by David Brenneman
“ For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.” Matthew 6:14-15.
“Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions.” Mark 11:25-26.
“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:31-32.
“So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. ” Colossians 3:12-14.
Yes, forgiveness. Perhaps one of the most difficult things we've ever been commanded to do. Take special note of that my Dear Reader, it's a command from the Lord Jesus Christ, not a strong suggestion.
We will run into people whom we will wrong as well as ones who've wronged us. It's in the nature of mankind due to our sin nature and its negative impact on our relationships with other and especially with our Lord Jesus Christ.
"I'll probably forgive him someday" is as wrong a statement as one can give about another who is a Christian as well.
This isn't obeying the very words of Jesus Christ as we read earlier.
Jesus put a very significant, special, set of conditions on our command to forgive.
If we did not obey in this, do not expect to be forgiven by our Father in Heaven. In fact, be prepared for what's to come from that lack of forgiveness on our part.
What will come next for those who choose not to forgive is a separation, a breakdown, of their relationship with Jesus.
Any praying will be met with a reminder to go and do what we're commanded to do then come back.
It can be hard only with respect to our pride getting in the way.
We don't like to be humbled before others. We don't like to admit we were wrong.
Sometimes even the lack of forgiveness is tied to a person actually being mad at God, but rather than admit this to God the person takes it out on the messenger of God.
Being mad at God will never get anyone anywhere. We don't know what He knows. We don't have His understanding of everything. We don't know what He knows of the hearts of all who are in our lives.
What He also knows is its a painful thing to be separated from Him because of our stubbornness of heart.
We don't, especially in the heat of the moment, realize what our momentary anger is doing to our relationship with Jesus.
We cannot ever have a mentality of "getting around to" forgiveness.
We, in doing so, do way more than give the enemy of God a foothold, we give him reasons to celebrate. We give him cause to celebrate our broken relationship with Jesus.
Several things are his aim in the lives of Believers. Among them are a disruption of our relationship with Jesus, another is to get us to doubt our identity in Christ.
Realize what the Scriptures also say “ This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. ” James 1:19-20.
With your words you will either build up or tear down.
With your heart attitude you either show Christ or you show you.
You either are living in obedience or disobedience. In Christ there is no middle ground.
So my Dear Reader, especially in the area of forgiveness, obey God and leave the consequences to Him.
Listen to the Spirit of God and obey.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.
Forgive others so that your Father will forgive you.
All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.
New American Standard Bible
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