But now in Christ Jesus, you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. Philippians 2:13
“They don’t deserve to be forgiven! ” Has that phrase ever crossed your mind or come out of your mouth? Let’s see what God’s word has to say about this. Read Romans 5:8 and Ephesians 2:4-9. What did we do to earn God’s forgiveness? What are some reasons we should extend forgiveness to others? We should extend forgiveness because We have been forgiven by God, so we forgive as we have been forgiven and God commands us to forgive.
Have you ever felt like if you forgive them, they are off the hook? That they didn’t suffer as you did? When we think this way we then have put ourselves as the “bill collector”. What does Romans 12:19 say about “bill collecting”? When we let them off the hook, they are not off God’s hook. When we forgive we are transferring the offender into God’s hands and letting him deal with them. Would you being willing for God to deal with you in the same way that you want to see your offender dealt with? What is your motive here?
Jeremiah 31:34 says this, “No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”
then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” Hebrews 10:17
Psalm 103:12. As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
What does God promise to do when He forgives us? He forgets. Do we forget what wrongs others have done to us? Sometimes I think we can and sometimes we don’t. I wonder if this has anything to do if we truly have forgiven. Please don’t get me wrong, I don’t think we forget as God does, but I do believe that that memory we suppress in the back of memory, and use that when God needs us to. When we have not fixated on the issue anymore, we are not thinking about the wrong that person has done to us. What are some emotions or attitude we feel when someone has hurt us deeply? Do you do any of these things? Emotional churning, desire revenge, what God to hurt them, not see their good points, want others to know what they did? Do you have a sense of peace and rest? Do you desire to see them restored? Do you want God to bless them? Are you grateful for God blessing them? Are you grateful for this person? Are you humbled by how greatly you have sinned against God and how much He has forgiven you?
Do you ever believe that you have forgiven the offender, but still struggle with hurt feelings? Let’s read Luke 6:27-31 and Romans 12: 17-21. Forgiving the offender is only the starting place for those who have hurt us. According to these two passages, We must pray for them, be kind to them, if possible (depending on what the offense is/was), rebuild a relationship with them. Chances are if you are still processing your hurt, you may have not totally forgiven. There might be parts of the process that you have forgiven, but not all. This is okay. Keep working on forgiven them and spending time with God to work through this. However, do not make the choice to not forgive them. Forgiven is a choice. It is a choice that God commands and enables. Some people refuse to choose to forgive. According to the following scriptures, what can we expect if we don’t forgive others?
Matthew 6:14-15
Matthew 18:32-35
2 Corinthians 2:10-11
What are some of the physical, emotional, and spiritual tortures we might experience according to Matthew 18:43?
Do you understand now why forgiveness is so important?
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for all your ways. I pray that we will keep seeking you and choosing to forgive our offenders.
In Jesus Name
Amen
