Deeper Theme: Forgiveness is a divine gift that we have to give to others the same way God gave it to us!

• You – the offender (?)

• You – the offended (?)

• If reconciliation cannot happen, the conflict may go to the next level.

• Truth cannot be established unless there are witnesses.

• How many times? (70x7 = there’s no limit!)

• What was Jesus’ attitude toward the heathen and the tax-collectors?

• Start over and introduce Jesus to them – the basics of the Gospel…

• …whatever thou mayest bind upon the earth shall be having been bound in the heavens, and whatever thou mayest loose upon the earth shall be having been loosed in the heavens (YLT).

• The other way around: the church executes what has been decided in heaven!

• Confessional

• Ego te absolvo a peccatis tuis in nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti.

• Personal offense – the offended can forgive

•…in whom (Jesus) we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. (Col. 1:14)

John 20:23 "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

If of any ye may loose the sins, they are [have been] loosed to them; if of any ye may retain, they have been retained.' (Jn. 20:23 YLT)

Forgive what God has forgiven!

Don’t invent a different methods or criteria…

• they ask…???

• Continue the phrase…

• So that forgiveness and reconciliation will happen, I have to go!

• It is our privilege to execute God’s will; we shouldn’t expect Him to execute our will…