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Pernell Johnson · 04-08-2003, 10:53 PM

The Fruit of Forgiveness;
Bible Reading: 2 Corinthians 2:5-8
We made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all

Some of the things we have done have earned us disapproval and possibly loss of love. We have found that some people love us only if they can approve of our behavior. We may have struggled with bitterness toward them because we feel as if they have been trying to punish us. If our "sins" have been made public, we may assume that we have lost the love of everyone who disapproves of our actions. This fear of rejection might deter us from reaching out to make amends.
In the young Corinthian church, a man was cut off from church fellowship when his sins were made public. After he turned around and tried to make amends, some people refused to welcome him back into the church. The apostle Paul told the believers: "The man who caused all the trouble... was punished enough when most of you were united in your judgment against him. Now its time to forgive him and comfort him. Otherwise he may become so discouraged that he won't be able to recover. Now show him that you still love him" (2 Corinthians 2:5-8). Some people will follow this advice and reaffirm their love for you when you go to them.
There will be some people who will respond with forgiveness, comfort, acceptance, and love. This will help us overcome the grief, the bitterness, and the discouragement we may feel. Their forgiveness will help us move on with recovery.

04-08-2003, 10:53 PM	#27 (permalink)
Pernell Johnson Forum Leader Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Plainfield, New Jersey USA Posts: 498 Blog Entries: 1	Step 8 The Fruit of Forgiveness; Bible Reading: 2 Corinthians 2:5-8 We made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all Some of the things we have done have earned us disapproval and possibly loss of love. We have found that some people love us only if they can approve of our behavior. We may have struggled with bitterness toward them because we feel as if they have been trying to punish us. If our "sins" have been made public, we may assume that we have lost the love of everyone who disapproves of our actions. This fear of rejection might deter us from reaching out to make amends. In the young Corinthian church, a man was cut off from church fellowship when his sins were made public. After he turned around and tried to make amends, some people refused to welcome him back into the church. The apostle Paul told the believers: "The man who caused all the trouble... was punished enough when most of you were united in your judgment against him. Now its time to forgive him and comfort him. Otherwise he may become so discouraged that he won't be able to recover. Now show him that you still love him" (2 Corinthians 2:5-8). Some people will follow this advice and reaffirm their love for you when you go to them. There will be some people who will respond with forgiveness, comfort, acceptance, and love. This will help us overcome the grief, the bitterness, and the discouragement we may feel. Their forgiveness will help us move on with recovery.