In this sermon, the speaker shares a powerful story about a young man who forgave his mother after seven years of estrangement. The young man's forgiving spirit allowed God to minister to his mother, who became a Christian that day. The speaker emphasizes the importance of forgiveness, stating that we are most like God when we forgive. He also discusses the concept of rendering blessing for evil and railing, highlighting the need for fervent love and covering the multitude of sins. The sermon addresses the impact of bitterness and defilement in families, using examples of young people who have been affected by divorce and desertion.

Shall we turn to the book of Isaiah? Isaiah. Isaiah chapter 53. Isaiah chapter 53. We have a ministry tomorrow night for the young people. Kevin, what are you speaking on? Why repentance on the part of young people? Saturday morning at what time? 10? What is that? How to live in a culture that's gray. And Saturday night? The midnight hour. Saturday night before midnight at 7 o'clock. About the midnight hour. Bring your unsaved, especially for Saturday night, because that's going to be an outreach opportunity for young people. Isaiah 53 verse 5. The last half of the verse. The chastisement of our peace was upon him. With his stripes we are healed. I'm going to read some verses and I wonder if you can pick up the theme. Remember we spoke about the fellowship of Christ suffering, Philippians 3.10. I want you to see what aspect we're touching tonight. Now look at verse 7. He was oppressed, he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth. He is brought as the lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shears his dumb, so he opened not his mouth. Verse 10. Yet it pleased the Lord. This made the Lord glad. Can you imagine this? It pleased the Lord to bruise him. Ever thought about that statement? He hath put him to grief, when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin. He shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. It pleased the Lord to bruise him. And the last phrase, the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. Verse 11. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied. By his knowledge shall many righteous servants justify many, for he shall bear their iniquities. This is describing the dying of Jesus. What aspect is coming through to us in the dying of Jesus in these scriptures? Remember we're talking in Philippians 3.10 that I may know Jesus in the fellowship of his suffering. Sunday night we dealt with one aspect in relation to the pain that Jesus went through to deal with my sin. Now here's a different connotation of this truth. Remember that in 1 Peter 4.13 it says rejoice in as much as you are a partaker of his suffering. Rejoice, be made glad that you are a partaker of Jesus' suffering. Now let's go into 1 Peter and see if we can pick up the aspect of the scripture that we read in Isaiah 53. 1 Peter. Look at it in 1 Peter 2. Verse 20. For what glory is it if when ye be buffeted for your faults you do take it patiently? What have you done if you buffeted when you've been a bad boy and you get spanked and you're battered around? If you take it patiently. What glory is that to you? That's not very much. You knew what was coming to you so you took it quietly. You deserved it so you took it quietly. What glory is that to you? Not saying too much yet. But if when you do well and suffer for it. Have we heard something about that tonight? Just listen how God puts a meeting together. If when you do well and you suffer for it, you take it patiently. Not with the desire to be justified like we heard. See, God teaching us. This is acceptable with God. For even here unto were you called. You had a divine calling to live like this. You've had a divine calling to be like this. Here unto have you be called. Why? Because Christ also suffered for us. What? Leaving us an example that you should follow his steps. What was it? He did no sin. Neither was there guile found in his mouth. Who when he was reviled, reviled not again. And when he suffered, he threatened not. But what did he do when he suffered? When he was reviled, what did he do? But he committed himself. He made a commitment of himself to him. To his father that judgeth righteously. When God was, when Jesus was being buffeted on this level. When he was being reviled on this level from man against him. On this human level, on this horizontal level. When he was being reviled, he did not strike back. But he committed himself. He looked up. He had a vertical relationship to a horizontal problem. He looked up and he made a new commitment of himself back to his father. To leave all judgment with his father who judgeth righteously. What a truth. And Peter is telling us, you should have that kind of mind of Jesus. Do you want to know Jesus? In the fellowship of his suffering? We are learning something about it. Go on in verse 23, excuse me, in chapter 3 verse 1. Likewise ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands. Likewise, that word likewise is coming off of the example of Jesus. That if any obey not the word, your husbands obey not the word. They also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives. By a lifestyle of the wives that is in the pattern of Jesus. While they behold your chaste conversation or manner of life. Coupled with fear. Whose adorning let it not be the outward adorning of the plaiting of the hair. And of the wearing of gold or the putting of apparel. But it be the hidden man of the heart. In that which is not corruptible. Even the ornament of a meek and a quiet spirit. Which is in the sight of God of great price. A lifestyle of Jesus. The style that Jesus took when he was buffeted and reviled. Instead of striking back, he made a new commitment to his father above. I'm simply saying men and women. In the scripture we're seeing Jesus Christ not reacting. But reacting to his father. In the moment of pressure and temptation. Look at verse 14. Verse 14 of chapter 3. But when ye suffer for righteousness sake. Happy are ye. And be not afraid of their terror. Neither be troubled. Get the picture. Peter talking about suffering for Jesus sake. Righteousness sake. You should be happy. And be not afraid of their terror. All the pressure that comes when you suffer for righteousness sake. And be not troubled. But what should you do? You're suffering from the pressure on the outside. You're suffering for righteousness sake. That means you're not getting what you deserve. You're suffering for something you didn't do. You're suffering for righteousness sake. What should you do? You're getting it on this level. Sanctify the Lord in your heart. Turn up. Look at that. But be busy sanctifying the Lord God in your heart. Let it be a vertical relationship to a horizontal problem. Make God more real in your heart. Sanctify God in your heart. Make a new commitment of your life back to your father. Sanctify God in your heart. Be set apart unto God in your heart. That's the word sanctify. And then it says when you do that. And there's two dots after that. See stop, stop. After the word heart. Stop, stop. Because now the pattern of life is going to change. Now the opportunity of life is going to change. I want you to pause long enough and catch your breath. What's coming next says Peter? For, but, be ready. Excuse me not for, but. And be ready. Always. What are you supposed to do? To give an answer to every man. Who's a man who gives answers? A man who has asked a question. You give an answer after you've been asked a question. So it means that now people are going to start asking you some questions. And so now you're to be ready with an answer. It didn't say for you to ask the question. It said for you to sit back and be ready for an answer. Because somebody else is going to ask you a question. Be ready to answer every, to give an answer to every man that asks you. Some people are going to ask you something. What are they going to ask you? They're going to ask you for the reason of the hope that is in you. They're not going to ask you if you have a hope in you. They're going to ask you for the reason for the hope that they see that is in you. They're going to recognize the hope in you. And they're going to say, tell me the reason for what you have inside of you. Isn't that interesting? Now that sounds like they're wanting to know about Jesus. They're sensing from our lives the reality of heaven. They're sensing that in our life there's a hope that's not human. And they're saying, will you tell me what's inside of you? I want to know about it. Give me the reason. Where does it come from? Then you can give them the plan. You see, it's not my going out and throwing the plan out on everybody I see primarily. But it's my being filled with the God sanctified in my heart. And my relationship to God is so powerful that my life becomes like a magnet. And people come and ask me some questions about the hope that they sense that's in me. And they say, give me the reason for it. I want to know about it. Where does it come from? Wouldn't that be marvelous if that kind of power could be unleashed a new mark in the next few days? Amen? That there could be something done by God and by His Spirit in our hearts. He would be so sanctified in our hearts that the community on the outside said, tell me what's that reason for the hope that I sense in you. I could tell you about a man at Winkie's Hamburger Stand in Pennsylvania. What's that town? I forget. Brockway, Pennsylvania. This man, he was just such a proud peacock before God got a hold of him. Just like we've been hearing about God dealing us about our pride. And he was one of them and he had about 300 women working under him. I don't know if that was the reason for his pride or not. Or his problems or what. I don't know. But I tell you, they said he was the meanest, most ornery guy. And this pride just ruined his personality. It wasn't part of his personality. It was what was ruining his personality. God got a hold of him and got a hold of his wife and took them down. And what a story that was. God came about him and you know what? One day they went into Winkie's Hamburger Stand in Brockway, Pennsylvania. One of those fast food places. Went in there and sat down and bought a hamburger. And the proprietor of Winkie's Hamburger, they had never been there before. The proprietor of Winkie's Hamburger Stand, behind the counter, a Jewish proprietor. He left the counter when it was a slow moment. And he came to the very booth where they were sitting. They were having their hamburger. And he said to them, would you people tell me what is it you have in you? Did you hear what I said? And they had the privilege of leading a Jewish proprietor to Jesus Christ in his home as a result of him sensing something in those people that wasn't normal and natural and human. That's what it's talking about, isn't it? I just wanted to give you an illustration to know it can happen. If you didn't believe it. If you didn't believe Peter, I want to tell you it happens today. And so be ready to give an answer for the reason of the hope that's in you. How do you give it? With meekness and with fear. In the spirit of meekness and the fear of God running your life. What is that all about? Simply this, having a good conscience. You see? Dealing with your sin. Being honest about sin. Being freed. Being transparently honest. So you have a good conscience and now the glory of God and the spirit of God can be about you that will be appealing to the unsaved world. Whereas they speak evil of you as an evildoer because of your message and now they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Jesus Christ. And it goes on to tell us so much more. For it is better if the will of God be so that you suffer for well-doing than for evildoing. For, Peter says, I'm telling you why I'm telling you all this. For Christ also hath once suffered for sins. That takes us back in Isaiah 53, doesn't it? What's this suffering all about? The just for the unjust. The just for the unjust. Remember that statement. Why? That he might bring us to God. How? Being put to death in the flesh. How? Being quickened by the spirit. What is this dying of Jesus all about? Jesus, the just, dying for the unjust. You say, well, I knew that all the time about his dying. But I want you to get the picture of it. If I'm going to want to know Jesus in the context of knowing him in the fellowship of his suffering, I want this statement to be real in my heart that I'm willing to identify with the dying of Jesus and it was a picture of the just for the unjust. That he might bring many souls back to God and it pleased God to bruise him that there should be many souls in the kingdom and that he should see the travail of his soul and be satisfied as many sons would be brought into the kingdom. He was the just dying for the unjust. Why? To bring us back to God. How? By his being put to death in the flesh, by being quickened by the spirit. I want to know the Lord in the fellowship of his suffering. Am I willing to enter into this realm in my knowledge of Jesus? What kind of a realm is it? Simply this. Am I willing to bring my life to a place that every situation of my life, every circumstance of my life, every person that God brings into my life and my contact and my relationship with that person will become a redemptive opportunity from my life, will become the redemptive opportunity, will become the purpose and the obsession of my soul the redeeming quality, no matter how painful, no matter what I must go through, for Jesus died the just for the unjust. He took what was not coming to him and he bore it and he did not open his mouth but he took it and he pleased his own soul as he saw the travail of his soul and was satisfied. What was the joy of it? What was the joy of it? Paul talks about it like this. So death worketh in us but life worketh in you. That's the principle. He does not allow death to work in me so life can work in another. That could be even the dying of one, the just for the salvation of the unjust, to bring that one back to God. Jesus was going to the cross and you remember the story in the day when he went to the cross. He was telling his disciples, he was saying I must need go to Jerusalem and there I will be betrayed by the Gentiles and I will be crucified and I shall be slain. And he started to tell his disciples about that hour and that's when his disciples got militant. Oh Peter, he was always the one to speak up and he got so militant. He said no sir, it will never happen Lord. Far be it from you oh God to let that happen. No and he started, he said Lord, he said you can count on me, I'll stand in the way, I'll be right out there, they'll never lay a hand on you. And what did Jesus say to Peter? Peter said get thee behind me Satan for thou savest not the things which be of God nor of men. And in another place recording that story, it says thou art an offense to me. Jesus said to his chief disciple Peter, thou art an offense to me and he said get thee behind me Satan. Can you imagine Jesus calling Peter an offense to him and Satan, the chief apostle, Satan, my Lord called him that. And then in the awful hour when Judas came and planted that kiss on the lips of Jesus, on the cheeks of Jesus, in that hour of the betrayal of Jesus, that man who had a heart who was as black as Satan himself, that man who took with 30 pieces of silver and threw them down at the feet of the priest and betrayed the blessed Lord and planted that kiss, in that hour he planted that kiss on the cheeks of Jesus. Can you see my blessed Lord when Judas said hail master and planted that kiss? And what did Jesus say? Jesus turned to him and said friend, wherefore art thou come? Here's the man betraying Jesus for crucifixion and my Lord says friend. Peter says no, it'll never happen to you Lord, you'll never die, I'll stand in the way. And Jesus said get behind me Satan. Thou art an offense to me, get out of my way and offense your offense to me. What am I saying? What is this saying to you and me? Anybody who would hinder Jesus from going to the cross and paying the debt for keeping people out of hell was his enemy and was as if he were Satan himself. The man that sold Jesus to die for sinners became his friend. Why? Because the best apostle would become a hindrance and would get on Satan's side in trying to obstruct the very reason for which Jesus came. The just dying for the unjust that he should bring us back to God being put to death in the flesh and Jesus would not accept any hindrance. Remember the disciples said Lord, they're coming to get you and they said we need some knives Lord, we need some swords oh Lord and Peter said we've got two here Lord, shall we go out and get more? Jesus said that's enough. Remember that? Jesus said that's enough, take this life from me, I lay it down on myself. What is this all about? I'll tell you what it's all about. Jesus said I have a baptism to be baptized with and how am I straightened until it be accomplished? The word straightened means I'm betwixt, I'm torn, I'm betwixt, I'm squeezed in. What was the squeeze? Between the rulers and the people and the cross. He said I want to get there, I want to get there and to the king and the rulers and I'm in a straight to be baptized with a death that I must die. To God we would have that desire. What was the burning desire of his heart? He said oh my passion is that I should be the just dying for the unjust that I should bring man back to God. And then Paul says to you and me let us run with patience the race that is set before us. Most of us fill that in let us run with impatience and let us run with bitterness the race that is set before us. What's the word you fill in instead of patience? Let us, what do we learn from this? Seeing then that we have a great cloud of witnesses let us run with patience the race that is set before us. How should we run? How can I run this life with patience with the situation and circumstance of my life? Let us run with patience here looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. Look to Him. Look to Him. Who? What do I see when I look? Who? For the joy that was set before Him. What a statement. Endure the cross. Who for the joy that was set before Him? The joy to die? What was the joy about it? The joy was not in the dying but the joy was in the redemptive aspect of His dying. Who for the joy that was set before Him? He could endure the cross. There was no cross too painful for Him because there was a joy that was set before Him. He was going to bring men back to God and there was no pain too great for that. And then it says He despised the shame. Despising the shame. The shame didn't even bother Him. He accepted the shame He despised that. Didn't even face Him. Despised the shame. That wasn't any bother to Him. And now He's set down at the right hand of the throne of God. My Lord is telling you and me. Paul is saying to you and me let us run the race looking unto Jesus and then he goes on to tell us what we should look for. Look at Him for the joy that was set before Him. Endured the cross. And you're supposed to run looking that way because you've got to run the same way. What should the joy be before you? That your life should say Lord Jesus I don't care what the cross what the pain I want my life to be redemptive. I'll despise the shame I don't care about what the world says. Now look it. And now He's set down at the right hand of God the Father. And He's still doing His work in redemptive activity. See? Lest you consider Him who endured such contradiction of sinners. That statement contradiction of sinners. Such He endured such contradiction of sinners. Isn't that the just for the unjust? Isn't that when He was reviled He reviled not again? Isn't that He was buffeted He buffeted not? He endured such contradiction of sinners for what He really was and what He was accused of. What contradiction do you endure of sinners? What contradiction will you go through? What pain will you go through? How do you respond to that pain? How do you respond to that situation? He endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself. What do you take against yourself? What do I take against myself? How do I react against that which comes against me? And Paul says you look at Him. Lest you become wearied. This is the cure for not getting tired. You become wearied and you faint in your minds. This is the cure for our mental problems. Where mentally it just drives you. You're driven. You have not resisted unto blood. You haven't gone through anything like Jesus went through. You haven't gone through that striving against sin. But your Lord did it that He might bring you back to God. He suffered the just or the unjust. We must remember that it wasn't by interceding for the world in glory that Jesus saved it. He gave Himself. He was put to death in the flesh. Our prayers for the evangelization of the world are a bitter irony. So long as we only give our superflity and we draw back before the sacrifice of ourselves to redeem others. Do you want to know Jesus? Paul says that I may know Him in the fellowship of His suffering. I want to tell you what His suffering was all about. It was the obsession to be redemptive to mankind who misunderstood and spat at Him. Do you want to know Him in the fellowship of His suffering? Will you ask God for every situation of your life that you will have the attitude that your life shall be an instrument of redemption in that situation no matter how painful even if it means the putting of the death to the death of the flesh that you might bring someone else back to God. I want you to look at another aspect of this truth simply portrayed in 1 Peter right here while we're there chapter 3. Look at verse 8 and 9 verse 8 and 9 1 Peter 3 verse 8 and 9 Finally be all of one mind having compassion one of another love as brethren be pitiful that means a heart filled with pity be courteous not rendering evil for evil now we're getting to what Jesus was like not rendering evil for evil not rendering railing for railing but contrary wise what's the contrary wise? render blessing for evil render blessing for railing knowing that ye are there unto called we're back to another calling you are there unto called the first calling is a redemptive ministry from my life at any cost now I'm called unto something else what is it? that you should inherit a blessing this kind of calling I will inherit a blessing what is it? when I don't give evil for evil and railing for railing look at it in chapter 4 verse 8 chapter 4 verse 8 and above all things above all things have fervent charity fervent love means red hot love red hot heat kind of love among yourselves for charity or love red hot fervent loving heat full love shall cover the multitude of sins verse 13 but rejoice in as much now your partaker of Christ's suffering when his glory shall be revealed you may be glad also with exceeding joy what am I talking about? I'm talking about the desire to live with a forgiving spirit a redemptive spirit I shall suffer all cost to be redeeming now I shall suffer all cost to be forgiving the love the fervent love covers a multitude of sins the spirit of forgiveness brethren love one another and forgive and be pitiful and courteous one to another a forgiving spirit Jesus on that cross said father forgive them for they know not what they do you want to enter into the fellowship of Christ's suffering will you have the attitude of Jesus in that hour of death in his very dying the epitome of forgiveness in dying he could still say when the energy was going out of his body the last blood flowing through his veins he could still say forgive them in that kind of suffering they know not what they do can you say that in situations in your life that you can't seem to forgive Stephen got the idea Stephen was dying stones were coming upon him he was becoming the first martyr and there he was dying the martyr's death and he says in those last moments of his life Lord lay not this sin to their charge he's saying Lord they've beaten me to death they're beating me to death and it's wicked Lord but Lord please don't hold it against them I forgive them I'm asking you about the situation in your life where you feel almost like that tonight where you've been as it were beaten down and you've been afflicted and you've been taking the abuse from someone in a situation and I want to ask you do you say oh God they have treated me like this and they've done this and this and this to me but oh Lord no matter how bad it is what they've done to me oh Lord lay not this sin to their charge do you say it Stephen applied God's word in that hour of death and I tell you there was a man by the name of Saul consenting to Stephen's death and in that hour God put his hooks into that Saul and he became the Apostle Paul who then suffered so much in his life on the same context on which he was converted through the life and the dying of Stephen oh as those men there looked in the face of Stephen dying I believe it was many more than Saul who were converted many more I believe God Almighty used the dying face of Stephen and that prayer as they could see the face of an angel on that man's face and Saul saw it and others I believe God got his hooks into many in that day and the kingdom of God was in the spirit of Jesus Lord lay not this sin to their charge it says in Ephesians 4 be ye kind one to another be ye tender hearted forgiving one another how as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you I'm getting to the issue tonight somebody says to me preacher there's a situation there's a person I just can't seem to forgive you say that I want to tell you something there is no place for an unforgiving spirit if you ask Jesus sincerely to want to know Him and to reveal Himself to you in the fellowship of His suffering you will have no room for an unforgiving spirit an unforgiving spirit instead of becoming a redemptive spirit represents at least eleven other spirits that I can see in my Bible that God Almighty condemns tragically I find in my Bible that an unforgiving spirit if you carry it here tonight you've got more than an unforgiving spirit it represents a retaliating spirit a destructive spirit an impatient spirit an unspiritual spirit a proud spirit a self-righteous spirit a disobedient spirit a rebellious stubborn spirit an angry spirit a judgmental critical spirit an unforgetting spirit and the worst line of it all is you inflict upon yourself the unforgiving spirit of God toward you and you say I can't forgive you need to go to Calvary and say Lord I want to enter into the fellowship of your suffering and you'll have freedom from this thing the meaning of forgiveness means pardon it means to clear the debt and it means to remove the transgression as if it never happened and that's what God wants to happen in your life no wonder Jesus Christ says in His Word love your enemies no wonder He says to bless them that curse you no wonder He says to do good to them that hate you and pray for them that despitefully use you how my brother, sister can you say in this meeting I just can't forgive how can you dare say it when my Lord talks like that why does the Lord want us to love our enemies and bless them that curse us and do good to them that hate us and pray for them which despitefully use us why? in order that says Jesus that you may be the children of your Father which is in Heaven what a statement you say I thought I was the child of God oh, I believe the context of the words of Jesus is the fact He's saying that when you live like this when you bless them when you love your enemies and bless them that curse you and pray for them that despitefully use you and those that hate you when you do that that's when you're acting like the children of your Father which is in Heaven that's when people see you they're going to see that you've got royal blood in you that's when you're not going to have to wear any kind of tag to tell the world who you are they will see that you are the children of your Father which is in Heaven they'll say that looks like Heaven it's not human it's Heavenly a redemptive spirit a forgiving spirit a lady in western Canada she was teaching her children to hate Alice they'd bring the stories home of Alice in Wonderland and for her it wasn't Alice in Wonderland it was Alice in Blunderland because she and her husband had taken this Alice in when she needed a home and that Alice carried on with the lady's husband and broke up the home and is now living with that woman's husband after they took her in trying to help her and this lady was teaching her children to hate this woman that took their father away from them in the revival in Saskatoon in 1971 God had got a hold of that lady and God showed her that she had an unforgiving spirit toward the woman who took her husband and her husband for breaking up the home oh I have a right to that oh no oh no and God dealt with her so deeply I can remember two or three o'clock in the morning one of the afterglows there and God broke that woman from her unforgiving spirit and she confessed it to God and God set her free and you know what when she wrote a letter to the woman living with her husband and asked her forgiveness and God gave her such a love for that woman and for her husband and she asked her children to forgive her for teaching them to hate she was teaching her children to hate and now instead of Alice in Blunderland it's Alice as a prayer request and a burden and a love of God pouring out to that woman and her husband living in another city that God would minister to her not human surely not human I want to tell you something that woman was redemptive in the prayer she's being redemptive in the prayers for that woman for her husband praying for their salvation that woman is being redemptive in the lives of her children because she was teaching her children something that would have torn them up and destroyed their life she was teaching them to hate and you know when they would have gotten older they would have turned on the person who taught them how to hate when they were starting to feel the pains of the problem of bitterness and hatred then they would have blamed her for teaching them to hate and she was being redemptive to her children as well as those in prayer who needed God in their sinfulness I want to tell you something God set that woman free and the situation hasn't changed one iota to this day but God saved that woman psychiatrist tranquilizers everything you can think of and saved those children for the rest of their life in that situation she said one night in our meeting she gave a testimony she said God said to me transfer your right to getting even have we heard something about that tonight? transfer your right to getting even over to God and transfer your right to bitterness and your right to resentment transfer those rights to all of that over to God wonder Paul says in Romans 12 recompense to no man evil for evil you read that in your Bible? no wonder look at the price you pay when you do that and then he goes on in verse 12 and verse 17 and then verse 21 he goes on to say be not overcome of evil recompense no man evil for evil and don't you be overcome of evil get this now but overcome evil with good what is that? overcome evil that's sinfulness overcome that which is wicked that which is wrong overcome that with good that's redemptive have a redemptive ministry on that which is evil don't you recompense evil for evil but overcome it with good be redemptive on evil he said those are interesting words I want to tell you that was verse 17 and verse 21 but do you know what's in between those verses? Paul gives us an example what he's talking about he says words like this he says if thine enemy hunger feed him Paul said you know what I'm talking about? if your enemy hungers you feed him and if he thirsts you give him to drink do you do that? do you do that? do I do that? for in so doing get these words thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head have you ever asked yourself what are those coals of fire? oh somebody says I know what it is now I'm going to get even with him he's going to get it right? coals of fire it sounds like he's really going to go through it he said now if I'm not going to vindicate myself God is going to get him and I'll sit back and rejoice when he gets clobbered and all the people said that's the way we act don't we? oh God you heap coals of fire on him my brothers and sisters when you determine in your heart to know Jesus enter into his knowledge knowing him in the fellowship of his suffering you will never think that when you give a cold drink to your enemy and you give food to that enemy and you feed him you will never think that you're heaping coals of fire of vindictiveness on his head you will think that there will be coals of fire of the glory of God and conviction of God to break his heart down so he can be ministered that you're ministering redemption to his heart that's the way you'll see it what is it all about? a student got right with God in St. Paul Bible College and when he spoke on the unforgiving spirit I didn't know so many young people had the problem of an unforgiving spirit so I spoke there and one morning over a hundred students raised their hand admitting the need of dealing with an unforgiving spirit and they went from that chapel and got on long distance phone calls and called parents all over the country and one student called his parent for an unforgiving spirit toward his mother and father and mother especially because the home was broken up by divorce and they had an unforgiving spirit and he called long distance and she said I forgive you son and he was free you know my brothers and sisters that night ten minutes before the evening service he had an unforgiving spirit for seven years hardly talked to his mother for seven years that night before the evening service that young man ten minutes before the service got a phone call back from his mother and she said I became a Christian today he heaped coals of fire on her head gave God the opportunity because his heart was redemptive and in the forgiving spirit he was redemptive my Lord was able to minister to that mother and bring her into the kingdom that day when he gave a cup of water as it were and a piece of bread in the name of the Lord to that one that was on the opposite side of his life my brothers and sisters I want to tell you we're most like beasts when we kill and most like men when we judge but most like God when we forgive and that's why he said that you might be the children of God your father which is in heaven oh could I suggest it to you my world has come apart said a lady writing to Ann Landers what's the problem several days ago my husband confessed that he had a meaningless fling with my sister I went completely to pieces and I've been a nervous wreck ever since now he swears he made up the story just to see how I'd take it but I know my sister and my husband I'm certain the story is true when he saw when he saw what a devastating effect it had on me he tried to convince me that he was only kidding I seriously consider asking for a divorce but I realize I love my husband too much to break up the marriage he says he loves me and I believe him everything was lovely until this ugly cloud came in my life now I can't stand even to look at my sister I feel as if my whole world has fallen apart what should I do Ann Landers signs Oakland Wreck dear Oakland rage frustration and the inability to forgive are deadly poisons Bible doesn't even tell us Ann Landers will you must get rid of them or they will destroy you I recommend counseling with a therapist or a clergyman got the clergyman in there you need a professional who will help you what I'll tell you the clergyman you need a you need a professional who will help you to dissipate your anger and put this ugly incident in proper perspective I urge you to get going quickly I thank God for this revival that's the fastest way to get going on an unforgiving spirit of anything I've seen an unforgiving spirit my brothers and sisters is bitterness a man in Michigan said you know what a bitter spirit is it's nothing more than an unforgiving spirit so an unforgiving spirit really is a bitter spirit and I want you to know as somebody said a bitter spirit is nothing less than anger in deep freeze you walk around with anger in deep freeze there's some name that when that name is mentioned your blood goes to the top of your head there's some situation when that thing is touched it's just right up to the top of the head anger in deep freeze it might not be spewed out but it's eating the insides of you out bitterness look at Hebrews look at it chapter 12 what is it all about I never saw it in this context before until recently opened up to my spirit look at it in Hebrews chapter 12 verse 14 follow peace with all men and holiness with all men follow peace with all men no room for an unforgiving spirit no room for a bitter spirit follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see God and that means with the eyes of the soul you'll never see God you'll not live this kind of life and a lot of people will never see God and they'll profess Christianity for years they'll never see God with the eyes of their soul because of these points looking diligently search diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God lest you quit having the grace of God ministering to your soul lest your heart does not know the forgiveness of God God no longer can minister His grace to your soul and you fail of the grace of God and you put roadblocks in the hands of Almighty God to where God cannot pour His grace on you God resists the proud but He gives grace to the humble but your bitter spirit is a proud spirit and God can't minister grace to you lest any root of bitterness springing up don't let any root not some, not a little not a few any root of bitterness it's a disastrous plan to go trouble you that's where it'll start I can't preach the sermon of how I believe it troubles you it's another message and thereby once it troubles you get this thereby many be defiled from your being troubled in your spirit it's going to reach out to others from your being troubled in your spirit husband, sir it's going to reach your wife from your being troubled in your spirit sir, because of a bitter spirit it's going to reach your children many be defiled it'll go and the Bible says the sins go from even to the third and fourth generation there's a bitter spirit troubling many and it says they shall be defiled do you notice that word defiled it's a terrible word in the Bible the word defiled even has even in the connotation it even has the sinfulness of moral impurity did you ever think that a bitter spirit God is saying through the Apostle Paul can even lead others to be defiled and can even be wrapped up in immorality I want to tell you something as I dealt with students in college campuses in Christian campuses I was shocked by the number of students who have become involved in Christian campuses I'm not saying on the campus but before I'm not saying when but I was shocked at the number of students who have been defiled in immoral impurity moral impurity in immoral relationships sexual relationships and you know what hit me this verse hit me I started to watch these stories that would come to our ears as these young people were pouring out their heart to the preachers and to God to be freed I was starting to realize that as we followed the pattern down many of these students have come out of families where they've been disrupted by divorce and desertion and the spirit of bitterness set into these young hearts because of that situation and the spirit of bitterness and the defilement had already set in I'm thinking of one young man whose father was a preacher and he went off in immorality with another woman as a preacher and here is the preacher's son now in the Bible college studying for the ministry and the problems of immorality that have ripped that young son and as I dealt with the son it boiled right back to the fire of the bitterness of that father toward his wife that preacher toward his own wife and that bitter spirit caused his son to be defiled and the bitter spirit went on into the son and then the defilement of his life as well bitter toward his dad and then bitterness of his own and his own defilement now look what it says lest there be any fornicator in verse 16 that's why I'm talking like I'm talking about the very next words coming out of a bitter spirit in verse 15 says lest there be any fornicator or a profane person as Esau who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright for you know how that afterward when he would have inherited the blessing he was rejected for he found no place of repentance he found no way in his own spirit to change his mind it got so bad though he sought it carefully with tears he was hooked all coming out of the picture of bitterness all that scripture coming together you know the interesting thing about this to me is that my bible tells me as a husband that I should love my wife even as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it and the bible tells the wife that she should submit herself to a husband even as the picture of the church even as the bride to Christ and she should submit herself to a husband but I find one thing more in my bible it tells me beyond many more things but one thing that struck me just recently I never saw it in this context my bible tells me in Colossians 3,19 husbands love your wives and be not bitter against them oh allowing a root of bitterness spring up it will trouble you and defile many and it can even reach into your offspring and that's what I've found as I've dealt with young people and it says husbands love your wives and be not bitter against them it's a command to wash out the temptation to be bitter against your wife and bitter is an anger in deep freeze you won't even say it and you keep it covered and my brothers and sisters in these days God's saying you've been sweeping it under the rug and sweeping it under the rug and sweeping it under the rug it's time you feel the lumps in the rug and say God lift the rug and sweep it out and recarpet my life and that's when you're going to be free a young man had the call of God in his life to go to Bible college the call of God in his life but he had such problems with the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eye he had such problems with the lust of the eye for wealth and he said no God I won't go to Bible college because I want money and saying no to God I counseled him to go I said you've got problems with the lust of the eye and the lust of the eye because you're disobeying when God says I want you in the ministry and I want you in the service so one error or defeat is leading you to another and I said you get going and you start obeying God and when you start obeying God you watch how God's going to give you a victory right down the line instead he ran the other way a thousand miles the other direction for a new job for big money he put his house up for sale he went off and left his wife there with the house put the house up for sale went off with a new job got a new home over there he figured this one house would sell it didn't sell he lost his shirt he had to declare bankruptcy that house didn't sell he had two mortgages to pay on and there he was not only that a thousand miles away from his wife he got involved with a prostitute in the street and in that involvement he picked up a disease of the street and took it on his own body and when he finally got back to his wife in the human relationship of marriage he passed on the disease of the street on to his dear wife I saw this couple a year later about ten months later I saw a couple so happy I saw a couple so filled with the love of God the glory of God I saw a young man ready now to go to Bible college I saw a wife who had forgiven her husband totally I saw a wife who when I saw them sitting in front of me I could not believe that that's not human what she went through not only did she take the disease of the street she took the shame that went with it she'd have to walk back into the clinics and they'd say where did you get this disease from your boyfriend no my husband your husband and then the story unfolded the shame that went with it I talked to I'm talking to you about a lady that because she had she was weak physically and when this disease of the street got in her blood with her own physical ailment the doctor said that she'd have to spend two weeks out of every month for the rest of her life on her back lying in bed for the rest of her life with two little children to raise two weeks a month on her back for the sinfulness of her husband I said to him ma'am tell me why didn't you kick him out that's natural why didn't you just why isn't he ruined today why didn't he hit the skids how come you have the joy of God and the love of God and the marriages together and you're telling me such a story what is it what is it she said Lou when my husband went through all of that and passed on to me what happened to me God came to my heart in that hour instead of accusing him instead of kicking him out instead of building a resentment instead of building a hatred instead of saying my pride is so hurt I can't stand it I can't live with you anymore instead I have never from that day I have never pointed a finger at him I've never accused him of a thing God almighty came to my spirit and the words of your message entering into the knowledge of Jesus in the fellowship of his suffering started to ring in my heart in my ears in my mind in my spirit and my Lord came to my soul and my Lord when I saw him say to me now my child you wanted to know me I'm giving you now in this unlovely situation the opportunity to get to know me like I suffered for you and she said I entered into the fellowship of Jesus' suffering and I got to know my Savior like I have never been able to know him and instead of looking at my husband instead of accusing that way when that situation came at me in the vertical relationship in the horizontal relationship I went up and I saw my Lord and I got a new look at him and I made a new commitment to him and he made himself more real to me and I understood a little what he suffered for me and if he could forgive me and he could die for me and go through all that for me why could I never even think how could I ever even think of not forgiving my husband and she said the thought of ever ever not forgiving him never entered my mind because I saw my Lord in a new way and I love him like I never could have loved him and now as I look at my husband I look with love and compassion and thankfulness to God that in this painful situation he was the instrument to give me the privilege to enter into the fellowship of my Lord's suffering and to know my Jesus on a level like I could have never known before I'm happy to tell you that young man they lost everything their $20,000 in debt declared bankruptcy that young man four years later has now finished Bible college he was voted the leading preacher of the graduating class and he's now entering full time in the ministry and I had the privilege of being with that couple recently and she said I want to tell you something else if you did not know it God has totally healed my body what was it? the just for the unjust that I might bring him back to God how? being put to death in the flesh but God quickened by the spirit that's what God is saying to you and me about that bitterness that you are holding and that unforgiving spirit that you are holding and those circumstances that you are blaming God when God wants you to say with Joseph you meant it for evil to his brothers when he was in Egypt you meant it for evil that's the just suffering for the unjust but God he didn't look that way he went God he didn't say I he said but God horizontal relationship dealt by a vertical relationship but God meant it for good I see God in it I see a redemptive opportunity in it I live in that context I never know what it is to live in an unforgiving attitude I forgive you even before you ask forgiveness if you never ask forgiveness you are already forgiven because I want to know my Lord in the fellowship of his suffering and he didn't have to wait to be asked to be forgiven before he forgave he forgave those who loved him not I want to ask you what bitterness are you holding in grudge and unforgiving spirit what bondage is in your life tonight will you bring it to your Lord somebody said since your Lord and Redeemer with patience received a black stroke on his glorious back and the buffet of an unbelieving world and he says of himself I gave my back to the smiters and I gave my cheeks to them that plucked out the hair I hid not my face from shame and spitting follow him and think it not hard for you to receive a blow with your Lord I close just the other day in the newspaper I don't know if you saw it I don't know if it was in this paper here locally Toronto paper a paraplegic doesn't hold the grudge against men who shot him in the back did you see it did you see it just last last week I think it was in Toronto paper the bullet that ripped through the spinal cord has left his legs useless but exhausted after a day of therapy at London University Hospital 19 year old boy says he holds no grudge against the two men who shot him in the back while robbing a variety store I feel pretty sorry for them oh because they've ruined their lives not his life ruined theirs I'm not bitter they've had it rough I'd be the happiest guy in the world if I could see them straighten out Toronto newspaper did you read it although he will spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair he remains cheerful the rest of his life in a wheelchair remains cheerful about his ordeal and the continuing pain that's not natural that's spiritual who is this young man Edwards was one week away from entering moody bible institute in Chicago when two men entered the store where he was working for the summer with a .22 caliber sawed-off rifle he's received more than 300 cards from well wishers but he said no one should feel sorry for him a lot of them said with sympathy but I never needed it too much Edwards admits that he's overwhelmed by the $6000 raised for him money has been raised and he said he has made no plans to spend the money although he does want to buy a new violin he's played the instrument for 13 years and he had planned to continue to combine religious and musical studies at moody bible institute in Chicago this was the next day I believe in the Toronto paper after the night before when I spoke this message that I'm speaking now to the students of Ontario Bible College and there was a bible college student.