Forgiveness: Our Greatest Need, Our Greatest Gift

By Dr. George W. Mitchell

One of the greatest struggles we have in our lives is not only forgiving other people but knowing what to do when we do not receive forgiveness from them. In this book, our whole desire is to not only define what true forgiveness is but to understand how we can forgive someone who has done something that initially seems to be unforgiveable.

What does true forgiveness look like? Is there a transgression that I do not have to forgive? Does my forgiving someone depend upon the degree of sorrow they demonstrate for what they have done, or must I forgive them anyway? Do I have to forget what a person has done to me in order to truly forgive them? These and many other questions will be addressed in the pages of this book. Forgiveness is our greatest need and the greatest gift we can receive and give to others.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Oct 31, 2012
• ISBN: 9781449770259

Dr. George W. Mitchell

Dr. George W. Mitchell has a BS, MDiv, and Doctor of Ministry degree. He has been a senior pastor, executive pastor, and associate pastor of churches in Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. In serving these churches, he has written numerous Bible studies for small groups, leadership development materials, men’s discipleship materials, and Christian education programs. He has planted two churches and established two Christian schools. Not only has he taught Bible and Latin in a Christian school, but he has been a professor at Birmingham Theological Seminary, teaching Apologetics, Systematic Theology, Old and New Testament Surveys, Worship, and Practical Theology, along with being the chairman of the Practical Theology Department and director of the Doctor of Ministry Program. Presently, he is pastor of the St. Luke Evangelical Church in Newton, Kansas. He has six wonderful children (including his daughters-in-law and his son-in-law) and and five incredible grandchildren with another one on the way.

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Copyright © 2012 Dr. George W. Mitchell

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ISBN: 978-1-4497-7025-9 (e)

ISBN: 978-1-4497-7026-6 (sc)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012919825

WestBow Press rev. date: 10/24/2012

Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1:The First Thing

Chapter 2:The Experience of Forgiveness

Chapter 3:The Definition and Origin of Forgiveness

Chapter 4:The Characteristics of True Forgiveness

• A Choice, Not a Feeling

• A Setting Aside/A Putting On

• An Action Not Based on Motive or Outward Behavior of Another Person

• A No Respecter of Persons

• Not Punitive, Restricted, or Conditional

• A Restorer of Relationships

• An Act Born of Courage

Chapter 5:The Final Thing

To the men who have been my friends and accountability partners and who have been committed to cause me to be a man of God, living faithfully in this world: Bo Stalcup, C. Phil Esty, John Tolson, Rob Danner, Shelton Sanford, Boyce Callahan, Roy Flannagan, Matt Burton, George Taylor, Huck Whitener, Tom Cheely, Roy Blankenship, Bill Griffin, Carl Harris, Brian Scott, and last, but not least, my two sons: Caleb and Stephen. Thanks, men, for always challenging me and always offering me freely your forgiveness.

Introduction

No forgiveness means no relationship.

No forgiveness means no hope.

No forgiveness means no comfort.

No forgiveness means no encouragement.

No forgiveness means no rest.

No forgiveness means no patience.

No forgiveness means no peace.

No forgiveness means no joy.

No forgiveness means no grace.

No forgiveness means no mercy.

No forgiveness means no love.

No forgiveness means no gentleness.

No forgiveness means no kindness.

No forgiveness means no forgiveness.

The above list could go on and on. Forgiveness is essential to our living in a world that seems to always be sucking the life out of us. Often, we are unforgiving people living in the midst of unforgiving people. For many of us, this is why we lack healthy relationships, hope, comfort, encouragement, rest, patience, peace, joy, grace, mercy, love, gentleness, kindness, and many other attributes that we long to possess.

Matthew 9 tells us a story of a man who is a paralytic. Four of his friends have carried this man on his pallet to see Jesus. They want Jesus to heal their friend. We are not told how old this man is or how long he has been paralyzed. It would appear that he was probably in his late twenties or early thirties and that he had been paralyzed most of his life, probably from birth. His friends are so intent on helping this man that when they can’t bring him through the front door because of the crowd, they go up the back stairs to the flat roof and dig a hole through the clay. Then they lower the man by ropes attached to the pallet so that he comes to rest in front of Jesus.

As Jesus looks at this man, it is obvious that this man needs his physical strength returned and life given to his dead limbs. There is no question that this is what is going to restore manhood to this individual; this is what is going to give him his worth and value; this is what is going to give this man a reason to live, to rise up in the morning with the hope of going to work so he can provide for himself and his family. Jesus looks at this man, and what does He say? With all sincerity, Jesus says, Take courage, son, your sins are forgiven (Matthew 9:2b). What? How absurd! How ridiculous! How utterly blind can Jesus be to this man’s need! Does He not understand that these men have brought their friend to be healed? Is He oblivious to this man’s feelings? He has just denied these feelings of utter despair that must be filling both the heart of the paralytic and his friends.

What is Jesus doing? He is refocusing this man’s thinking, as well as everyone else’s, to recognize that this man’s greatest need is not his physical paralysis but his inward corruption. What he needs to know above all is that his sins are forgiven. Now to show everyone there that