Practicing Christian Leadership, Mentor's Guide, MG11

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P R A C T I C I N G C H R I S T I A N L E A D E R S H I P

No restoration is to be done in a spirit of meanness or bitterness, but we are to forgive as we have been forgiven in Christ. Eph. 4.31-32 - Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. [32] Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Our prayer must that our debts be forgiven in the same way that we ourselves forgive the debts of others. Matt. 6.12 - and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. (Cf. Matt. 6.14-15 - For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, [15] but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.)

We are to forgive not merely to seven times, but seventy-times seven!

Matt. 18.21-35 - If we neither judge nor condemn, we will not then be judged and condemned, Luke 6.37 Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven.

We do not return kind for kind, even from enemies, but overcome evil with good.

Rom. 12.20-21 - To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” [21] Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

This impartial love is truly an imitation of God.

Eph. 5.1 - Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.

We are to forgive in the same way we have been forgiven by our Lord.

Col. 3.12-13 - Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, [13] bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.