This sermon emphasizes the power and importance of forgiveness, drawing from examples of individuals who found the grace to forgive despite immense pain and suffering. It challenges listeners to forgive as Christ forgave, even in the face of being wronged, and highlights the transformative impact of extending forgiveness to those who have harmed us.

And I want to live now, sir, for the day my father said I'm old enough that he'll take me to my granny. I want to tell her that God can forgive her like he's forgiven me. Tell me something, if that child could find the grace from God to forgive that woman, what is it that you can't forgive, sir, in this world of others? Tell God what it is, the reason you can't forgive people who've harmed you, if that boy could forgive by God's grace because he allowed and wanted grace he didn't have, and God gives. When, when does God expect us to forgive those who hate us and wrong us? When does God expect us to forgive those who hate us and wrong us? Beloved, they were not standing there crying out, forgive us for the wrong we're doing to you, when Jesus cried out from his heart, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. Jesus forgave while they crucified him. He forgave them while they crucified him. He left us an example on the cross that is staggering. Can you, can you, child of God, you only have one chance, you only have one chance to forgive as Christ forgave while you were being wronged, while you were being wronged. Then comes the second chance, the second opportunity, the second best in Christianity to take up the cross and follow Christ. Later, after you revealed anger and bitterness and self-pity and resentment, you know I can tell you how crucified a man is with Christ by how he forgives those who wrong him. You think you have the right to say the words, I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. You know, preachers, most of this book we have no right to preach unless it's written across our lives by the Holy Ghost. You have no right to quote such a scripture unless it's written by God across your life. I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me, through me in its context. Christ forgives through us. He gives us the grace to forgive and the ability you have to forgive evils as they're done to you reveals how much Christ is in control of your life. He gave grace to that boy when that boy wanted grace. Do you want to take up the cross and follow Christ? Agree with thine adversary quickly whilst thou art in the way with him. What does that mean? Forgive your adversary while you're with him. Reveal Christ to him while you're with him. Let Christ reveal himself. Why? Oh, so that judgment doesn't come on you for not forgiving. You read the verses that follow, they're horrifying. Jesus calls out to us, forgive your enemy while you're with him. Why does God say that? He doesn't want to just prove the point that you can forgive those who wrong you. He wants to win them. He wants to win. He died for them as much as he died for you. He loves them as much as he loves you. He wants to win them. Listen to what he says a few verses later. You have heard that it hath been said, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say unto you that ye resist not evil. But whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. Tell me, have you ever done that? Have you ever turned the other cheek right then, right then, while people are wronging you? Not a year later after you've hated them and undermined them and kept a distance from them. And don't reveal Christ. When do you take up the cross and follow Christ? While you're being wronged. You've heard that it hath been said, thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, love your enemies. Do you, when they change? For while they're wrong to you, listen, I say unto you, love your enemies. Bless them that curse you. Do good to them that hate you. And pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you, that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven. For he maketh his Son to rise on the evil and in the good and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? Do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? Do not even the publicans so? Tell me, sir, if you can only reveal love to those who are perfect in your eyes, what have you got more than anybody out there? I can tell you how real you are, sir, with God, by how you reveal Christ to the ugly, to those who wrong you while they're wronging you. Take up the cross and follow me. Take up the cross and follow me. Follow my example as they nailed me to the cross. You think of that young boy. I was with a preacher, a young preacher, and he turned to me and said, when I was a boy, my father died and my mother swiftly married another man six months later. She couldn't survive alone. But this man was so evil. He abused us as children. I won't go into the details for fear of these children here. But he said, sir, I couldn't defend myself what he did to me, this man, what he did to my sisters. I stood there hating as he just threw me aside as I tried to stop him. Mommy wouldn't listen to us. Mommy wouldn't believe us. And years went by, sir, but oh, the hurt and the hatred and the bitterness in my heart because I was too small to stop him from what he did to me and what he was doing to my sisters as I stood looking. There are wicked people in this world, let me tell you. And then when it was finally found out his mother got rid of him, the police barred him and banned him from coming anywhere near the town. Let alone near the home. And then God one day saved my soul. This young preacher told me God saved my soul. And on my knees, God said to me, I want you to forgive that wicked man. All this hatred and murder in your heart, all you've lived for is the day you can grow up and murder him. It was just like that little boy all over again. You just had this bitter. I want you to get rid of it. You can't walk with me harboring all this hatred, all this bitterness, all this murder. I will judge him. But I want you to forgive him that you don't have to walk through life crippled with hatred and bitterness and twisted. You must forgive him. And you know, I grappled for months and months and months and months. I grappled, I wept, I groaned. I said, how can I forgive what he did to my sister? Look at them. Look at the mentally what's left of them. But one day God's soul cried out to my heart. He said that I said, God, I cannot forgive him, but I want to. Give me the grace to forgive God so that I don't have to have all this hatred in my heart for the rest of my life. Please give me the grace I don't have. He prayed with that little boy, he prayed. And you know, as he prayed those words, suddenly God came and he said almost word perfect what that little child said. It was like suddenly peace that passes all understanding, like a wave of divine love just flowed over him. And he was lifted for the first time after all those months of being saved into worship. For he knew his life pleased God. I was in a home many years ago, 30 something years ago when I was a young preacher. And this woman in that home struck me. She was probably the most godly woman in the whole town. She had young teenage girls when I was a young preacher. What I really noticed that