Unthinkable Forgiveness

The Unexpected Reunion

There she was. I could not believe my eyes! I had never thought I'd see her again, but she was standing in front of me! I was shocked and lost myself in the mixed emotions I felt from my past. It had been nine years, but I still remembered so many things. This woman had hurt me and many other students in my class. I had struggled with scars from this woman my whole life, and now I was staring into her eyes. Did she know the grief she had caused me? Did she know how much I had struggled? Had she changed? Did she even remember me? One million thoughts were running through my mind.  As I stood face to face with her, I stood face to face with all the past pain, memories, and struggles she had caused me. I looked into her face with sorrow, but not bitterness. I looked into her face with a smile and forgiveness. I looked into her face with a deep longing for her to know the one who had offered me unthinkable forgiveness and who enabled me to forgive her when the thought of forgiveness seemed unthinkable to me.

The Unexpected Blessing

I was too young to know how to handle her abuse and thought I must deserve it. When my parents found out what was going on, they removed me from the school. I remember to this day what my mom told me. She told me,"This can make you bitter, or this can make you better. This experience can help you or it can hurt you." She encouraged me to forgive her and to have compassion for her. She also encouraged me to let the experience shape me into a more compassionate person. 

I do not regret having the experience that I had in first grade. If I had never been hated, I would not understand true love. True love enables you to love your enemies and to pray for those who mistreat you. I would not be able to sympathize with others in the same way that I can now if I had not had those experiences. I know how it feels to be hated, and I am determined to love others with Christ' love. God has used what man intended for bad in my life to work together for my good. He has turned my pain into progress and my grief to gratefulness. 

The Unthinkable Forgiveness

Forgiveness seemed unthinkable to me until I thought about something. I had sinned against the God of the universe and violated His holy laws. My just penalty was to receive God's wrath, but He did the unthinkable! The creator of all things humbled himself and became like the creature! Jesus Christ, the one and only son of God, bore God's wrath in my place on the cross to pay the penalty for my sin! Philippians 2:5-8 says ^"Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." This forgiveness is incomprehensible and incredible!

The Unthinkable Empowerment
Because I have been forgiven everything, I can forgive anything! In Matthew 18:21-35 we read, ^"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 beganto 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.”

The Unthinkable Offer

Have you been forgiven for your sins against God? The Bible says all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. The Bible also says the wages of sin is death. We are all going to be judged by God and we will either get our just wage of death, or we will receive His mercy if we have been forgiven through his blood. Call out to Him, and He will save You! God offers you unthinkable forgiveness! If you trust Christ, God will grant you eternal life and give you a new heart. He will give you the power to forgive the unthinkable!