 Getting rid of unforgiveness and bitterness is very, very, very simple. But just because something is simple doesn't mean it's easy. For example, staying on budget is simple. Make sure that your outgo doesn't exceed your income. Simple, but not easy. Wanna stay healthy, very simple. Eat the right food, get plenty of sleep, and exercise regularly. Simple, but definitely not easy. You wanna be spiritually fit? Read the word every day, morning and night if you can. Be in prayer every day. Live holy, simple, but not necessarily easy. In the same way, forgiving people is so, so, so, so simple, but not at all easy. Because to forgive someone is to release them from the punishment that you want to come upon them. To forgive someone is to release them from ever giving you that apology that you wanted. That's difficult, because we want that apology. In some cases, we want them to be punished. That's why I said what I said at the top of the broadcast that often what we call justice today isn't justice, it's revenge. And I'm thankful that God didn't give us all justice because if he gave us all justice, we'd all be in hell. Thank God he gave us grace, not justice. Ephesians 4.32 says, instead be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. I like to say forgive faster than they can apologize. Don't wait for the apology, forgive faster than they can apologize. So instead be kind to each other. What does that mean? It means what it means, treat each other with kindness, tenderhearted. That means you're inclined to be tender toward them. You're inclined to show them kindness. You're inclined to be gentle toward them. Sometimes we have this list in our heads of people who we like and people who we dislike. Those are the ones I like, those are the ones I dislike. The people we like, oh, we treat them with such kindness and tenderness. The people we dislike, oh, those are the ones I'm a little harsh with, I'm a little short with. Bible says, instead be kind to each other, that's every believer. Tenderhearted, I'm inclined to be kind to you. Forgiving one another, now here's the real challenge. Forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you, how has God done it? He chose to do it. He suffered to forgive you. Really think about that. Jesus literally suffered to forgive you. Sometimes in order to forgive, you have to pick up your cross. There is a part in suffering when you forgive. There is a part of you that will suffer when you release someone. Sometimes there is suffering in forgiveness. Father forgive them. But they know not what they do. Sometimes people do know what they're doing to us. But that doesn't mean we don't release them. Matthew 18, 21 to 22, then Peter came to him and asked, Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times, verse 22. No, not seven times, Jesus replied, but 70 times seven, 70 times seven, why? What does that mean? That means if somebody sins against you seven times, you forgive them even more, 70 times seven. That means you forgive them multiple times for each offense. You forgive them multiple times for each offense. Do you realize that it's not always the offense that causes us to be hurt? Because sometimes we get hurt, the person offends us, we forgive them, we move on, and then the memory of what they did to us reoffends us. This is so deep because many of us miss this truth. This is why Jesus talked about multiple points of forgiveness when someone offends you. Because sometimes you forgive them not for what they did, but for the memory of what they did, 70 times seven. Sometimes the memory will reoffend you. And I think we mistake the memory of offense for suffering with unforgiveness because we say, well, I did forgive them, how come it keeps popping back up again? Because the memory is still there. And you're gonna have to choose every day to forgive them for what they did, for what they didn't do, for what they said, for failing to meet your expectations, whatever it was, you have to forgive them. There are no exceptions to this. Hear me now, please, there are no exceptions. Forgiving just as God through Christ has forgiven you. How has God forgiven us? He's forgiven us completely. There's nothing we've done that He won't forgive. You must be the same way. You say, but, but, but they did this. But, but, but this was so horrible. But, but you don't know that doesn't matter. And I know that may sound insensitive. That's not my goal, but it truly doesn't matter. Anything that anyone could have done to us doesn't even come close to comparing to what we've done to God, to what we did to Jesus. Culture today will tell you, they'll actually attack me for saying that. David, you shouldn't say that. You don't know what people have gone through, but I'm not trying to be culturally correct. I'm trying to be biblically correct. You realize when we got saved, we became dead. How can you offend a dead man? You can't. We must forgive no matter what it was. There are no exceptions. You are not the exception to that rule. What they did to you is not the exception. I know this is harsh, but some of us need to hear this because we've excused our unforgiveness thinking that because what they did to us was so bad that somehow we're released from this command. No, no matter what they did, you need to forgive them. Period, period. And that's very clear in the scripture. Now, having said that, you must understand that forgiveness is a choice, not an emotion, because the memory will reoffend you. Every day you may remember it several times throughout the day, and you have to choose to, instead of dwelling on it, instead of holding onto it, instead of hoping that they pay, instead of speaking evil against them, instead of seeking revenge, you just choose to, Lord, I release this to you. And sometimes it's as simple as that prayer. You may still feel from it. You may still have some hurt from it, but in choosing to respond to the issue, instead of just letting it fester within you, you avoid the bondage of bitterness. And I thank God that He's given us a way out, which is His grace. Let God forgive them through you. Let God forgive them through you. Come on. Release those individuals. Release those people. Let God forgive them through you. Forgive faster than they can apologize. We must choose to do this. And I wanna really hammer this point in, because again, that memory will keep coming up, and you may have to choose every time that memory pops up to choose to forgive them again, and then again, and then again, and then again, and then again. And guess what? As time goes on, though it's always simple, as time goes on, it will get easier and easier and easier and easier. Like a spiritual muscle you're exercising, lifting that weight becomes easier and easier. Listen to this. Bitterness seeks revenge. Forgiveness seeks reconciliation. Bitterness lives in the past. Forgiveness frees you to dream about the future. Bitterness says, because they owe me. Forgiveness says, because I owe God. Wow, wow, wow. Bitterness pushes guilt. Forgiveness lifts burdens. Bitterness seeks to prove a point. Forgiveness lets it go. Bitterness accuses. Forgiveness covers.