Jesus the Light 13 Forgiveness 2
It is true that God’s people forgive as He forgives. Those are the true believers. It is also true that God forgives us as we forgive others. Mt.6:2: “And forgive us our sins as we ourselves have forgiven those who have sinned against us.”
But any who lack forgiveness, are blind or shortsighted, or have never encountered at all the Christ who forgives. Lk.6:37: “Do not condemn, and you shall not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven.”
Indeed, Jesus has taught us to pray: Lk.11:4: “Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who is has sinned against us.” In effect we are asking God to forgive us in the same way we forgive others.
Do we forgive quickly? Is our forgiveness complete? Are we holding grudge and malice? Is it our wish to see offenders against us punished? Are kindness and mercy extended to those we forgive?
Do we actually wish God to forgive us in the same way we forgive others? It is a prayer. How do we wish God to answer that prayer? In what way will God forgive us? Let us be freely forgiving.
But how often must we forgive? Lk.17:3,4: “If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.”
Mt.18:21,22: “‘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.’”
Forgiveness of others is to be extended an uncountable number of times. Do we actually keep record? Are we taking note of any and every offense, however small it might be? How many sins has God forgiven us? Ps.40:12: “My iniquities have overtaken me…they are more numerous than the hairs of my head.”
How many hairs are on your head? How many sins has God forgiven you? How many times must you forgive others? If you will forgive as God forgives you, you must forgive an uncountable number of times. It is what God does; it is what true believers do. Forgive.
Rm.12:14: “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.” Mt.5:44: “But I say to you, ‘love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.’”
A forgiving heart is at peace with obeying these commands. But a disobedient heart is never at rest. It is always vexed and discontent. It remains struggling and resistant against Christ and His forgiving purposes because that heart is unwilling to freely forgive.
Vengeance belongs to God. He alone knows the hearts of men. Only God truly knows the proper judgment and punishment. Our judgment may be too severe, or it may be insufficient. The Lord is the only One who can judge in righteousness.
Prov.20:22: “Do not say, ‘I will repay evil;’ Wait for the Lord, and He will save you.” Prov.24:17,18: “Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles; Or the Lord will see it and it displease Him, and He will turn away His wrath from Him.”
We dare not seek revenge; that belongs to God. We dare not delight in the calamity of others; that also belongs to God. Whether then we are either seeking harm or are glad when it occurs, our hearts are not right. Malice is present in both cases. Forgiveness is absent in either situation.
Rm.12:19: “Never take your own revenge, beloved, but give place to wrath, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord.” We are not qualified to avenge evil. We excuse what God condemns and we punish what God excuses. We are unfit for this work.
Vengeance is His; forgiveness is ours. Ours is to forgive, to hold no grudge, to seek no calamity, to send away thoughts of disaster and harm. When we do that, we are free from guilt because love triumphs in our hearts.
Forgiving also gives “place to wrath.” It clears the way for God to judge properly. It commits to His justice the righteous judgment that He alone knows needs to fall upon evil men. When we forgive, God will act for the sake of His servants; He will act for the sake of His great Name.
Our part is to forgive. God’s part is to either forgive or avenge; that is His right. Ps.99:8: “O Lord our God, You answered them; You were a forgiving God to them, and yet an avenger of their evil deeds.”
Beloved, let us forgive. God forgives us when we forgive others. God judges us when we seek to judge others. Let us forgive; leave vengeance with the Lord.
Dear Listener, Heb.12:15 says: “See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God, that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by this many become defiled.” The grace of Christ is the cure for bitterness, resentment, grudge, malice, vengeance, hatred, and anger. These evils defile not only you, but everyone you come in contact with.
But the fruit of the grace from God is forgiveness. That grace enables us to send these things away, to release those poisonous bitter roots in the heart, to freely forgive.
James 3:14-16: “But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, there is disturbance and every evil thing.”
The glad gospel of Jesus is designed to set us free from these dark deeds of wickedness, to release us from being imprisoned by malice and rage. In Isa.61:1 Jesus said: “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to bring good news to the afflicted. He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners.”
Those who do not forgive remain in dark dungeons of hatred, envy, and strife. Prison remains the portion of the unforgiving. Christ’s very purpose of coming to release you from malice and bitterness is to no avail; and you are the cause.
You are yet held captive in bondage to resentment and strife. Vengeance and thoughts of harm still run darkly in your heart because you have not forgiven. And so salvation is far from you, for you have not been saved from the very evil Christ came to redeem you from.
It is no small matter, this thing of forgiveness.
Dear Listener, so what are you waiting for? Uproot the poisonous defiling bitterness from your heart. Dismiss all hatred and resentment. Pour cold water on the smoldering fires of vengeance. Release the caged birds of malice. Be free.
Freely forgive and Christ’s freedom will be yours.
Copyright Steve Phillips 2020