Forgiving As We Have Been Forgiven

A Testimony of Forgiveness

Gianna Jessen, the abortion survivor I mentioned in my last post, said of her biological mother, " Her sin almost killed me, but my sin did kill Jesus, and I've been forgiven on the cross, so I can forgive her also." I think we can learn a lot from her example. I have found this to be true as well. If I focus on what I have been forgiven, it is easy to forgive others. Their offenses seem strangely small when I consider how many offenses that Christ covered for me!

The Command to Forgive

Collosians 3:13 "bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you." We should forgive JUST  AS the Lord has forgiven us. He forgave us freely, sacrificially, and without reproach.

Why We Should Forgive

Matthew 18:21-35 "Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”Jesus *said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.“For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made. So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.’ And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt. But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you.’  But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed. So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened. Then summoning him, his lord *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?’ And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart." 

Why Christians Should be The Most Forgiving People

This passage really speaks for itself! How do you think God feels when we will not forgive a smaller debt than we have been forgiven? We are commanded to forgive one another! Scripture also warns us that if we do not forgive others, our Heavenly Father will not forgive us. Christians should just be waiting around every corner, on top of every hill, and in every nation to forgive others. We should be willing to forgive and even glad to do it. We have been forgiven everything so would should be able to  forgive anything! (Originally posted on 2/2/13)