To kickstart our 7 Sayings on the Cross series, Ian spoke a message on forgiveness, because at the cross there is forgiveness, and from the cross flows forgiveness.

As we look at the importance of forgiveness, the passage of Luke 23:24 can be broken down into 3 parts:

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"Jesus said, Father... "

• In the face of difficulties, we should pray and seek God.

• It was a prayer for his enemies.

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"Forgive them..."

• Jesus could have struck down his enemies with a breath, yet he chose to pray and forgive them.

• To have sin is rebellion against God, but Jesus came to fix that.

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"Forgive them..."

• It was because Jesus saw the conditions of their hearts.

• Their hearts were blind, they don't understand what they have done.

• Just as mankind has done the worst to him, he still chose to forgive them.

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We might think think that there is no point asking God for forgiveness because we have committed it over and over again. But the truth is that there is nothing outside God's forgiveness and there is nothing more powerful than the cross. In the same way, let's be children of God be forgiving our debtors, because the thing that stops us from receiving forgiveness is unforgiveness.