General Oglethorpe, to whom the young John Wesley was chaplain in the colony of Georgia in America, once said to Wesley with great pride, “I never forgive.” Wesley replied, “Then I hope, sir, you never sin.”
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Version from SermonCentral.com, 1/16/06:
INCENTIVE TO FORGIVE
General Oglethorpe once said to John Wesley, “I never forgive and I never forget.” To which Wesley replied, “Then, Sir, I hope you never sin.”
Maybe the Reverend Wesley based his reply on our text or maybe on Matthew 7:1-2 where it says we will be judged the way we judge. Or maybe Matthew 18:18 where it says “Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and what so ever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” In other words if we forgive the other person on earth then our Father forgives us in heaven.
So there is an incentive for us to forgive.
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Contributed by Roy Fowler