The Forgiven Forgiving

Then Peter came to Him and said, “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” (Matthew 18:21-22).

Christians must be forgiving because they themselves have been forgiven. When you think about it, God has forgiven us a far greater debt of sin than anyone owes us. The debt for our sin to God is far greater than the debt another person owes to us for their sin against us. In fact, when you really think about it, Jesus has paid their sin debt and forgiven them just as He has paid our sin debt and forgiven us. What’s left is our forgiving others. “Well, what if they don’t deserve my forgiveness?” You don’t deserve God’s forgiveness. “If they don’t apologize, I can’t forgive them.” Our forgiveness of others is not contingent on their apology. The soldiers who nailed Jesus to the cross didn’t apologize, yet He forgave them.

Only forgiveness can break down the barriers that sin erects between people, including Christians. It is heartbreaking to see and hear of Christians who refuse to forgive others who have wronged them. Like Shylock in Shakespeare’s play, “The Merchant of Venice”, some are not satisfied with an apology or even restitution for damages, but demand their ‘pound of flesh’. That attitude is wrong because it is ungodly and void of Christian love.

We must never forget that we have been forgiven so much by God, we should never withhold forgiveness from another, especially a brother or sister in the Lord. (Proverbs 19:11), The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, and his glory is to overlook a transgression. (Ephesians 4:32), . . . be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. And may we never forget the ‘Golden Rule’ which is, (Matthew 7:12) . . .  whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. If we expect others to forgive us for our wrongs, then we should forgive others their wrongs.

The Apostle Paul wrote to the Colossian Christians (3:12-13), Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. Because we have been forgiven our sins by the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, we should be willing and wanting to forgive others their sins against us.

“Lord Jesus, remind us that ‘to whom much is given, much will be required’, which applies to all things received from Your hand, including our forgiveness. You have forgiven us more that we could possibly understand or appreciate. Continue to convict us and to teach us to forgive others with the same abundance of grace and mercy and love You have extended to us. To Your honor and glory I ask, Amen.”

Pastor