The Gift of Forgiveness

by Charles Stanley

Publisher:

Thomas Nelson

, 1991

Overview

The following pages flow from my struggle to forgive people whom I trusted and loved as my friends, yet they proved otherwise. More than anything, this book is simply an invitation to deal with the poison of an unforgiving spirit. It is a poison capable of ruining not only your life, but the lives of those around you as well. It is my prayer that in these pages you will discover the freedom that comes from putting behind you once and for all the hurts and injustices of yesterday.

Contents

Top Highlights

“Unforgiveness, by its very nature, prevents individuals from following through on many of the specifics of the Christian life and practically necessitates that they walk by the flesh rather than by the Spirit.” (Page 4)

“The answer is simple yet life–changing in its profundity. There is something God wants more than retribution. There is something He desires more than simply being paid back for the disrespect shown Him. God wants fellowship with us. And He was willing to put His own system of justice on hold while He made provision for sinful men and women to be rescued.” (Page 23)

“Third, our concern about the needs of the other individuals will outweigh our concerns about what they did to us.” (Pages 118–119)

“When individuals refuse to forgive others for a wrong done to them, they are saying the same thing. But instead of holding people hostage until they get their demands, they withhold love, acceptance, respect, service, kindness, patience, or whatever the others value. The message they send is this: ‘Until I feel you have repaid me for the wrong done to me, you will not have my acceptance.’ If we go back to our definition, we can see that the element missing from this scenario is cancellation of the debt. Persons who refuse to forgive refuse to cancel the debt.” (Page 3)

“The destructive nature of an unforgiving spirit is such that it is not limited to one relationship. Resentment and other negative feelings spill over into other relationships. This is the second reason a person with an unforgiving spirit loses out in life.” (Page 6)

Product Details

• Title: The Gift of Forgiveness
• Author: Charles Stanley
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson
• Print Publication Date: 1991
• Logos Release Date: 2006
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subject: Forgiveness › Religious aspects--Christianity
• ISBNs: 9781418531782, 1418531782
• Resource ID: LLS:40.170.12
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-28T20:16:58Z

About Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley (1932–2023) was often called “America’s Pastor.” He earned his bachelor of divinity at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and his master’s degree and doctorate at Luther Rice Seminary. His theological viewpoint was evangelical and dispensational in nature.

Stanley served as senior pastor of the First Baptist Church Atlanta from 1971-2020. He ws the founder and president of In Touch Ministries and had served two terms as president of the Southern Baptist Convention. The radio and television broadcast In Touch with Dr. Charles Stanley aired around the world in more than 50 languages and covered an array of topics—from finances to parenting.

Stanley was a New York Times bestselling author who had written more than 45 books, including The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, The Reason for My Hope, Walking Wisely: Real Guidance for Life’s Journey, and dozens more in The Charles Stanley Collection (46 vols.).