The Faith To Forgive

Devotional

Day 1: Letting Go to Inherit God’s Promises

True freedom comes when you release bitterness and trust God with your future. Abraham’s willingness to let Lot choose the land, and later to intercede for him despite being wronged, shows a heart that is not bound by offense or entitlement. When you let go of past hurts and refuse to let bitterness take root, you open yourself to the blessings and calling God has for your life. Forgiveness is not about changing the past, but about choosing a future filled with hope, peace, and purpose. [07:40]

Genesis 13:8-9 (ESV)
Then Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are kinsmen. Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left.”

Reflection: Is there a situation or relationship where you need to let go of your right to be “first” or “right” in order to step into the freedom and future God has for you?

Day 2: Offense Is a Trap—Choose Freedom

Offense and unforgiveness are traps that keep you stuck in the past, unable to move forward into your calling. Jesus warns that offenses will surely come, but holding onto them only gives the enemy a foothold in your life, keeping you stagnant and reproducing pain. The decision to forgive is not about minimizing what happened, but about refusing to let that moment dictate your future. God’s desire is for you to be free, not trapped by old wounds. [09:22]

Luke 17:1, 3-5 (ESV)
And he said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! ... Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.” The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”

Reflection: What past offense or hurt do you find yourself revisiting, and how might holding onto it be keeping you from the freedom God wants for you today?

Day 3: Forgiveness Shuts the Door to the Enemy

Holding onto anger and unforgiveness gives the enemy a foothold in your life, allowing bitterness to poison your heart and relationships. When you refuse to deal with your anger, you invite the enemy to counsel you instead of God, and the root of bitterness can reproduce pain in every area of your life. But when you choose to forgive, you close the door to the enemy and open your heart to God’s healing and peace. [19:01]

Ephesians 4:26-27 (ESV)
Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.

Reflection: Is there unresolved anger or bitterness in your heart that you need to bring to God today so the enemy no longer has a foothold in your life?

Day 4: Remembering Christ’s Forgiveness Empowers Us to Forgive

The power to forgive others comes from remembering how much Christ has forgiven you. When you recall the grace and mercy Jesus showed you—dying for you while you were still a sinner—it becomes possible to extend that same forgiveness to others, even when they don’t deserve it or haven’t asked for it. Living in the reality of Christ’s forgiveness moves you from a place of obligation to a place of freedom and grace. [23:43]

Colossians 3:13 (ESV)
Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

Reflection: When you struggle to forgive, do you take time to remember the specific ways Jesus has forgiven you? How might recalling His grace change your heart toward someone who has hurt you?

Day 5: Dismissing All Cases—Forgiving Others and Yourself

Forgiveness is not about forgetting the pain or becoming a doormat, but about canceling the debt others owe you and the debt you hold against yourself. Just as Christ canceled your debt on the cross, you are called to dismiss all cases—against others and against yourself—so you can walk in true freedom. Today is the day to let go, slam the spiritual gavel, and declare that your best days are ahead, not behind. [28:56]

Matthew 6:14-15 (ESV)
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Reflection: Is there someone—including yourself—against whom you are still holding a “case”? What would it look like to cancel that debt and walk in freedom today?

Sermon Summary

Freedom is not just a distant hope but a present reality for those who are willing to walk in forgiveness. The story of Abraham and Lot reveals the power of letting go, even when wronged. Abraham, though entitled to the best land, allowed Lot to choose first, demonstrating a heart that trusted God’s provision over personal gain. When Lot later found himself in trouble, Abraham’s response was not bitterness or revenge, but intercession—he prayed for Lot’s rescue. This is the mark of true freedom: the ability to pray for those who have hurt us, knowing our future is not determined by their actions but by God’s promises.

Unforgiveness is a trap that keeps us stuck in the past, robbing us of the future God intends. Bitterness masquerades as control, but in reality, it controls us. Forgiveness does not change what happened, but it radically changes what is possible from this day forward. Jesus made it clear that offenses are inevitable, but so is the call to forgive—again and again, not because others deserve it, but because we deserve to walk in freedom. The disciples’ honest cry, “Lord, increase our faith,” reminds us that forgiveness is not merely a decision of the will, but a supernatural act empowered by God.

Forgiveness is not about excusing or forgetting the wrongs done to us. It is about choosing to cancel the debt, just as Christ canceled ours on the cross. Remembering what Jesus has done for us is the key to releasing others—and ourselves—from the prison of the past. This is not a call to become a doormat or to remain in unhealthy relationships, but to allow God to separate us from the hold of bitterness and pain. When we forgive, we shut the door to the enemy, refuse to be counseled by bitterness, and open ourselves to the peace, purpose, and joy that God has for us.

Today is the day to dismiss every case against others and against ourselves. The spiritual gavel comes down, canceling every debt, so we can walk forward in freedom. Our best days are not behind us, but ahead, as we trust God to do what only He can do—set us free through the power of forgiveness.

Key Takeaways

1. Freedom Comes from Letting Go, Not Holding On Abraham’s willingness to release Lot, even at personal cost, shows that true freedom is found in trusting God’s provision rather than clinging to what we think we deserve. When we let go of our right to be repaid or vindicated, we make room for God to work in our lives and bring about blessings that far surpass what we could secure for ourselves. [03:29]
2. Unforgiveness Is a Trap That Stagnates Our Calling Holding onto bitterness and unforgiveness does not change the past, but it does keep us trapped in it. The enemy’s strategy is not always to destroy us outright, but to keep us stuck—unable to move forward into the future God has prepared. Only by releasing unforgiveness can we step into our calling and experience true spiritual progress. [09:22]
3. Forgiveness Requires Supernatural Faith The disciples’ response to Jesus’ command to forgive repeatedly was to ask for increased faith. This reveals that forgiveness is not just a human decision, but a supernatural act that requires God’s help. We must continually ask God to give us the faith to forgive, trusting that He will transform our hearts and empower us to do what we cannot do on our own. [12:08]
4. Remembering Christ’s Forgiveness Fuels Our Own The key to forgiving others is not to minimize our pain or forget what happened, but to remember what Christ has done for us. When we recall the depth of God’s grace and the price Jesus paid to cancel our debt, we are empowered to extend that same grace to others—even when they have not asked for it or do not deserve it. [23:43]
5. Forgiveness Shuts the Door to the Enemy and Opens the Door to Freedom Holding onto anger and bitterness gives the enemy a foothold in our lives, allowing him to counsel us with lies and keep us from hearing God’s voice. Forgiveness is the act of canceling the debt, dismissing every case against others and ourselves, and refusing to let the past dictate our future. In doing so, we step into the freedom, peace, and purpose that God has for us. [19:01]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:20] - The Battle with Unforgiveness
[00:45] - Abraham and Lot: A Story of Release
[03:29] - The Maturity of Abraham’s Heart
[04:48] - Praying for Those Who Hurt Us
[05:36] - The Illusion of Control in Bitterness
[06:20] - Forgiveness Shapes Our Future
[07:15] - Letting Go to Inherit God’s Promises
[08:19] - Offenses Are Inevitable
[09:22] - The Trap of Unforgiveness
[10:36] - The Call to Radical Forgiveness
[11:26] - Faith to Forgive
[12:08] - Forgiveness as a Supernatural Act
[13:29] - Choosing Future Over Past
[14:51] - A Testimony of Forgiveness
[16:44] - Forgiveness Is Not Being a Doormat
[17:30] - Forgiveness Shuts the Door to the Enemy
[20:38] - Striving for Peace and Guarding Against Bitterness
[22:45] - The Sword That Cuts the Root
[23:43] - Remembering Christ’s Forgiveness
[26:16] - Remember and Forgive
[27:22] - Canceling the Debt
[28:32] - Dismissing Cases Against Others and Ourselves
[29:30] - Worship and Prayer for Freedom
[30:49] - Prayer for Increased Faith
[32:21] - Closing and Invitation for Prayer

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Genesis 13:8-11 (ESV) — > Then Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are kinsmen. Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left.” And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley, and Lot journeyed east. Thus they separated from each other.

Luke 17:3-5 (ESV) — > Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.” The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”

Ephesians 4:26-27 (ESV) — > Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.

Observation Questions

In Genesis 13, what did Abraham offer to Lot, and how did Lot respond? What does this reveal about their relationship? [02:03]
According to Luke 17, how many times does Jesus say we should forgive someone who sins against us in a single day? How did the disciples react to this teaching? [10:36]
In Ephesians 4, what warning does Paul give about anger and its potential consequences? [17:59]
In the sermon, what did Abraham do when Lot later found himself in trouble, and what does this show about Abraham’s heart? [04:11]

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think Abraham was willing to let Lot choose first, even though Abraham had the right to the best land? What does this say about his trust in God’s provision? [03:29]
The disciples asked Jesus to “increase our faith” after hearing about the need to forgive repeatedly. Why might forgiveness require supernatural faith rather than just willpower? [11:26]
The sermon describes unforgiveness as a “trap” that keeps us stuck in the past. In what ways can holding onto bitterness or unforgiveness affect a person’s future or calling? [09:22]
Ephesians 4 warns about giving the devil a foothold through unresolved anger. How might unforgiveness open the door to negative influences in our lives? [19:01]

Application Questions

Abraham let go of his “right” to the best land and trusted God to provide. Is there a situation in your life where you feel entitled to something, but God might be asking you to let go and trust Him? What would it look like to release it? [03:29]
The sermon says, “You know you are truly free when you can pray for the person who did you wrong.” Is there someone you struggle to pray for because of past hurt? What would it take to start praying for them, even if it’s just a simple prayer? [04:48]
The message warns that bitterness gives us the illusion of control, but actually controls us. Can you think of a time when holding onto bitterness or unforgiveness affected your mood, relationships, or decisions? How did it impact you? [05:36]
Jesus calls us to forgive “seven times in a day.” Are there relationships in your life where you find it especially hard to forgive repeatedly? What practical steps could help you move toward forgiveness, even if the other person doesn’t change? [10:36]
The sermon emphasizes remembering what Christ has done for us as the key to forgiving others. How does reflecting on Jesus’ forgiveness of your own sins help you approach forgiving others? [23:43]
The pastor said, “Today is the day to dismiss every case against others and against ourselves.” Is there a specific “case” you are still holding onto—against someone else or yourself? What would it look like to “cancel the debt” and walk forward in freedom? [28:32]
Ephesians 4:26-27 warns not to let the sun go down on your anger. Is there a recent situation where you went to bed angry or upset? How could you handle it differently next time to avoid giving the enemy a foothold? [19:01]

Sermon Clips

See, forgiveness and unforgiveness, neither one of those change the past of what happened to us. But what they do is that forgiveness and unforgiveness absolutely change the future you're getting ready to walk into. So nothing you can do will ever change your past. But the decisions that you make today to either forgive and to let go or to hold on with bitterness and with unforgiveness, those things will be instrumental in where you go from this day forward in your future. [00:06:20] (39 seconds) #ForgivenessShapesYourFuture

You're promised opportunities to be hurt. You're promised opportunities to be offended. You're promised opportunity. You're promised, you know what? You're promised something, a price for that, the price to stand up for someone that you can then you can pay. [00:08:22] (22 seconds) #PayThePriceToStand

Lord, increase our faith. After Jesus says, you've got to forgive them those seven times in a day, the disciples say, look, I can't do it myself. I can't do it myself. Lord, you're going to have to increase my faith for this to happen. I'm incapable of forgiving. I'm incapable of forgiving. Like you want me to forgive. I'm incapable of moving forward if this continues to happen to me. So God, I'm going to need you to give me faith today. [00:11:26] (26 seconds) #FaithToForgive

Forgiveness is not just a choice that you make, but it is a supernatural choice. It's something supernatural that happens on the inside of you. Because while you try, it's just like we'll stand up here today and we'll just preach about this and we'll have a time response and prayer. And we'll say, you know what? All right, Lord, I forgive them. Music is going to be playing. It's going to be great. You wake up tomorrow morning, you say, I hate them. I hate them. I can't. Why? Because it takes a faith. It's going to take God to do. Something transformally on the inside of you can't do it yourself. You're going to have to have God for faith to let it go. [00:12:11] (40 seconds) #SupernaturalForgiveness

Forgiveness is letting go. It's not justifying what they did. It's not saying what they did. It didn't happen. It's just saying, I don't want to hold on to it any longer in my life. I don't want to think about it every day of my life. I'm not going to dwell in this place every day of my life. I am letting it go today. That's what forgiveness is. Forgiveness is trusting God. Forgiveness is choosing my future over what happened to me in my past. [00:13:06] (31 seconds) #ForgivenessIsLettingGo

Did she stand on that stage and forgive because he deserved it? No. We can answer that question. Did she forgive because someone else told her that it would be popular on television? No. Or did she forgive because she was first forgiven? Actually, reference the statement of Jesus made was, Father, forgive them for they don't know what they're doing. And in the midst of all this. In the midst of all this. So, I'm sure she believed that that murder assassin knew exactly what they were doing. She chose in that moment to let go of the past because God's not done yet in her life. And so I want to use that today as a testimony that if God can do it in her life, God can do it in your life. [00:15:25] (52 seconds) #ForgiveBecauseYouWereForgiven

Bitterness means a poisoned heart. And he says, you know, with that poisoned heart, you won't see God. I don't know, you know, if that means eternity, but I do know this. I do know that that means you won't see what God has for you today and tomorrow. So he talks about the root of bitterness. Why? Because we know that roots create fruit in your life. And when we, and we live a life of bitterness and unforgiveness, what are we reproducing? You wonder why every person who comes to you, it might have been 20 years, but sometimes what we do, we recreate to the next person that comes up because we have roots of unforgiveness in our life. Someone who had no intention of hurting us, we allow the hurt, hurt us. Because we have this root. So we keep reproducing unforgiveness and bitterness and reproducing hurt and unforgiveness and reproducing it. [00:21:09] (56 seconds) #RootOfBitterness

So I don't forgive today to be forgiven. Listen to this. I've been forgiven and so I freely forgive today. So this is not a message of forgive and forget. Listen, church. This is a message of remember and forgive. My God. Remember the grace of God. Remember the goodness of the Lord. Remember the blood of Jesus that was spilled for you. Remember the purpose and the calling and the plan that he has for your life. Remember that there's freedom waiting every single Sunday in this room and every time you grab your Bible, there's freedom to be found. Every time you lift up your voice and pray to the Lord, you know what there is? There's freedom to be found today. [00:26:07] (53 seconds) #ForgivenSoIForgive

We're going to dismiss all cases against yourself. You may not forgive yourself for what you did or did not do. You haven't forgiven yourself for the decision that you have made. But today there's freedom in the room today. I feel it slipping across the room. You don't forgive yourself for that bad relationship you chose to walk into. Or that sin you committed. Or the things that's been trailing behind your whole life. But today is the day where we dismiss. We slam the spiritual gavel today. Say I cancel all debt against them and myself today. I'm walking out of here free today. [00:28:48] (31 seconds) #ForgiveYourselfToday

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