“Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”
Colossians 3:13
Talking, as we did yesterday, about being someone who is an encourager I could almost hear some of you saying: “I can do that!”
But today’s topic tends to bring a lot more silence in our ranks than encouragement does. Nonetheless, if we want to love as Christ does then we must forgive others even as we are forgiven.
Uh-oh, the silence was just broken by a familiar lament –
“But you don’t know what they did to me; I cannot forgive them!”
It’s familiar because most of us have made the same protest at one time or another.
You cannot walk on this earth without being offended.
That is true of believer and unbeliever alike.
We are not only commanded to forgive but we have the ultimate example of forgiveness through Jesus Christ. You see, if anyone ever could lay claim to be wrongfully used, accused and abused it was Jesus. He did not simply ‘tolerate’ it until a later date when he could exact revenge. He said: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” – Luke 23:34
Now some of you think you just discovered a loophole.
Jesus forgave them in their ignorance but the people who hurt you knew exactly what they were doing so you are not required to forgive them.
Sorry, it doesn’t work that way.
Jesus didn’t run ‘disclaimers’ with His command.
He has forgiven me when I have sinned in ignorance.
He has forgiven me when I have sinned willfully and knowingly.
So, if I want to show Christ’s love to others I will:
…forgive as the Lord forgave me.
Colossians 3:13
Talking, as we did yesterday, about being someone who is an encourager I could almost hear some of you saying: “I can do that!”
But today’s topic tends to bring a lot more silence in our ranks than encouragement does. Nonetheless, if we want to love as Christ does then we must forgive others even as we are forgiven.
Uh-oh, the silence was just broken by a familiar lament –
“But you don’t know what they did to me; I cannot forgive them!”
It’s familiar because most of us have made the same protest at one time or another.
You cannot walk on this earth without being offended.
That is true of believer and unbeliever alike.
We are not only commanded to forgive but we have the ultimate example of forgiveness through Jesus Christ. You see, if anyone ever could lay claim to be wrongfully used, accused and abused it was Jesus. He did not simply ‘tolerate’ it until a later date when he could exact revenge. He said: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” – Luke 23:34
Now some of you think you just discovered a loophole.
Jesus forgave them in their ignorance but the people who hurt you knew exactly what they were doing so you are not required to forgive them.
Sorry, it doesn’t work that way.
Jesus didn’t run ‘disclaimers’ with His command.
He has forgiven me when I have sinned in ignorance.
He has forgiven me when I have sinned willfully and knowingly.
So, if I want to show Christ’s love to others I will:
…forgive as the Lord forgave me.
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