appropriate it.
When a Christian has forgiveness from the heart, he is concerned about the person who did the sinning against him. he is not concerned about himself. (p31)
We would all like to think that we are the good guy and that the other person has the problem. It might not be that. Just assume you are the one that has the problem of lack of forgiveness.
If a Christian has forgiveness in his heart, he will be rejoicing regardless of how wrong the other person was, or how greatly the other person sinned against him. (p32)
Notes & Quotes from Ch 2 of How to Be Free from Bitterness: And Other Essays on Christian Relationships by Jim Wilson
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