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  (CLIP) ABOUT FORGIVENESS AND BITTERNESS
  by Zac Poonen
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Summary: This sermon emphasizes the importance of forgiveness and how
God chooses not to remember our sins, even though He is aware of them.
It highlights the power of choice in forgiveness, where we can exercise
our will to forgive and choose not to remember the wrongs done to us,
preventing bitterness from taking root in our hearts and defiling
ourselves and others.

Topics: "Forgiveness", "Choosing to Let Go"
Scripture References: Hebrews 8:12, Matthew 6:14, Colossians 3:13, Ephesians 4:31

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DESCRIPTION
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This sermon emphasizes the importance of forgiveness and how God chooses
not to remember our sins, even though He is aware of them. It highlights
the power of choice in forgiveness, where we can exercise our will to
forgive and choose not to remember the wrongs done to us, preventing
bitterness from taking root in our hearts and defiling ourselves and
others.

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CONTENT
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What sort of forgiveness do you want God to give you? Do you want him to
say to you, I will not remember your sins and iniquities? Say that about
other people also. Lord, I don't have control over my memory. There are
a lot of things stored in my memory, I can't take it out.

So you will naturally remember in that sense, things that happened. God
also remembers your sin and mine. But when he says, I will not remember,
it doesn't mean he's forgotten.

There's a lot of difference between saying, I've forgotten all your
sins. God doesn't say that. Hebrews 8.12 says, I will not remember.

Read the Bible exactly. God does not say, I have forgotten your sins. He
has not forgotten.

Because Jesus told a story of a king who forgave a slave. And the slave
went out and didn't forgive somebody else. The king called the slave
back and says, I have not forgotten what you owe me paid back.

He unforgave the forgiveness he gave. He canceled it. God can cancel a
forgiveness.

How does he do that? Because he remembers the sin. But Hebrews 8.12
says, I will not remember, which means I choose not to remember your
sins. It's a choice God makes.

And that's all I have to do. If you ask me, I do remember the evil
things that other people have done to me. But I choose not to remember
when it comes up to me.

I say, I'm not going to remember it. I'm not going to choose. I exercise
my will.

As you heard me often say, I live in my will. I don't live in my mind or
my emotions. My emotions can fool me.

My mind also I cannot control. But my will, I choose to forgive. I
choose not to remember.

When it comes to my mind, I say, no, I don't want to remember that. It
may come to my mind a hundred times in the next few years. I choose not
to remember.

After some time, it'll slowly stop coming, but it may come once in a
while. I choose not to remember. So that way, I ensure there's no root
of bitterness in our heart.

Very, very important. Because you can defile many people. You defile
yourself and you defile a lot of others.

One of the first people you will defile is your husband or your wife
with that root of bitterness against somebody, family member or whatever
it is. Be very careful, my brothers. See how that sentence begins.

Don't come short of the grace of God by a root of bitterness remaining
in your heart.

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Video: https://sermonindex2.b-cdn.net/XORzInltI7A.mp4
Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/zac-poonen/clip-about-forgiveness-and-bitterness/
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