“If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary...

““If only there were evil people If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously somewhere insidiously

committing evil deeds, and it committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to were necessary only to

separate them from the rest of separate them from the rest of us and destroy them! But the us and destroy them! But the line dividing good and evil cuts line dividing good and evil cuts

through the heart of every through the heart of every human being.”human being.”

~ Aleksandr Solhenitsyn~ Aleksandr Solhenitsyn

““People ask me what advice I People ask me what advice I have for a married couple have for a married couple

struggling in their relationship. struggling in their relationship. I always answer: pray and I always answer: pray and

forgiveforgive. And to young people . And to young people from violent homes, I say: pray from violent homes, I say: pray and forgive. And again, even and forgive. And again, even to the single mother with no to the single mother with no

family support: pray and family support: pray and forgive.”forgive.”

~ Mother Teresa~ Mother Teresa

““It is freeing to become aware It is freeing to become aware that we do not have to be that we do not have to be

victims of our past and can victims of our past and can learn new ways of responding. learn new ways of responding. But there is a step beyond this But there is a step beyond this recognition… It is the step of recognition… It is the step of forgiveness. Forgiveness is forgiveness. Forgiveness is

love practiced among people love practiced among people who love poorly.”who love poorly.”

~ Henri Nouwen~ Henri Nouwen

““I think that if God forgives us I think that if God forgives us we must forgive ourselves. we must forgive ourselves. Otherwise it is almost like Otherwise it is almost like setting up ourselves as a setting up ourselves as a higher tribunal than Him.”higher tribunal than Him.”

~ C. S. Lewis~ C. S. Lewis

““Always decide to use humble Always decide to use humble love. If you resolve to do that, love. If you resolve to do that,

once and for all, you can once and for all, you can subdue the whole world. subdue the whole world.

Loving humility is marvellously Loving humility is marvellously strong, the strongest of all strong, the strongest of all things, and there is nothing things, and there is nothing

else like it.”else like it.”

~ Fyodor Dostoevsky~ Fyodor Dostoevsky

““Whoever opts for revenge Whoever opts for revenge

should dig two graves.”should dig two graves.”

~ Chinese Proverb~ Chinese Proverb

““It may be infinitely worse to It may be infinitely worse to refuse to forgive than to refuse to forgive than to

murder, because the latter may murder, because the latter may be an impulse of a moment of be an impulse of a moment of heat, whereas the former is a heat, whereas the former is a cold and deliberate choice of cold and deliberate choice of

the heart.”the heart.”

~ George MacDonald~ George MacDonald

““Without being forgiven, Without being forgiven, released from the released from the

consequences of what we have consequences of what we have done, our capacity to act done, our capacity to act

would, as it were, be confined would, as it were, be confined to a single deed from which we to a single deed from which we could never recover; we would could never recover; we would

remain the victims of its remain the victims of its consequences forever.”consequences forever.”

~ Hanna Arendt~ Hanna Arendt

““Forgiveness is not an Forgiveness is not an occasional act. occasional act.

It is a permanent attitude.”It is a permanent attitude.”

~ Martin Luther King, Jr.~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

Though justice be thy plea, Though justice be thy plea, consider this:consider this:

That in the course of justice none That in the course of justice none of usof us

Should see salvation. We do pray Should see salvation. We do pray for mercy,for mercy,

And that same prayer doth teach And that same prayer doth teach us all to renderus all to render

The deeds of mercy.The deeds of mercy.

~ William Shakespeare~ William Shakespeare

““Love… keeps no record Love… keeps no record of wrongs.”of wrongs.”

~ 1 Corinthians 13:5 (NIV)~ 1 Corinthians 13:5 (NIV)

ForgivenessForgiveness  

Greek words = Greek words =

1. to be generous, to give 1. to be generous, to give freely; freely;

2. to let go, to cancel, to 2. to let go, to cancel, to pardon, to dismiss, to pardon, to dismiss, to

release.release.  

““Love… keeps no record Love… keeps no record of wrongs.”of wrongs.”

~ 1 Corinthians 13:5 (NIV)~ 1 Corinthians 13:5 (NIV)

““For if you forgive others when For if you forgive others when they sin against you, your they sin against you, your

heavenly Father will also forgive heavenly Father will also forgive you. you. 1515 But if you do not forgive But if you do not forgive

others their sins, your Father will others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”not forgive your sins.”

~ Matthew 6:14-15 (TNIV)~ Matthew 6:14-15 (TNIV)

““And when you stand praying, if And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against you hold anything against

anyone, forgive them, so that anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may your Father in heaven may

forgive you your sins. "forgive you your sins. "

~ Mark 11:25 (TNIV)~ Mark 11:25 (TNIV)

““It is more blessed to give than It is more blessed to give than to receive.”to receive.”

~ Acts 20:35 (TNIV)~ Acts 20:35 (TNIV)

““Brothers and sisters, I do not Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken consider myself yet to have taken

hold of it. But one thing I do: hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and Forgetting what is behind and

straining toward what is ahead, I straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win press on toward the goal to win

the prize for which God has the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ called me heavenward in Christ

Jesus.”Jesus.”~ Philippians 3:13-14 (TNIV)~ Philippians 3:13-14 (TNIV)

““Love your enemies.”Love your enemies.”

~ Jesus~ Jesus

"If any brother or sister sins, "If any brother or sister sins, rebuke the offender; and if they rebuke the offender; and if they repent, forgive him. Even if they repent, forgive him. Even if they sin against you seven times in a sin against you seven times in a

day, and seven times comes day, and seven times comes back to you and says, `I repent,' back to you and says, `I repent,'

forgive them.”forgive them.”

~ Luke 17:3-4 (TNIV)~ Luke 17:3-4 (TNIV)

SIN SIN ……

-> REBUKE -> REBUKE

-> REPENTANCE -> REPENTANCE

-> FORGIVENESS -> FORGIVENESS

-> -> ACCEPTANCEACCEPTANCE

““Why do you look at the speck of Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in someone else’s eye and pay sawdust in someone else’s eye and pay

no attention to the plank in your own no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say, `Let me take the eye? How can you say, `Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time speck out of your eye,' when all the time

there is a plank in your own eye? You there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to own eye, and then you will see clearly to

remove the speck from the other remove the speck from the other person’s eye.”person’s eye.”

~ Matthew 7:3-5 (TNIV)~ Matthew 7:3-5 (TNIV)

““We love because he first loved We love because he first loved us.”us.”

~ 1 John 4:19 (TNIV)~ 1 John 4:19 (TNIV)

““Therefore, I tell you, her many Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven — as her sins have been forgiven — as her

great love has shown. But great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little whoever has been forgiven little

loves little.”loves little.”

~ Luke 7:47 (TNIV)~ Luke 7:47 (TNIV)

““Therefore, there is now no Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are condemnation for those who are

in Christ Jesus.”in Christ Jesus.”

~ Romans 8:1 (TNIV)~ Romans 8:1 (TNIV)

““If any of you want to be my If any of you want to be my followers, you must forget about followers, you must forget about yourself. You must take up your yourself. You must take up your cross each day and follow me. If cross each day and follow me. If you want to save your life, you you want to save your life, you

will destroy it. But if you give up will destroy it. But if you give up your life for me, you will save it.”your life for me, you will save it.”

~ Luke 9:23-24 (CEV)~ Luke 9:23-24 (CEV)