Forgive Because We're Forgiven
Ephesians 4:32 NIV
"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."
The amount of unforgiveness in this world is unbelievable. Around every corner, there is strife, there is conflict, people are holding grudges, and society tells us that this is okay! The enemy can blow, which may have been a small disagreement, into full-blown resentment towards each other. Let me tell you, friends, this is not okay. I don't care who tells you, "Well, they deserved it," or "You have every right to not forgive them," we as Christians do not have any business judging who deserves what, and we have zero right to hold unforgiveness towards someone. When Christ died, we were forgiven. So, explain to me how He can forgive us, but we don't have to forgive each other. Sounds a little hypocritical if you ask me. Not to mention, in our unforgiveness we are sinning against the one who has forgiven us.
In Matthew 18:21-35, Jesus tells Peter after he asks him how many times he should forgive his brother or sister who sins against him, that he should forgive them seventy-seven times and then some. Jesus then tells a parable, illustrating what it would look like to the one who doesn't forgive. In the parable, a master confronts his servant about a debt he had not repaid, but the servant pleaded with his master and his debt was forgiven. The servant then left and confronted one of his fellow servants about a debt that he had not repaid and demanded the money immediately. However, when the debt could not be repaid to him, he had his fellow servant thrown into prison. When the master heard of this, he sentenced the first servant (the one whose debt had forgiven) to prison where he would be tortured until he could repay his debt in full. The same fate is in store for us if we do not resolve any unforgiveness in our lives. This is why Paul encourages us in his letter to forgive one another with the same compassion that God has forgiven us through Christ. In doing so, we are choosing to live righteous, God-pleasing lives and can be confident in where we may spend eternity.
Are you harboring any unforgiveness right now? I want to encourage you to pray hard and ask God to help you forgive them just as He has forgiven you.
I want to share this quote with you on unforgiveness that I love:
"To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you." - C.S. Lewis
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