Forgive, Forgive, Forgive

And forgive again! This is what Jesus commanded.

Forgiving Others

The truth is forgiveness isn’t really about the other person but more about us and specifically, our hearts. Almost every time, it is pride that gets in the way. We are too prideful to admit we are wrong. We are too prideful to forgive because we won’t get the satisfaction of punishing them for their wrongdoing. (And sometimes they don’t care whether we forgive or not.)

When we think about what we did to Jesus – ALL our sin was placed on Him when He died on the cross, and He forgave it ALL – how can we not forgive others?

Peter asked Jesus about forgiveness knowing he was supposed to forgive as Christ had taught this principle earlier (Matthew 6:14). Jesus replied with the famous “I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven” (Matthew 18:22). He doesn’t mean once we reach forgiving a person 490 times we are to stop, but we are to continually forgive. We are not to keep score of wrongs thinking at some point if we are wronged enough, we can retaliate, but instead we should live with a loving, forgiving heart.

Our forgiveness does not justify another’s actions, but we are to forgive everyone of everything. There is no list of “unforgiveable” sins although we might have subconsciously written one. Those close to us may be harder to forgive but because of our relationship to them, they are the ones we need to forgive the quickest. Just as there is nothing too great for Jesus to forgive, there is no offense that justifies a hard heart. Jesus told us in Matthew 6:15, if we don’t forgive, He won’t forgive us! Forgiveness does not necessarily mean full reconciliation of a relationship, but it means you obeyed God and made peace (Romans 12:18).

Sometimes others will ask us to forgive them and there will be times they will not ask, but in our hearts we will have to forgive anyways. It is not always easy, but forgiveness is obeying God. Living with a forgiving heart lets us live with a clear conscience. Unforgiveness leads to bitterness. Unforgiveness is sin. And sin keeps us from our fellowship with God.

Asking Of Others

Why is going to someone and asking them to forgive us so hard? It goes against everything we as selfish, prideful humans believe in. “What? WE did something wrong? No way! I am SURE it had something to do with the other person who MADE us act or react that way. Right?!”

Maybe it did. Maybe it didn’t. The fact remains that most often when we need to ask forgiveness, we don’t. I know. I am guilty. Also, if someone provoked us where we responded in a way where we need to ask forgiveness, then after apologizing, we need to work on our longsuffering and gentleness. (See my series on the Fruit of the Spirit for more on this!)

Ephesians 4:32 “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

We never earn forgiveness. It is a gift. Just as it was a gift from our unconditionally loving God.

Asking of God

Recently, I had the privilege of discipling a new believer who had so many thoughtful and challenging questions each week. One in particular had me mulling over it days afterwards. I knew I gave her the “right” (Biblical) answer, but I wondered if I was doing what I knew to be right.

The question? She asked, “So do I need to ask God to forgive me every time I sin throughout the day? Or can I just do it once a day?”

The answer? Ask forgiveness every time you know you do wrong (1 John 2:1). Be specific. “Dear Lord, please forgive me for being short in the answer to my husband…or for thinking negatively about the plans the church had for such-and-such.” We cannot lose our salvation (John 10:28-30), but we will still sin after salvation.

God gave His only Son to die for our sins, so we can ask forgiveness and be free from sin through salvation. Thank the Lord that He forgives and forgets our sins by casting all our “sins into the depths of the sea” (Micah 7:18-19). Psalm 103:12 tells us, “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.” When we forgive others, we continue to live in freedom.

Final Thoughts

Because we are breathing humans (meaning sinners, ha!) we will find ourselves regularly forgiving others and asking forgiveness. Forgiving does NOT always mean forgetting. This may mean we will have to forgive the same thing over and over again. Forgiving is a supernatural act where we need the help of the Holy Spirit. In our own strength, there are instances where we would never be able to forgive.

How can we live with a forgiving heart? Live close to God. The closer we are to Him, the easier it is, because we understand His love and forgiveness, and we will desire to love and forgive like Him. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you if there is anyone you need to ask forgiveness or anyone you need to forgive. Ask Him to keep resentment, anger, bitterness, and unforgiveness from cropping up in your heart. No matter how much forgiveness we give to others, we will always be indebted to the unconditional forgiveness of Christ. 💕

---

This post was originally published for Julia Bettencourt’s 2020 Bible Memory Challenge on Matthew 18:22. Check out her website in the link provided. You can also find her on Facebook at Creative Ladies Ministry!