Matt 5:43-48 NIV You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

The Lie: Burn bridges, hold grudges, cancel others, protect yourself

Eph 6:12 NIV For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms

This is the enemy’s strategy:

1. Turn your brother/sister into your enemy
2. Elevate a secondary value above your ultimate allegiance to Christ
3. Cancel the person

Jesus showed us a radically different way. He didn’t ignore sin but he didn’t weaponize it.

John 8 women caught in adultery example

Matthew 18-21-35 NLT 21 Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?” ( he thought that was very generous) 22 “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, (to which Peter breathes a sigh of relief) “but seventy times seven! 23 “Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him. 24 In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars. 25 He couldn’t pay, so his master ordered that he be sold—along with his wife, his children, and everything he owned—to pay the debt.26 “But the man fell down before his master and begged him, ‘Please, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.’ 27 Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt.(He didn’t just release him, he forgave his debt) 28 “But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars.He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment. (He didn’t just bring him in, he grabbed him by the throat) 29 “His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it,’ he pleaded. 30 But his creditor wouldn’t wait. He had the man arrested and put in prison until the debt could be paid in full.

31 “When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him everything that had happened. 32 Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. 33 Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’

 34 Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt.

35 “That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.”

How to forgive:

-Write down what was taken from you: be specific 

-Cancel the debt: You don’t owe me anymore

-Refuse to hold the debt

Eph 1:7-8 NIV In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding.