In this episode, Gary Wilkerson and Joshua West talk about how popular culture understands forgiveness, how the church has historically misunderstood forgiveness and how the Bible talks about forgiveness in a nuanced way.
When our hearts harden towards God’s Word, we lose our discernment and ability to hear the Spirit’s voice, so how do we avoid falling into this deafening, deadening trap?
Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
Most of us operate under the assumption that some sins are worse than others and harder to forgive, but is this a biblical idea?
Philip Yancey related a disturbing conversation he’d had with a friend on the topic of forgiveness, reflecting on a historical event he had read about that echoed humanity’s troubled understanding of forgiveness.
Americans seem to have a habit of using cooking terms to describe emotions. For example, an upset person is described as steamed and an angry person is referred to as being boiling mad.
Think of the angry, accusing words that Joseph’s brothers leveled at him. Satan prompted those words because he wanted Joseph to hold on to bitterness and spend years stewing in the juices of anger, revenge and hatred. Thank God, Joseph laid it all down — he didn’t allow it to simmer!
Paul and Barnabas were part of the first missionary team ever to go out. These two men experienced powerful, fruitful ministry together until a sharp disagreement occurred that would shape both of them going forward.