Forgive: Forgiveness Is For The Forgiver

We are all big fat sinners in need of a Savior, Amen? Many of us bristle when we read those words but that does not mean they are not true. We all need forgiving – every day (perhaps even moment by moment!). Not one of us is perfect or we would be home with the Lord. We constantly discover ourselves dealing with sin, self and Satan and all too often we make poor choices – time and time again. When we do, we want to be forgiven, right? In our verse today, Jesus tells us unless we are willing to forgive others, we ourselves will not be forgiven.

Many of us walk around with our vessels filled with the acid of unforgiveness and it will eat us alive. I can assure you the one we are not forgiving is not feeling the burn we are feeling. Not only that, unforgiveness will suck the very life out of us. Forgiveness is for the forgiver. Allow God to be God – He is more than able to handle it. He will take care of every injustice that happens to His called and chosen. It is His to avenge and He will repay – in due time. That is the promise of Scripture. One fine day He will right every wrong – we can count on it and neither do we have to worry about it. Just give it to Him. He is fully aware of every injustice, every slight, everything that happens to His child and if He lingers in displaying His justice it does not mean that it is not going to happen.

Instead of unforgiveness, we are to pray for those who persecute us or do evil to us. They need a Savior just like we do, What speaks volumes to a watching world is forgiveness when we have been poorly treated. Just as Jesus did on the cross. He forgave them knowing they did not know what they were doing. Christ died for us to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness, should we not emulate His graciousness by being a forgiving people? Our world is watching. “Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did” (1 John 2:6).