A Bible study which covers bitterness and unforgiveness

1. The Bible tells us, Heb 12:15, LOOKING DILIGENTLY LEST ANY MAN FAIL OF THE GRACE OF
GOD; LEST ANY ROOT OF BITTERNESS SPRINGING UP TROUBLE YOU, AND THEREBY MANY
BE DEFILED.
2. The fruits of bitterness are anger, wrath, slander, hate, and malice (or desire to see another suffer).

1. Oversensitive to a verbal remark, action, or lack of action.
2. Hurt feelings.
3. Repulsive feeling toward a person at the thought or sight of him.
4. Retaining wounds and frequently talking about them.
5. Alienation of a person.
6. Verbal slander against the person.
7. Lack of obedience (ref Mt 5:44,45).
8. Becoming like the one you despise.

It is not wrong to feel hurt, but how you deal with it makes all the difference in what happens to you!

1. Spiritually: An inability to love God. If we fail to forgive, we break the commandments of loving God and forgiving one another.
2. Emotionally: Creates an emotional focus toward the one who hurt. This focus results in us becoming just like the one we resent.

1.	The Lord’s Prayer: Mt 6:12-AND FORGIVE US OUR DEBTS, AS WE FORGIVE OUR DEBTORS (or forgive us just the way we forgive others).

2.	Mt 6:14,15-FOR IF YOU FORGIVE MEN THEIR TRESPASSES, YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER WILL ALSO FORGIVE YOU: BUT IF YE FORGIVE NOT MEN THEIR TRESPASSES, NEITHER WILL YOUR FATHER FORGIVE YOUR TRESPASSES.

3.	Hinders prayer since it is sin-Isa 59:2; 1 Pe 3:7.

4.	Jesus gives us a parable, in Mt 18:21-35: JESUS SAITH UNTO HIM, I SAY NOT UNTO THEE, UNTIL SEVEN TIMES: BUT, UNTIL SEVENTY TIMES SEVEN. THEREFORE IS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN LIKENED UNTO A CERTAIN KING, WHICH WOULD TAKE ACCOUNT OF HIS SERVANTS. AND WHEN HE HAD BEGUN TO RECKON, ONE WAS BROUGHT UNTO HIM, WHICH OWED HIM TEN THOUSAND TALENTS. BUT FORASMUCH AS HE HAD NOT TO PAY, HIS LORD COMMANDED HIM TO BE SOLD, AND HIS WIFE, AND CHILDREN, AND ALL THAT HE HAD, AND PAYMENT TO BE MADE. THE SERVANT THEREFORE FELL DOWN, AND WORSHIPPED HIM, SAYING, LORD, HAVE PATIENCE WITH ME, AND I WILL PAY THEE ALL. THEN THE LORD OF THAT SERVANT WAS MOVED WITH COMPASSION, AND LOOSED HIM, AND FORGAVE HIM THE DEBT. BUT THE SAME SERVANT WENT OUT, AND FOUND ONE OF HIS FELLOW SERVANTS, WHICH OWED HIM AN HUNDRED PENCE: AND HE LAID HANDS ON HIM, AND TOOK HIM BY THE THROAT, SAYING, PAY ME THAT THOU OWEST. AND HIS FELLOW SERVANT FELL DOWN AT HIS FEET, AND BESOUGHT HIM, SAYING, HAVE PATIENCE WITH ME, AND I WILL PAY THEE ALL. AND HE WOULD NOT: BUT WENT AND CAST HIM INTO PRISON, TILL HE SHOULD PAY THE DEBT. SO WHEN HIS FELLOW SERVANTS SAW WHAT WAS DONE, THEY WERE VERY SORRY, AND CAME AND TOLD UNTO THEIR LORD ALL THAT WAS DONE. THEN HIS LORD, AFTER THAT HE HAD CALLED HIM, SAID UNTO HIM, O THOU WICKED SERVANT, I FORGAVE THEE ALL THAT DEBT, BECAUSE THOU DESIREDST ME: SHOULDEST NOT THOU ALSO HAVE HAD COMPASSION ON THY FELLOW SERVANT, EVEN AS I HAD PITY ON THEE? AND HIS LORD WAS WROTH, AND DELIVERED HIM TO THE TORMENTORS, TILL HE SHOULD PAY ALL THAT WAS DUE UNTO HIM. SO LIKEWISE SHALL MY HEAVENLY FATHER DO ALSO UNTO YOU, IF YE FROM YOUR HEARTS FORGIVE NOT EVERY ONE HIS BROTHER THEIR TRESPASSES.

5.	Unforgiveness retains the sins of my past, bringing them into my present state; if left untreated, they will affect my future and relationship with others. Jn 20:23-WHOSESOEVER SINS YE REMIT, THEY ARE REMITTED UNTO THEM; AND WHOSESOEVER SINS YE RETAIN, THEY ARE RETAINED.

6.	It can cause me to become a stumbling block. Eph 6:4-AND, YE FATHERS, PROVOKE NOT YOUR CHILDREN TO WRATH: BUT BRING THEM UP IN THE NURTURE AND ADMONITION OF THE LORD. Eph 4:31-LET ALL BITTERNESS, AND WRATH, AND ANGER, AND CLAMOR, AND EVIL SPEAKING, BE PUT AWAY FROM YOU, WITH ALL MALICE.

7.	It will cause me to stray from the Lord and alienates me from the body of Christ.

8.	It causes division in the body of Christ. A. It brings about jealousy, envy, and strife. B. It is a result of pride.

9.	It gives Satan an advantage in our lives. A. 2 Cor 2:7-11- Teaches us to forgive: SO THAT CONTRARIWISE YE OUGHT RATHER TO FORGIVE HIM, AND COMFORT HIM, LEST PERHAPS SUCH A ONE SHOULD BE
SWALLOWED UP WITH OVERMUCH SORROW. WHEREFORE I BESEECH YOU THAT YE WOULD CONFIRM YOUR LOVE TOWARD HIM. FOR TO THIS END ALSO DID I WRITE, THAT I MIGHT KNOW THE PROOF OF YOU, WHETHER YE BE OBEDIENT IN ALL THINGS. TO WHOM YE FORGIVE ANY THING, I FORGIVE ALSO: FOR IF I FORGAVE ANY THING, TO WHOM I FORGAVE IT, FOR YOUR SAKES FORGAVE I IT IN THE PERSON OF CHRIST; LEST SATAN SHOULD GET AN ADVANTAGE OF US: FOR WE ARE NOT IGNORANT OF HIS DEVICES.
	B.	Eph 4:26,27-BE YE ANGRY, AND SIN NOT. LET NOT THE SUN GO DOWN UPON YOUR WRATH (or set on your anger): NEITHER
GIVE PLACE TO THE DEVIL (if you do, you give the devil opportunity to wreck your life).

Patience: The capacity of calm endurance, tolerant understanding, forbearance, tolerance of something or someone over a period of time—generally without complaint—though not necessarily without annoyance.

Ps 37:7-9
Pv 15:18
Ecc 7:8,9
Lam 3:26,27
Lk 8:15; 21:19
Ro 2:7; 8:25; 12:12; 15:4,5
1 Cor 13:4,5
2 Cor 6:4-6; 12:12
Gal 6:9
Eph 4:1,2
Col 1:10,11; 3:12,13
1 Thes 1:3; 5:14
1 Tim 3:2,3; 6:11
2 Tim 2:24
Titus 2:2
Heb 6:12,15; 10:36; 12:1
Ja 1:3,4,19; 5:7,8
1 Pe 2:20
2 Pe 1:5,6
Rev 1:9; 13:10; 14:12

Examples of Patience:
Isaac: Gen 26:15-22
Moses: Ex 16:7,8
Job: Job 1:21; Ja 5:11
David: Ps 40:1
Simeon: Lk 2:25
Paul: 2 Tim 3:10
Prophets: Ja 5:10
The Thessalonians: 2 Thes 1:4
The churches at Ephesus and Thyatira: Rev 2:2,3; 2:19

1. Even though, at this time, you may be unconscious of any unforgiveness, realize God looks upon your heart.
	A.	Pray: Ps 139:23-SEARCH ME, O GOD,
		AND KNOW MY HEART:
		TRY ME,
		AND KNOW MY THOUGHTS:
		AND SEE IF THERE BE ANY WICKED WAY IN ME (show me any hurtful ways).
	B.	Ask God, by the Holy Spirit, to search your heart and reveal hidden hurts or resentments that may be buried.
	C.	Confess your sin and ask God to forgive you. You may find it necessary to go to someone to make the forgiveness complete.
2. Forgiveness will cost you your pride. You must go humbly.

1. Forsake being worldly.
2. Ask the Lord to change your way of thinking:
	A.	Be slow to take offense.
	B.	Refuse hurt feelings.
	C.	Pray for anyone who despitefully uses you-ref Mt 5:44.
3. Stay in the Word and nourish your spirit by reading and obeying the Word.
4. Pray.
5. Take action to forgive—the choice is yours. Do you have unforgiveness toward?
	A	parents
	B.	yourself
	C.	repressed anger toward God
	D.	a former mate (or perhaps his family)
	E.	those in authority over us
	F.	others - friends
6. Practice the Scripture (be a doer of the Word):
	A.	Mt 5:23,24-go to your brother and be reconciled.
	B.	Ro 12:19-21-don’t take revenge, but let the Lord do it. Do good to your enemies; thus, heaping coals of shame on their head.

1.	Saying, "I forgive, but I won’t forget" just means, "I won’t forgive."
2.	Forgiveness costs you, because it bears the penalty of the other’s sin against you.
3.	Forgiveness is an activity of the will. We cannot wait for a feeling before we forgive.
4.	Forgiveness is surrendering my right to hurt you back if you hurt me.
5.	It is quiet and does not make known to others-ref Pv 25:9.
6.	When we forgive, we do not bring it up again-ref Isa 43:25; Ps 103:12. * Forgiveness draws out the sting of the bee. * Discover the economy of pardon instead of the expense of resentment: forgiveness saves the expense of anger, the cost of hatred, and the waste of a hurt spirit.