2/28/26

Matthew 18:21-22 Then Peter came and said to Him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?"Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

Why should we forgive and ultimately do it as many times as we are wronged, which is forgiveness to perfection?

The answer is it sets us free!

Dr. Robert Jeffress shared the following in a sermon ,several years ago.

Do you all remember - did you ever go to those kinds of old-fashioned picnics that we used to have more of and where they would have a contest, a game called the three-legged race? Did you ever participate in a three-legged race? You know you get your right leg bound to the left leg of your partner, and you've got several different teams, and you're trying to make it to the finish line, and you're hobbling along like this? You're hobbling along, and if you've ever had the thought that I have you probably have thought at some point in that: if only I could get loose from this nitwit, I could go a lot farther and a lot faster and win the contest. But you see, three-legged races don't allow for solo contenders. The fact is when you're bound to somebody else you can go only as fast and as far as they're willing to travel.

Now listen to me, when you make forgiving another person dependent on what they do, it's like you're emotionally tying yourself to that other person. If you're saying: I can't forgive them until they say 'I'm sorry', then you can go no further in life, no more quickly in life than they're willing or unwilling to go. When I say, if not to them directly, to God: I no longer want to be bound to this other person. I'm letting go of the hurt that they've committed against me so that I can be free to live the life that God has planned for me. Today I am letting go, I'm unbinding myself so that I can go where God wants me to go.

Remember that first slave? Because he didn't forgive he was put into the prison, the torturer's house where he was tormented day and night forever and ever. When you refuse to forgive until somebody does something, you're going through mental, emotional, and spiritual torture just waiting for them to free you. No, you need to be free of that other person. Lewis Smedes said: when we forgive we set the prisoner free, and the prisoner we set free is us.

How long will we hold onto the prison door desiring to be released not realizing we are pulling the wrong way?

Unforgiveness holds the prison door closed, while forgiveness pushes and swings the prison door open to freedom.

Praying for the freedom of the ones held captive by their unforgiveness.

Forgive seventy times seven.

Love Bro. Scott.