Saturday, January 26, 2008

Preaching on forgiveness

I preached a sermon this last week on forgiveness, and I really wrestled with the issue of bitterness and the command to forgive as we have been forgiven. As I was preaching this, I felt the heaviness of the situation upon me. This sermon was exposing the darkness for what it really was. The stories I heard after the sermon confirmed this. One man told me about how his dad had cheated on him mom and altogether left the family. How can he forgive him?
This issue cripples people and I have to realize the intensly spiritual battle occuring in people's lives. Scripture says our battle is not against flesh and blood, but with powers and principalities. This has some big ramifications. I was preaching to some people who had spiritual oppression occuring in thier lives. They were crippled by feelings of unforgiveness.
My own family is dealing with this right now. How can my parents forgive my sister for being a lesbian? She has made some choices that are tearing my family apart.
Yet we pray, 'forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us."

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