The Faith to Forgive

The Faith to Forgive

Turn with me to Luke chapter 17, verses 1 through 6. After that beautiful performance earlier—maybe we should’ve passed the offering plate and charged for it—I’m kidding, of course, but it was my idea, so I’ll take half the profits! This morning, we’ll dive right into the message and get you out a little early. All God’s people said, “Amen!” In Luke 17:1-6, the Bible says: "Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come! It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him. And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith. And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you."

Let’s pray: Father, we thank You in Jesus’ name for what You’re doing in this service. Thank You for the visitors, the salvations we’ve already seen, and the beautiful singing we’ve heard. God, I pray You’d anoint Your speaker now and help us preach, “Thus saith the Lord.” I don’t want to say anything ignorant or arrogant—only what’s biblical. Remove every spirit but the Holy Spirit, grant me the unction to function, and I promise we’ll give You the glory. We love You, we thank You, we praise You, in Jesus’ name, amen.

The Disciples’ Journey with Jesus

Let’s take a journey with the disciples. When Jesus began His earthly ministry, He chose twelve men to follow Him. They witnessed most of His miracles—raising Jairus’ daughter from the dead, feeding 5,000 with a boy’s lunch, walking on water (Peter even joined Him!), healing lepers, and restoring sight to the blind with spit and a touch. John says the world couldn’t contain the books of all Jesus’ miraculous deeds. They saw Him cast out devils, heal the lame, and defy nature. Yet, there’s only one time recorded in Scripture when these disciples, after seeing all this, asked the Lord for more faith. What prompted it? Not healing or miracles, but forgiveness.

They were fine with Jesus raising the dead—“Cool!” Feeding them fish sandwiches—“Awesome!” Walking on water—“That’s great!” But when He said, “Forgive your brother, even seven times a day if he repents,” they balked. “Lord, increase our faith!” This morning, I want to preach on “The Faith to Forgive.” We defined faith in youth Sunday school: complete confidence in God’s character and declarations, an unreserved surrender to His guidance, and dependence on His merits for salvation. Simply put, faith is a belief acted upon. True forgiveness exercises faith because it trusts God to handle it. I don’t know about you, but when someone crosses me, I want to fix it my way—I’d be in jail if I did! Forgiveness means believing, “Vengeance is Mine,” saith the Lord, not Jaden.

Three Principles of Forgiveness

Here’s a bold thought: what if pornography, alcoholism, or affairs aren’t the problem? What if they’re solutions we devise for a deeper issue? I believe unforgiveness and bitterness are the same—not problems, but our flawed fixes for lacking faith in God. We believe Jonah and the whale, the Red Sea parting, or Balaam’s donkey talking—wild stories we teach kids with ease. But forgiving someone? That’s when we justify our anger. Let’s explore three principles to have the faith to forgive.

1. Forgiveness Is Not Failure

First, forgiveness is not failure. People say, “If I forgive, they win.” No, forgiveness isn’t about the transgressor—it’s about you. It’s not excusing their behavior; it’s about your heart. If you forgive, they don’t win—you do. How many live rent-free in your mind because they wronged you? Often, it’s unintentional—a comment not meant for you, like Sister So-and-So leaving church because no one ate her green bean casserole at the potluck. Maybe they forgot to bring it out! I’ve learned in ministry: say you like something, and you’ll get 40 dishes of it—not all great. I named my trash can “Spot” so I can say, “It hit the spot!”—a little trick to avoid hurt feelings. But it takes more strength to forgive than to hold a grudge. A quote I love says, “To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover the prisoner was you.” Proverbs 10:12 adds, “Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.” Forgiveness isn’t failure—it’s freedom.

2. Forgiveness Is Final

Second, forgiveness is final. People ask, “How do I know I’ve truly forgiven?” Here’s the test: if you keep reminding yourself of their wrong, you haven’t forgiven. If it’s always coming up—“Watch out for so-and-so, they did this!”—you haven’t let go. With my wife, we agreed not to let the sun go down on our wrath, but after three sleepless days, we adjusted that plan! Psalm 103:12 says, “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.” God doesn’t forget our sins—implying imperfection—but chooses not to remember them, removing them completely. If He doesn’t bring up our past, why should we theirs? Bitterness roots in the heart and spills out the mouth. If it’s in the well, it’ll come up. Let it go—forgiveness is final, not a revolving door.

3. Forgiveness Leads to Forgiveness

Finally, forgiveness leads to forgiveness. Turn to Matthew 6:12-15: “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors… 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.” Jesus on the cross said, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do,” without their asking. Imagine God saying, “I won’t forgive you because you wouldn’t forgive them.” We pray, “Forgive us as we forgive.” I want God’s forgiveness to be permanent, without reminder or penalty—so I’d better forgive others that way too. Colossians 3:13 says, “Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another… even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.” When we forgive, it opens doors for God’s blessings. Holding grudges hinders His work in us.

Think of who’s hurt you—an ex, friend, coworker, relative. They don’t deserve forgiveness, but we can’t afford God’s displeasure. After the Civil War, a woman showed Robert E. Lee her tree, ruined by artillery, seeking sympathy. He said, “Cut it down, my dear Madam, and forget about it.” What trees in your life need cutting down? Maybe they’ve passed on, or you can’t confront them—go to God and say, “Help me forgive.” It’s hard—that’s why the disciples needed faith. Offenses are inevitable, Jesus said, but we must forgive. It takes faith acted upon, trusting God’s justice over our own.

A Call to Action

Who in your life needs forgiveness? Maybe they’re here—grab them, go to the altar, and sort it out. Maybe it’s a phone call after church: “Let’s make it right.” Three teens gave their hearts to Jesus in Sunday school today—follow their example. If you’re sure of heaven, praise God! If not, pray: “Dear Lord, I know I’m a sinner. I need to be saved. I believe Jesus died for my sin. Come into my heart, forgive me, make me whole.” It’s not the prayer—it’s faith in Christ. Call on Him, and He’ll save you. For those holding bitterness, give it to God. It takes faith—ask Him to increase it. Let’s pray: Father, have Your will in this time. For those with questions about salvation, may they come—I’ll show them from Scripture. For those with bitterness, help them release it. Give us faith to forgive, trusting You are who You say. In Jesus’ name, amen.