Verse of the Day - Matthew 6:14-15

If you forgive others for the wrongs they do to you, your Father in heaven will forgive you. But if you don't forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.
~ Matthew 6:14-15 (CEV)

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Wow. Pretty harsh-sounding, huh?

Why does God link our forgiveness with how, or if, we forgive others?

Forgiveness comes through confession of our sins (1 John 1:9) to God. This takes an acknowledgment on our part of who we are and what we've done as a result of our sin condition. It takes humility and submission. It means recognizing and accepting God's grace, even though we don't deserve it. With that comes a component of repentance, of turning around and walking in God's direction, instead of our own.

God is our example. He says This is how my heart functions. I love, and I forgive. I am full of grace and mercy, and I expect my children to follow my lead. If we don't forgive offenses done to us, we reflect very poorly on our God, and He won't hold still for that. If we harbor resentment and hold grudges when people hurt us, we set ourselves up as better than them -- as if we are good enough for forgiveness, but they aren't. God says My kingdom doesn't work like that. You are not above anyone else in this world. All of you have sinned and fall short of My standards. If not for Me giving grace to you, you would be dead...cut off...destroyed. Don't ever, EVER forget that, as you deal with your fellow man. It is My job to deal with them, as I have dealt with you. If you want to place the bar at a level that they cannot squeeze under in this spiritual game of Limbo, I will also set the bar the same for you. No one is privileged above another in My reign...

Some things seem easier to forgive in this life...

~ A friend teases you a little too close to home about an issue, and your feelings get hurt. A day goes by, and you've probably forgotten all about it.

But there are things in this life that will challenge your ability and desire to forgive...

~ A dear friend or loved one is killed, and you sit in the courtroom staring at the face of the defendant, who smirks during the trial without remorse. A day...a month...a year goes by, and you can't seem to get the hatred out of your heart.

We just have to remove the degree of offense out of the picture completely. Be it big or small in our eyes, it just can't matter. God forgives our little lies and our huge rebellions. They're not graded on a scale of one to ten. Sin is sin. No big, no little. Just sin. And you are forgiven by God when you seek His forgiveness. He no longer holds it against you. So that is our standard, too. Period.

Okay -- you will never forget the big stuff. But that's not the essence of forgiveness. It's the idea that we are not above God, and if God can forgive someone -- for whatever they've done -- then we must forgive also. We aren't God...we're sinners just like everyone else.

Then Peter came to Jesus and said, "Lord, how many times may my brother sin against me and I forgive him, up to seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I tell you, not seven times but seventy times seven!

"The holy nation of heaven is like a king who wanted to find out how much money his servants owed him. As he began, one of the servants was brought to him who owed him very much money. He could pay nothing that he owed. So the king spoke the word that he and his wife and his children and all that he had should be sold to pay what he owed. The servant got down on his face in front of the king. He said, 'Give me time, and I will pay you all the money.' Then the king took pity on his servant and let him go. He told him he did not have to pay the money back.

"But that servant went out and found one of the other servants who owed him very little money. He took hold of his neck and said, 'Pay me the money you owe me!' The other servant got down at his feet and said, 'Give me time, and I will pay you all the money.' But he would not. He had him put in prison until he could pay the money.

"When his other servants saw what had happened, they were very sorry. They came and told the king all that was done. Then the king called for the first one. He said, 'You bad servant! I forgave you. I said that you would not have to pay back any of the money you owed me because you asked me. Should you not have had pity on the other servant, even as I had pity on you?' The king was very angry. He handed him over to men who would beat and hurt him until he paid all the money he owed. So will My Father in heaven do to you, if each one of you does not forgive his brother from his heart." ~ Matthew 18:21-25 (NLV)

So, there you have it. From God's mouth, to your ears. He who has an ear, let him hear...and do. Ask God to help you in this area, if you struggle with forgiving someone. Ask Him to help you come to real terms with your own sin and His grace to you. Be willing to let go of the unforgiveness reins you're holding onto. And refuse to pick them up again, with the love and forgiveness God gives you as your focus point.

God is glorified and exalted when you follow His example of forgiveness. It's something the world knows nothing of, but can know through us. Children of God, make it so...

Love,
Joelene