Tuesday, January 20, 2015

The Tension in Forgiveness

Sunday in our series "Unbroken" we talked about forgiveness.

It is a word we like when we need it. And when we need it, we almost expect it.

We don't like it as much when we have to give it. And when we have to give it, we don't think someone should expect us to give it.

Here is the problem. If we are not willing to give it, then we should not expect it when we need it.

Even from God.

At lease that is what Jesus said: "For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." Matthew 6:14-15

It doesn't mean we have to hang out with that person or even trust that person anymore. It means we are going to move on and not let bitterness and hatred creep into our being where it consumes us night and day. We are not going to let it get to the point of hatred and revenge.

Forgiveness is freeing both to the forgiver and the forgiven.

It is a spiritual issue for both the forgiver and the forgiven.

If we want peace we need to ask for forgiveness and we need to practice forgiveness.

The verse of the week at Northwest is Ephesians 4:32:

     "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgive each other, just as Christ forgave you."

This is one of the hardest teachings in the Bible. Yet if we are going to live like Jesus, we need to learn to put it into practice.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

For the big ones in my life, giving forgiveness is an almost daily thing. Especially when it's in your face seemingly as often.