In all my years in ministry, I have never met anybody who did not understand that receiving and giving forgiveness is one of the major tenets of the Christian faith.

I've just never met anybody who said to me, forgiveness? Now, what is that? Never met that kind of person. But I met scores of people who

have said to me, I know that Jesus forgave my sins when I repented, but I'm having a hard time

accepting this. I have met scores of people who have said to me,

I know I'm supposed to forgive this person because Jesus forgave me,

but I'm having a hard time forgiving that person.

Now I've met lots of people with that problem.

So the problem is not understanding intellectual or believing the importance of forgiveness.

No, no, no, no.

The problem is how to accept and receive forgiveness.

Even the new Asian secular preachers, you hear them on public television telling people, forgiveness is good for your health,

thinking that forgiveness is like sort of a supplement that you take every day and it's going to

make you feel good. Well, that's easily said than done. It's a way, I guess, of appealing to our

self-interest.

But the Bible makes it very clear that receiving and giving forgiveness is only possible in the context of the unconditional forgiveness of the Lord Jesus Christ for every repentant sinner who

comes to accept that his death on the cross

is a payment for their wages of sin.

The Bible compels us that if we are forgiven and if we experience a forgiveness of God,

we have no other option but to forgive every repentant person when they come to us.

And today I'm going to see, we're going to see how forgiveness is the third secret for

positive living.

We have begun a series of messages entitled The 15 Secrets for Positive Living, not positive thinking,

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