Forgiveness
In today’s modern world we do not hear much of forgiveness. However, it is an important topic and if someone does not abide by it, they will lose out on eternity.
In Matthew chapter 6, Jesus taught His disciples how to pray in what in commonly known as the “Our Father Prayer”. In this dialogue he states the following in verse 12:
“And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.”
What is Jesus teaching with this verse? When we pray, we are saying, “Lord, forgive us as we have forgiven others”. Basically, Lord, do to us, what we have done to others. Do we realize what Jesus is teaching? If we don’t forgive others, then God will not forgive us. If we are not forgiven, then we are missing out on eternity with the Lord.
Then, at the end of His discourse He states the following in verses 14 – 15:
“For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
In the entire Our Father prayer, the only thing Jesus reiterates is forgiveness. Why did he not repeat “lead me not into temptation” or “give us this day our daily bread”? Could it be the hardest part of the prayer we, as humans, would have is forgiving one another?
Paul, in writing the Church in Corinth, said the following in II Corinthians 2:10-11:
“To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ; Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.”
What Paul is saying, if you forgive someone, even though you told me about the offence and perhaps have ought against them, I too will forgive them. Why is he forgiving this way? For the glory of God! Then he says if we don’t forgive, Satan would get an advantage because it is one of his devices.
What is his device to snare us? Unforgiveness. How can unforgiveness be a snare? When we don’t forgive, it will lead to bitterness. When we allow that root of bitterness in our heart towards someone it causes us not to pray, not to study the word, to avoid the fellowship of the brethren, to take part in gossip and slander. Hence, causing us to lose our salvation.
What are we to do? We are to be people of forgiveness. Let us be quick to forgive one another, not allowing Satan to get a foot hold on us causing us to stumble.
Colossians 3:13
Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
