Pathway to Victory

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Hey podcast listeners. Thanks for streaming today's podcast from Pathway to Victory and Dr. Robert Jeffress.

We're dedicated to bringing you bold biblical teaching that transforms your life and strengthens your walk with God.

And you can study God's word alongside Dr. Jeffress in person on the 2026 Pathway to Victory Cruise to Alaska.

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Have you ever witnessed the breathtaking majesty.

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Of massive glaciers rising from crystal blue.

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Waters or stood in awe as bald eagles soar over snow capped mountain?

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I want you to experience these unforgettable moments with me on the Pathway to Victory Cruise to Alaska, June 13th through 20th, 2026.

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Join Dr. Jeffress and the Pathway to Victory family for a spectacular seven-day adventure aboard Holland America's luxurious Koningsdam.

Indulge in elegant staterooms, world-class dining, and expansive decks perfect for breathtaking views.

Visit historic ports like Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan, where wilderness and frontier history await.

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There's something powerful about connecting with God and fellow believers in the majesty of his untamed wilderness. I truly believe this journey will refresh.

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You spiritually, physically and emotionally.

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Cabins are filling quickly, so reserve yours today. To book your spot on the 2026 Pathway to Victory cruise to Alaska, call 888-280-6747 or go to ptv.org now here's today's podcast from Pathway to Victory.

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Hi, this is Robert Jeffress and I'm.

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Glad to study God's Word with you.

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Every day on this Bible teaching program. On today's edition of Pathway to Victory.

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Remember what Jesus said from Matthew 6: "For if you forgive others, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive you."

Now I hear people try to rationalize this and say, "Well, what Jesus really meant was..." No, Jesus really meant what he said. He said, "If you don't forgive, God is not going to forgive you."

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Welcome to Pathway to Victory with author and pastor Dr. Robert Jeffress.

At some point in our lives, all of us are bound to feel hurt in a deep and sometimes profound way. So in those intense moments of pain and betrayal, how do we find that power to forgive?

Today on Pathway to Victory, Dr. Robert Jeffress explains the biblical steps to developing a forgiving heart. But first, let's take a minute to hear some important ministry updates.

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Thanks David, and welcome again to Pathway to Victory. Before we get started, a quick reminder that Pathway to Victory is in the throes of planning a vacation for you in which you'll escape the pressures of everyday life. We're hoping you'll join us for the Pathway to Victory cruise to Alaska. The dates are June 13, 2026, and after one full week aboard a luxury cruise liner, having every meal prepared on your behalf and spending time with like-minded Christians, you'll come home spiritually and physically refreshed. The wonderful itinerary, information on our guest entertainment, and all the details for reserving your spot can be found at P.

Then, before time runs out, you're invited to request an exclusive publication from Pathway to Victory. It's called *Encouragement for the Heart of a Disciple*. In this striking, padded hardcover book, you'll learn how to cultivate the disciplines of forgiveness, trust, contentment, and prayer. Plus, the book contains 80 breathtaking photos from God's creation. Each chapter includes a brief reflection paired with a scripture verse and a prayer that you can follow. The devotional book called *Encouragement for the Heart of a Disciple* is an expression of our thanks when you give a generous gift to support the ministry of Pathway to Victory. This special offer expires Friday, so let us hear from you right away.

Okay, it's time to open God's Word together. From our series on the seven Marks of a Disciple, we're ready to discuss one of the dominant signs that you're truly following Jesus. Today's message is titled *Developing a Forgiving Heart*.

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C.S. Lewis once said, "Forgiveness is a beautiful word until you have somebody to forgive." Have you discovered that's true? It's easy to extol the virtues of forgiveness until you have to practice it yourself. Until you have to extend it toward that boss who has mistreated you, that friend who has betrayed you, perhaps a mate who has abandoned you, or a parent who has abused you. Why should I forgive somebody who has caused me so much hurt? We wonder.

You know, in my 40 plus years in the ministry, I've discovered that the two issues people struggle with the most in life both have to do with forgiveness: either receiving God's forgiveness or extending forgiveness to others who have wronged us. And by the way, there's an inseparable link between the two—receiving forgiveness and extending forgiveness to others. Until really fairly recently, the whole subject of forgiveness and the importance of forgiveness was relegated to the Sunday school classroom. That's the only place you heard about forgiveness. But in the last 20 years, even the secular world is talking about the value and benefits of forgiveness.

For example, the physical benefits of forgiveness are now well documented. Unforgiveness and bitterness are toxins in our bodies. They can release deadly toxins and are responsible for cardiovascular disease and hypertension. It's even been related to some cancers. There are emotional benefits we know for forgiveness. I remember one leading psychiatrist in this country once said that 80% of people in mental hospitals today could be released right now if they only knew how to forgive. Think about it. Holding on to an offense, replaying it over and over again in your mind, is like reliving the experience all over again. It's bad enough for somebody to hurt you once, but when you recall that event, your body and mind register it as if you're experiencing that hurt again. Why would anybody want to let their offender continually hurt them?

Somebody once said, "Forgiveness is like letting go of a rattlesnake. Sure, it benefits the snake, but it benefits you more." The same thing is true of forgiveness. There are great emotional benefits to forgiveness, but both the physical and emotional benefits of forgiveness pale in comparison to the spiritual benefits of forgiveness. Pastor, what do you mean by the spiritual benefits? Well, remember what Jesus said in Matthew 6:14-15: "For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions." Very simply, if you refuse to forgive other people, God won't forgive you.

Now, I hear people try to rationalize this and say, "Well, what Jesus really meant was..." No, Jesus really meant what he said. He said, "If you don't forgive, God is not going to forgive you." There's an inseparable link between receiving God's forgiveness and granting that forgiveness to others. Both receiving and granting forgiveness are marks of a true follower of Jesus Christ, a disciple of Christ.

To see the link between receiving forgiveness and extending it to others, I want you to turn in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 18 to a story Jesus told to illustrate both why we should forgive and how we should forgive. We've looked at this parable before, so today I'm going to give you just the Reader's Digest version, just to remind you of what this story is about. This story is about a king who was having some serious cash flow problems. He needed to call in the IOUs he was holding from people who owed him money. He started with the person who owed him the most amount of money—a slave who owed him 10,000 talents.

Now, in Jesus' day, a talent was a unit of measurement of gold, about 70 or 80 pounds. One talent, 70 or 80 pounds of gold. This servant owed his king 10,000 of those talents. You know how much money that would be? 10,000 talents of gold would be about $16 billion in today's money. You think, "$16 billion? How could a lowly slave ever get into debt that much? Did he go to Vegas too many times? What was going on here?" Remember, this is a story Jesus told, a parable. He was trying to illustrate a man who owed a debt he couldn't pay in 10,000 lifetimes.

So the king says, "I want my money." He had a right to say that. The slave fell down before him and begged, "Master, please be patient with me, and I will repay you everything." Can you imagine a more pitiful sight than that? A little slave saying, "If you'll just give me a little more time, I'll pay you back that $16 billion." Look at verse 27 of Matthew 18. The Lord of that slave, the king, felt compassion, and he released him, forgiving him of the debt. That's what forgiveness is. Literally, it means to release a debt, to let go of.

Can you imagine the relief that slave must have felt as he heard the words, "You are forgiven. You don't owe me anything. You're free." The slave got up and walked out of the palace a new man. But as he was thinking about what he had heard from the king, "You are forgiven of your debt," it dawned on him, "Hey, think about it. There's somebody who owes me some money." He remembered a fellow slave, a friend who owed him 100 denarii. Jesus said, "Now a denarius was 16 cents." In today's economy, one day's wage, 100 denarii would be $16.

This slave remembers, "I know somebody who owes me $16." So he goes out, Jesus says, grabs him by the neck, begins to choke him, and says, "Repay me what you owe me." Now, that was a very real debt, too. The fellow slave says, "Have patience with me, and I'll repay you everything." Sound familiar? That's what the first slave said to the king. But unlike the king, this slave refused to forgive that paltry $16 debt.

Well, when the king heard about this, he was incensed. Look at verse 32. Then, summoning the slave, the king said to him, "You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave in the same way that I had mercy on you?" Even this king, who was a pagan, understood there was something fundamentally wrong with a man who had been forgiven so much to refuse to forgive such a little debt.

Then verse 34 says, "The king, moved with anger, handed that slave over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him." And then Jesus adds the zinger in verse 35: "So shall my heavenly Father do to you if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart." You see, the relationship between the king and the first slave is like God's relationship with us. All of us owe God a debt we could never repay. Yet when we ask Him, God in His mercy forgives us of that debt. Through Christ, we have been forgiven a $16 billion spiritual debt, so to speak.

When we refuse to grant forgiveness to those who wrong us, it's just like that slave refusing to forgive that $16. Now, don't misunderstand what Jesus is saying here. Jesus is not denying that you may have been hurt and wronged. He is not asking you to pretend it never happened or to minimize the wrong that has been committed against you. But Jesus says, whatever your hurt is, just keep that hurt in perspective.

The difference between how much somebody has wronged you and how much you have wronged God is the difference between $16 and $16 billion. That's why forgiveness is the obligation of those who have truly been forgiven. Yet, in spite of the physical, emotional, and certainly the spiritual benefits of forgiving other people, we still find it hard to do, don't we? I think there are four reasons, four misunderstandings that cause people difficulty in forgiving others.

Let me dispel a few of those myths about forgiveness that may be hampering some of you right now from experiencing the freedom of that gift of forgiveness. First of all, understand that forgiveness is not ignoring or rationalizing offenses. When you forgive somebody, you're not engaging in some mental fantasy, pretending like what happened to you never actually happened. In fact, you really can't forgive somebody until you acknowledge the wrong that they've committed against you. As somebody said, "We cannot forgive those we're not willing to blame."

To be able to forgive, you have to be willing to blame somebody for the real hurt they've caused in your life. Why is that important? Let me illustrate it this way. Just suppose that you notice one day a bump on your arm and you think, "I wonder how I got that." It's not causing me any problems. I wonder how I got that. Maybe I banged it into a door or something. You don't give it much thought. But then it begins to hurt. After a few days, you try to ignore it. The pain increases. After a couple of months, you think, "You know, I better go get this checked out."

So you go to your doctor, and he looks at it and says, "Boy, that looks like more than a bump. Let me biopsy that." He comes back with the test results: "You have cancer." That cancer has now metastasized into the rest of your body, all because you chose to ignore that initial bump. It's the same thing with forgiveness. If we just ignore the wrongs that somebody does to us—I'm not talking about not saying hello in the hallway, but I'm talking about really major offenses. Proverbs says we ought to overlook transgressions, but I'm talking about the things you can't overlook.

We need to acknowledge that those hurts have occurred so that we can go through the spiritual surgery we call forgiveness. You cannot forgive those you're not willing to blame. Doesn't Joseph teach us that truth? You remember the story of Joseph? Joseph in the Old Testament was sold into slavery by his brothers, who left him for dead. Yet, through a miraculous set of circumstances, God made Joseph Pharaoh's right-hand man in Egypt. There was a severe famine in all the land, and so Joseph's brothers had to travel to Egypt to get grain to keep them alive. Little did they know the person they would be asking for the grain was their own brother, whom they had left for dead years earlier.

When they finally realized who they were talking to, they thought, "We're done for. This is it. Surely our brother is going to exact revenge on us." But in some of the most famous words of the Bible, Genesis 50:20, remember what Joseph said to his brothers? He said, "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God used it for good to bring about this present circumstance, to keep you and many others alive." Joseph didn't try to sugarcoat what had happened to him. He didn't say, "Oh, brothers, don't worry about it. You must have just had a bad day when you sold me into slavery. We'll sweep it under the rug. We'll play like it never happened." No, he said, "You meant evil against me. But guess what, brothers? God is bigger than you are. He was able to take your worst intentions, your worst motives, and use them not just for my good, but for your good and the good of all of Israel as well."

The Bible says you cannot forgive unless, first of all, you're willing to acknowledge that a wrong has occurred in your life. Forgiveness is not about rationalizing or ignoring offenses. Secondly, forgiveness is not about surrendering our desire for justice. When you forgive, you're not surrendering your desire for justice. I remember in my last church, there was a man, a father, whose daughter had been brutally murdered. As you can imagine, he struggled with that issue of forgiveness. Finally, he reached the point that he felt like he had forgiven his daughter's killer. But then he was asked to testify by the prosecution at the killer's trial.

He came to see me and said, "Pastor, I've just now barely been able to forgive this man for what he did to my daughter. Now I'm being asked to testify, and my testimony could easily result in a guilty verdict and a death penalty for this guy. I'm just not sure, as a Christian, should I testify? Frankly, I'd like to see him in the electric chair for what he did. But I've forgiven him, so what am I supposed to do?" That afternoon, I explained to him the difference between vengeance and justice.

When we forgive, we give up our right to vengeance. You know what vengeance is? Hurting somebody else for hurting us. That's what vengeance is. Vengeance is our desire to hurt somebody for hurting us. The Bible says in Romans 12:19, "Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, 'Vengeance is mine, I will repay,' says the Lord." When we forgive, we're giving up our right to hurt somebody else. We're saying, "God, you deal with it. You take exact the punishment, but I'm not going to do it myself."

That's vengeance—trying to hurt somebody for hurting us. But justice, on the other hand, is the payment that God or other people may require from my offender. Justice is the payment that God or other people or government officials might require from my offender. While we're to give up our desire for vengeance, we never have to surrender our desire for justice. We want justice because why? We're made in the image of God, who wants justice. We serve a just God. In Psalm 82:3, David said, "Vindicate the weak and fatherless. Do justice to the afflicted and destitute." Or Isaiah 1:17, "Learn to do good, seek justice, reprove the ruthless, defend the orphan, plead for the widow."

Some of you are struggling with forgiveness right now because you want justice for the person who hurt you. There's nothing wrong with that as long as you let God deal with it and not yourself. You know what a bill collector is? A bill collector is somebody a company turns over an account receivable to. If the company can't get the money from the person, they turn it over to a bill collector to get the money from. You know who the best bill collector in the whole world is? God the Father. He knows how to collect on a debt. When you forgive, you're basically turning the debt over to God and saying, "God, you settle the score. I'm not going to try to settle the score myself."

Forgiveness is not about surrendering our desire for justice. Thirdly, forgiveness is not about forgetting the offenses committed against us. Forgiveness is not about forgetting. People say to me, "Well, Pastor, I still remember. I keep thinking about what that person did to me. I guess that means I haven't really forgiven them, right?" Wrong. Remember this: forgetting is a biological function. Forgiving is a spiritual function. You know, every experience you have is chemically and electrically embedded in your mind. Did you know that? And it never leaves.

Now, it may fall below the surface. You may not be able to remember where you put your car keys. But guess what? That experience of putting them by the coffee table is still in your brain, and it may surface. Forgetting is a biological function, but forgiving is a spiritual function. Just because you forgive doesn't mean you necessarily forget. Forgiveness is saying, "I'm no longer going to hold this offense against this person. I'm going to let God deal with it."

Now, I know some of you Bible scholars are saying, "Now, wait a minute. Doesn't the Bible say when God forgives, He forgets?" And they quote Jeremiah 31:34: "I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." God forgets. Shouldn't we? Now think about this: when God forgives our offenses, do you think really a divine case of heavenly Alzheimer's sets in on God? "Well, I just can't remember that anymore. I guess I'm getting old." Is that what happens? Of course not. It's not that God forgets.

I think the best way to understand what God's forgiveness means is found in Romans 4:7-8, when Paul, quoting Psalm 32, says, "Blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven, whose sin has been covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account." That's what it means. He no longer charges our sin to our account. That's a forgiveness transaction. When God forgives us, He no longer holds us accountable for our sin.

Listen, the Bible says every time we sin against God, we owe God for the sin we've committed. Sin always creates an obligation. The more we sin, the bigger the IOU that we owe God. I mean, just think about it. Every wrong thought, every wrong motivation, every wrong action is a sin that requires repayment. Our sin debt to God is incalculable, and the longer you live, the bigger that debt becomes. Oh, there's only one person who can pay your sin debt, and His name is Jesus Christ. Aren't you glad that Jesus Christ provided...

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The ultimate model of forgiveness? No debt we owe is too high, no sin too egregious. He stands ready to cover it all. Well, forgiveness is one of the seven marks of a true follower of Jesus, and we'll learn more about this life-changing principle on tomorrow's edition of Pathway to Victory.

Just before we turn things over to David, we're eager to remind you that time is running short to request an exclusive book that's produced and published by Pathway to Victory. It's called *Encouragement for the Heart of a Disciple*. This beautiful devotional book contains brief entries that can be read in under two minutes, and each chapter is paired with a stunning photo of God's creation, a scripture verse, and a brief prayer that you can pray. All these features have one goal in mind, and that is to uplift your heart as you walk with God. Plus, it's small enough to take with you on your travels this summer.

Thanks in advance for your contribution. Pathway to Victory would not exist without the voluntary support from friends like you. And right now, Pathway to Victory is postured to have more impact in our country and the world than ever before as we teach the Bible with boldness and conviction and as we push back the forces of evil in our world with the light of God's Word.

Thanks for getting in touch today while there's still time. God will use your generosity, no matter the size of your gift, to pierce the darkness with the light of His Word. Here's David to tell you more.

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You're invited to request your copy of *Encouragement for the Heart of a Disciple* by Dr. Robert Jeffress. When you make a generous gift to support the ministry of Pathway to Victory, give us a call at 866-999-2965 or visit online at ptv.org. When your ministry gift is $100 or more, we'll also send you the Encouragement Resource Set featuring the new devotional, six Clutter Free Prayer Cards, the *Clutter Free Christianity* Book and Life Application Guide, along with the 7 Marks of a Disciple message series on DVD, video, and MP3 format audio disc set.

But time is running out to take advantage of this offer. So one more time, call 866-999-2965 or go to ptv.org. If you'd prefer to write, jot down this mailing address: P.O. Box 223609, Dallas, Texas 75222. One more time, that's P.O. Box 223609, Dallas, TX 75222.

I'm David J. Mullins. Join us again next time for the conclusion of this message on developing a forgiving heart here on Pathway to Victory. Pathway to Victory with Dr. Robert Jeffress comes from the pulpit of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas.

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