E
- PERFECTING THE HEART – 5
An unforgiving heart is
a heavy heart and so destructive. It
erases love, peace, joy and develops bitterness, resentment, and sometimes
creates a desire for vengeance.
Certainly a forgiving heart is needed to grow toward perfecting our
heart. Much is said in the Scriptures
about forgiveness so that is where we must go.
So what is real
forgiveness? Often we hear the
exclamation, “I’ll forgive, but I won’t forget”. This isn’t the way God forgives. Scripture gives us two descriptions of God’s
forgiveness. Isa.1:18 This is a
beautiful picture. Forseeing the snow
(or our lives) being red with sin, Jesus shed His blood (Heb.9:22) that our lives would no longer bear our sin but become
white as snow.
The second picture is
found in Ps.103:12. If it were north to south, you would go
north to the North Pole and then change directions as you went south to the
South Pole. East to west just keeps
going and going. This is the picture
given to us of God’s great forgiveness.
All of us receive
offenses from others, however, we also offend other people. Sometimes it is unknowingly. Let us keep that in mind as we overlook the
offenses we receive. If we receive a
wrong, we send it away and forget it as we realize we have done the same
thing. Compassion erases the heart’s
memory of a wrong. This is a great
release for both them and yourself.
Forgiveness isn’t just
inside our heart. We need to voice it
for that release. When we give or ask
for forgiveness, it needs to be specific.
Especially when we ask for forgiveness from God, it cannot be
generic. “Forgive us of our sins” does
nothing for us. What sins? Of course there are times we do not realize
our specific sin; however, more often than not, we know. Do we stop to think about what we have done,
how we have sinned, to honestly and sincerely from the heart have a deep desire
to be forgiven?
Our Lord is our
ultimate example that we must follow. The
Israelites had sinned against God so many times after He had done so much for
them, yet He forgave them. Neh.9:17
These were His chosen people, His children, so to speak. Sometimes in our families the same thing
happens. Let us take God as our example. Dan.9:9
Peter was often the
apostle to approach Jesus with a question. It might well be one of our
questions. How many times do I have to
forgive a person? Matt.18:21 Jesus’ answer
might surprise us as he gives an extreme number in Matt.18:22. Jesus then
teaches by means of a parable to follow.
A master forgave his slave a large sum of money but the slave turned
around and could not forgive his fellow slave a small amount. Do we realize that this is a picture of
us? Col.2:14 Just as the master canceled the debt of
the slave, so God in His mercy and grace cancels our debt of sin. Eph.1:7 Then do we turn to our brother and
refuse to forgive him for what is so small a debt compared to the forgiveness
God has given us.
Matt.18:32,33
gives
us the end of the parable which applies to us in our refusal to forgive. We don’t need to think God owes us
forgiveness. We are such a speck in the
universe of time and space and yet God knows, loves, and cares for each one of
us. He does not spoil His children,
however. He has expectations for
us. Matt.18:35 Perfecting our heart with forgiveness is
one of these expectations.
Our sin separated us
from God. Isa.59:2 Now through Christ
we can be reconciled to Him. When we are
reconciled we are brought back together with Him. Rom.5:11 God has done this for us because of
Christ offering Himself for our sins. 2 Cor 5:18,19 In so doing God has given us a ministry
of reconciliation. As we are restored to
our relationship with God on God’s part (Col.1:20),
it is now up to us to reconcile ourselves to God. The old is gone and new has
come. 2 Cor.5:17
As we are brought back
together with God or reconciled, we are ambassadors to bring the word of
reconciliation to the world. The world
needs to know how they can be brought back to God through Christ. 2
Cor.5:20 Even though we have been
reconciled to God, any righteousness that we obtain is only through the
righteousness of Jesus Christ. 2 Cor.5:21
Since forgiveness is an
important part of reconciliation, we must be forgiving. Eph.4:32 The same rule for giving financially is
given in terms of forgiveness of our brother.
Forgiving is a form of giving. Lk.6:38
Forgiveness affects our prayer life.
We can’t pray and expect God to forgive us if we are not forgiving
others. Mk.11:25; Matt. 6:15
Those in Christ are to
be peacemakers. Matt.5:9 A major factor in
keeping peace is forgiveness. Holding a
grudge or keeping a wrong done in your heart will not be conducive to making
peace with that brother. Rom.12:17,18 If peace is impossible, it can never be
on account of us. We still must forgive
as we realize we sinned against God and yet He forgave us. God is there to reconcile Himself with anyone
that will come to Him to be reconciled.
Yet we know, all will not come.
Forgiveness involves
several attitudes that should be addressed.
One is love, for love is the basis of everything we think or do. Rom.12:10 How could someone follow this
exhortation and still hold something against that person? They certainly would not be devoted to them
in love nor would they prefer that
person in honor.
Could you carry the
burden of someone you couldn’t forgive?
Yet this is what we are to do in the law of Christ. Gal.6:2 An easy feeling for someone you didn’t
forgive would be to secretly feel joy if they suffered a misfortune. Rom.12:15 We lay ourselves open to sin in so many
respects when we refuse to forgive.
Forgiving others was
included in the prayer that Jesus taught His disciples. Matt.6:12 Then Jesus further taught in the verses
following. Matt.6:14,15 This should be
the ultimate reason for us perfecting our heart with forgiveness. May we bless others with forgiveness as God
has blessed us with His complete forgiveness through Jesus’ sacrifice for our
sins. Ps.32:1
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