For
if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father
will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive
others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Matt. 6:14-15 NIV
Huh?
Scary, isn’t it?
Have
you ever been confessing your sin(s) only to realize you can’t remember
everything? Does God still forgive us
for unconfessed sins that we forgot about?
I’ve been thinking about this. I
have got 1 John 1:9 memorized and know that He’ll forgive and cleanse me when I
confess my sins.
But,
what if I don’t confess? What if I just
let it slide?
There are certain people in my life
that I should be on good terms with but I’m not, because they have deeply hurt
me and people close to me. I’ve really
prayed that God would help me forgive them, even though they have never apologized…
So, what
am I expecting? Do they need to do penance? Break down, get on their knees, sobbing,
confessing all that they did to cause pain… should they have to EARN my
forgiveness?
That gentle voice of the Spirit nudges me and asks, “Do
you?”
No. I don’t have to
earn His forgiveness. It is given
freely, with arms outstretched to draw me in to my Savior’s loving
embrace. I am so completely forgiven and
restored into a right relationship with my Heavenly Father (who is absolutely
perfect). Because of my gratitude for
His amazing grace, I should willingly (not grudgingly) follow suit and forgive
those that hurt me in the same way. Even
THEM. Emphasis on SHOULD.
Jesus was hanging, bloody and naked, by his nailed hands and
feet from a splintered cross and He cried out with what little breath He could
muster, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they’re doing!”
He acted as a mediator, a conduit for forgiveness for the ones who sneered at
Him, mocked Him, spit at Him, flogged Him, tearing His body to shreds, and
worst of all to His very soul- they refused to believe in Him! Oh, our great
and loving Savior!
Lord God, please help me to be more like you. Help me to forgive, no matter what, no matter
how deep and heart-wrenching the pain and shallow the “sorry”… even if the
“sorry” is absent (What?). Oh Lord,
please help me to reach out in love, unconditionally, just like you do to me.
Brothers and sisters, I would appreciate your prayers that I
would forgive more freely out of a heart of gratitude for the forgiveness I
have so freely received. Jesus said, "Freely you have received; freely give." Gulp.
I have a song on my cell phone that I play when I need
reminding and here are the words I often need to hear:
O I tried
and tried to rectify my hopeless situation
But I bought the lie I still have work to do
Now I'm working nine to five like I can earn my own salvation
But there is no condemnation in You….
But I bought the lie I still have work to do
Now I'm working nine to five like I can earn my own salvation
But there is no condemnation in You….
Child, you’re forgiven and loved,
Child, you’re forgiven and loved…
--from the song Forgiven and Loved, by Jim Needham
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