FORGIVENESS - TO INFINITY AND BEYOND
FORGIVENESS
- TO INFINITY AND BEYOND
We have been
taught so much over the years about FORGIVENESS that we have become
almost numb to the concept of ACTUALLY DOING IT.
We feel we
have the right to NOT FORGIVE someone who has horribly wronged us…
and by holding onto that resentment it somehow righteously punishes them, because
“If you FORGIVE the sins of any, they are FORGIVEN them; if you
retain the sins of any, they are retained." (Jn20:23NKJV)
Yes, we know
Jesus stated, “FORGIVE, and you will be FORGIVEN…. …For with the SAME
MEASURE that you use, it will be MEASURED BACK to you." (Lk6:37-38NKJV)
AND…
Mtt6:14-15NKJV
"For if you FORGIVE men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will
also FORGIVE you. But if you do not FORGIVE men their trespasses,
neither will your Father FORGIVE your trespasses.”
BUT…
…THAT person doesn't deserve FORGIVENESS!
WELL…
…neither did we…
YET… “…while
we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom5:8NKJV)
Mtt18:21-22NKJV
“Then Peter came to Him and said, ‘Lord, how often shall my brother sin against
me, and I FORGIVE him? Up to seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I do not
say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.’”
We approach
this verse like a math story problem where 70X7 is QUANTITATIVE… and at
some point… after all the individual incidences, concessions, and details have been
factored in… we will arrive at the product… the end result of our calculations as
to how much… or how little… we FORGIVE.
There are
two verses that spell out the “HOW TO” of FORGIVENESS:
1.
Eph4:32NKJV
“…be kind to one another,
tenderhearted,
FORGIVING one another,
EVEN AS [to the same degree and measure in which]
God in Christ FORGAVE you.”
2.
Col3:13NKJV
“…bearing with one another, and FORGIVING one another,
if anyone has a complaint against
another;
EVEN AS CHRIST FORGAVE YOU,
so you also must do.”
FORGIVING
– xarízomai literally means, "to exercise grace, to willingly
and freely show ‘FAVOR THAT
CANCELS’” (BibleHubHelpsWordStudies)
EVEN AS…
Hmmmmm… how much did Christ FORGIVE
YOU?
INFINITELY!!!
Col2:14TPT:
·
“He
canceled out every legal violation we had on our record
and the old arrest
warrant that stood to indict us.
·
He erased it all—our sins, our stained soul—
·
He deleted it all and they cannot be retrieved!”
FORGIVENESS...
…TO INFINITY AND BEYOND
Comments
Post a Comment