Forgiveness vs. Restoration of Trust

CURRENT TEACHING SERIES Connecting With God

Forgiveness vs. Restoration of Trust By Rick Warren — Jun 21, 2016 “Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord” (Romans 12:19 NIV). Who has a better arsenal to repay, you or God? Who can settle the score better, you or God? I think God! If I have to choose whether I’m going to get back at someone or let God be the God of justice, I’m going to let God be the God of justice. I’m going to choose to leave it to God. Let me explain what forgiveness is not. Forgiveness does not mean the instant restoration of trust. Forgiveness is instant. Trust must be rebuilt over time. Forgiveness is based on grace. Trust is built on works. You earn trust. You don’t earn forgiveness. A lot of people don’t want to forgive, because they think if they forgive people, then they’ve got to trust them again. No. That’s a whole different issue! Let me say it again: Forgiving someone does not mean you have to trust that person. It means that person has to earn the trust. If people are in a relationship and one person is dealing with drugs or alcohol or abuse or whatever, they may ask, “Will you forgive me?” Yes, you will forgive them. “Can we go back to the way it was?” No. That’s not at all what we do. Forgiveness and a restoration of a relationship are two different things. Forgiveness is only your part, whether they respond or not, whether they ask for it or not, whether they even recognize they need it or not. You forgive for your sake. Restoration of a relationship takes far more than forgiveness. It takes repentance. It takes restitution and a rebuilding of trust. And it often takes much more time. Many people think they can’t forgive because that would mean going back to the same old way. Not at all. But you do have to leave it to God. How do you release your hurt? You leave it to God. PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >> Talk It Over Who do you need forgive? With whom do you need to restore a relationship? In what ways can someone rebuild trust with you? Our Gift: Connecting with God: The Lord's Prayer - 8 CD Boxed Set and Bonus Music CD: FIRST The Bible says very clearly that you were created for connections. In this new message series, Connecting with God: The Lord's Prayer, Rick Warren lays out practical steps for you to connect with God and loved ones by examining the Lord’s Prayer. LEARN MORE Complete Audio Series (Purchase) Includes all complete sermons from the Rick Warren Connecting With God teaching series. LEARN MORE Series Summary Message 1: ​You've Got To Get Connected Message 2: ​​​​​​​​​The Prayer of Connection Message 3: ​​The Prayer of Surrender Message 4: ​The Prayer of Dependence Message 5: ​The Prayer of Cleansing Message 6: ​​The Prayer of Release Message 7: The Prayer of Deliverance Message 8: The Prayer of Fulfillment PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST

Pastor Rick Warren

Enjoy today's Devotional? Listen instantly to the full radio message at Daily Hope Radio. Did someone forward this devotional to you? Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional. This devotional is based on the current Daily Hope radio series at rickwarren.org. Rick Warren has helped people live with hope and on purpose for more than 40 years. He’s the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Southern California and author of several books, including "The Purpose Driven Church" and "The Purpose Driven Life," read by more than 100 million people in 137 languages. He created the PEACE Plan (plant churches of reconciliation, equip servant leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, educate the next generation), which is used by churches in 196 countries. His radio teaching and daily devotional, Daily Hope, is offered across America. This devotional © 2016 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. You can unsubscribe at any time by changing your e-mail preferences. Update your preferences  |  Unsubscribe