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Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – The Struggle with Unforgiveness

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Charles Stanley

Ephesians 4:30-32

All of us have been hurt at one time or another, and the offender may well have been someone we love. We often attempt to get past the pain of such situations with comments like, “That’s okay” or “Don’t worry about it,” and yet we just can’t seem to shake that penetrating sting. Why aren’t we able to let it go?

One reason that we struggle with unforgiveness is a simple matter of pride. What prevents us from forgiving? “Because that person hurt me!” we cry. As a result of our offended pride, the injustice grows much greater than we should allow. It becomes an issue of personal insult rather than an honest mistake or a flash of insensitivity.

Another factor in our unforgiveness is bitterness. We become resentful when we refuse to deal honestly with hurt feelings and then permit the matter to fester in our heart. A growing sense of irritation spreads through our spirit like an infection. It has been rightly said that bitterness is like a poison that you prepare for someone else and then drink yourself. While it silently destroys our life, the person who hurt us may remain completely unaware of our dark feelings.

Sometimes our struggle involves a misunderstanding about forgiveness. Or, we might be sitting around waiting for an apology that may never come.

If you have been hurt recently, pray for guidance. At times it’s appropriate to approach the offender and say, “You did this and it hurt me. But I forgive you and refuse to let it destroy our relationship.”

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Greg Laurie – The Importance of Conscience

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Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. —Hebrews 10:22

We have a hypersensitive smoke alarm in our house. It goes off all the time. But I think it is better to have a smoke alarm that is too sensitive than to have one that isn’t sensitive enough.

As believers, we want to have a working conscience. The apostle Paul warned, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron” (1 Timothy 4:1–2).

If your conscience is sensitive, that is good. You don’t want it seared as though a hot iron had been applied to it.

I heard a story about a man who went to see the doctor with two severely burned ears. The doctor said, “You have to tell me—how did this happen?”

The man said, “Let me explain. I was ironing a shirt when someone called me on the phone, and I answered the iron instead of the phone.”

“That is horrible!” the doctor said. “That explains one of your ears being burned. How did you burn the other?”

“They called back.”

We don’t want our consciences to be seared. We want them to be sensitive and open to the work of the Holy Spirit.

We have this promise in 1 John 1: “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (verse 7).

Because Jesus died on the cross and met the righteous demands of God, you can approach the Lord at any time, no matter what you have done, if you will confess your sin and ask for His forgiveness.

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Greg Laurie – Permission Required

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Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. —Job 1:6

The devil can do nothing in the life of the Christian without God’s permission.

This may come as a surprise, but the devil does have some access to heaven. Periodically the devil is called into the presence of God. We have a behind-the-scenes look at this in the book of Job:

Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. And the LORD said to Satan, “From where do you come?”

So Satan answered the LORD and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.” (Job 1:6–7)

What a perfect description of Satan—just roaming about like a lion, checking everything out, looking for prey.

Then God said, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?” (verse 8).

Loosely paraphrased, the devil said, “Give me a break! Does Job fear You for nothing? He fears you because You have put a hedge of protection around him.”

The devil wanted to attack Job, but he recognized there was protection around God’s servant.

And there is protection around us as well. When the devil comes our way, he has to first get permission from God. He cannot just run through our lives willy-nilly. And know this: Whatever God allows in your life, He allows for a purpose.

Sometimes we wonder why the Lord allows tragedies in our lives. While we can’t answer that, what we do know is this: God will never give us more than we can handle. And when we are tempted, there is always a way out.

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John MacArthur – The Priority of Spiritual Unity

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“The names of the twelve apostles are these: The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; and James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax-gatherer; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Him” (Matt. 10:2- 4).

Unity is a crucial element in the life of the church– especially among its leadership. A unified church can accomplish great things for Christ, but disunity can cripple or destroy it. Even the most orthodox churches aren’t immune to disunity’s subtle attack because it often arises from personality clashes or pride rather than doctrinal issues.

God often brings together in congregations and ministry teams people of vastly different backgrounds and temperaments. That mix produces a variety of skills and ministries but it also produces the potential for disunity and strife. That was certainly true of the disciples, which included an impetuous fisherman like Peter; two passionate and ambitious “sons of thunder” like James and John; an analytical, pragmatic, and pessimistic man like Philip; a racially prejudiced man like Bartholomew; a despised tax collector like Matthew; a political Zealot like Simon; and a traitor like Judas, who was in it only for the money and eventually sold out for thirty pieces of silver.

Imagine the potential for disaster in a group like that! Yet their common purpose transcended their individual differences, and by His grace the Lord accomplished through them what they never could have accomplished on their own. That’s the power of spiritual unity!

As a Christian, you’re part of a select team that is accomplishing the world’s greatest task: finishing the work Jesus began. That requires unity of purpose and effort. Satan will try to sow seeds of discord, but you must do everything possible to heed Paul’s admonition to be “of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, and intent on one purpose” (Phil. 2:2).

Suggestions for Prayer:

Pray daily for unity among the leaders and congregation of your church.

For Further Study:

Read 1 Corinthians 3:1-9, noting how Paul addressed the issue of disunity in the Corinthian church.