HOW OFTEN SHALL I FORGIVE?
I have a recurring sin in my life that I have been struggling with. It is not one of the "Big 10". It is a habit that does not bring glory to my God. I ask forgiveness of it daily. As I was in my prayer time today, I received this word:
Just after Jesus taught the apostles how to pray, He said, 14) "For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15) But if you do not forgive others, then YOUR FATHER WILL NOT FORGIVE YOUR TRANSGRESSIONS." Luke 6: 14, 15 (NASB) That wouldn't be so bad, BUT if God doesn't forgive MY sins, I will not spend eternity with Him. Matthew 18: 23 - 35:
23) "Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24) As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. 25) Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. 26) At this the servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.' 27) The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. 28) But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded. 29) His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.' 30) But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31) When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened. 32) Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33) Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' 34) In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. 35) THIS IS HOW MY HEAVENLY FATHER WILL TREAT EACH OF YOU UNLESS YOU FORGIVE YOUR BROTHER OR SISTER FROM YOUR HEART." (NIV)
23) "Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24) As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. 25) Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. 26) At this the servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.' 27) The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. 28) But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded. 29) His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.' 30) But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31) When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened. 32) Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33) Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' 34) In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. 35) THIS IS HOW MY HEAVENLY FATHER WILL TREAT EACH OF YOU UNLESS YOU FORGIVE YOUR BROTHER OR SISTER FROM YOUR HEART." (NIV)
So, the Apostle Peter asked, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" 22) Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven" Matthew 18: 21, 22 (NASB)
I note that this refers to my brother but when Jesus walked among us, He took everything to the next level, so I see "brother", which may be "brother in Christ", but I don't stop with my "brother". I go further to say, "my neighbor". And let me tell you why: 1 Corinthians 13: 13: "But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love. (NASB) I would hate to get to Heaven and Saint Peter meet me at the gate and tell me that I should have forgiven everyone everything when I only forgave my "brother". I want my God to say, "well done, my good and faithful servant." Oh, what joy that would bring!
I note that this refers to my brother but when Jesus walked among us, He took everything to the next level, so I see "brother", which may be "brother in Christ", but I don't stop with my "brother". I go further to say, "my neighbor". And let me tell you why: 1 Corinthians 13: 13: "But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love. (NASB) I would hate to get to Heaven and Saint Peter meet me at the gate and tell me that I should have forgiven everyone everything when I only forgave my "brother". I want my God to say, "well done, my good and faithful servant." Oh, what joy that would bring!
1 John 1: 9 states that "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (NIV) So, if I repeat the same sin over and over, day after day; if I recognize my sin and confess it but keep repeating it He is faithful to forgive me repeatedly. BUT I have to forgive your sin against me REPEATEDLY.
Wow! How powerful is that. I genuinely want His forgiveness for this one thing that I recognize as sin. What about my sin that I haven't identified? It is still sin, only I haven't asked forgiveness for it.
You have not asked forgiveness for your sin against me, either. You deliberately sinned against me by commission. You knew it was wrong, but you did it anyway. However, if I don't forgive you seven times seventy for what you do to me, God will withhold His forgiveness from me. Why would I give up my future for your behavior? You sinned against me then, but you can't take away my future.
I forgive you. I forgive you 100 times 100. I forgive you to infinity and beyond. My focus is not on you; my eyes are on Jesus! Praise God He has forgiven me - "as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us." Psalm 103: 12 (NIV) And I pray for you, that you, too, may know the love of Jesus and have a strong relationship with The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This is what I would like for everybody.
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You are also invited to visit Oma at http://omaspolitics.blogspot.com and http://omaslife.blogspot.com.
You are encouraged to leave a comment with your thoughts here on this site.
You are also invited to visit Oma at http://omaspolitics.blogspot.com and http://omaslife.blogspot.com.
