It’s really important to forgive each other.
- Genesis 2:21-24; 3:6, 12, 15 – Eve was not a mistake. But she was human.
| Weakness early on … | But strength later, thanks to God’s mercy |
|---|---|
| Rahab: “harlot” (Joshua 2:1) | “justified by works” (James 2:25) |
| Noah: “became drunk, and uncovered himself” (Genesis 9:21) | “hear of the righteousness which is according to faith” (Hebrews 11:7) |
| Sarah: “laughed” at God’s promise (Genesis 18:12) | “she considered Him faithful who had promised” (Hebrews 11:11) |
| Job: “contend with the Almighty” (Job 40:2) | “You have heard of the endurance of Job” (James 5:11) |
- I Timothy 2:3-4; II Peter 3:9. God wants all to be saved!
- Matthew 18:21-35. How often? 70 x 7
- Matthew 6:12, 14-15. “if you do not forgive others”
- Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:12-13. “forgiving each other”
- First, we need to come clean. James 5:16
- Second, we need to forgive each other. Proverb 17:9
- Third, we need to grow and change. Galatians 6:1
- Try: “I’m not upset at you – it’s the situation.”
“Love’s Double Cross”
- “those traits and characteristics that attract us to our mate in the first place sometimes become the very traits and characteristics that cause us the most concern and trouble later in our relationship” (Cox, p. 65)
- Traits and characteristics
- Organized ➡ annoying
- Spontaneous ➡ irresponsible
- Ambitious ➡ negligent
- Physical attractiveness ➡ vanity
- Decisive ➡ rash
- Brave ➡ reckless
- Easygoing ➡ lazy
- Generous ➡ wasteful
- Frugal ➡ cheap
- Talkative ➡ draining
- Recognize that life changes, and we have to change with it (Ecclesiastes 3:1; 7:10)
- I need to change (Philippians 2:3-4)
- Communicate and compromise (Ephesians 4:1-3)