Yesterday we read Jesus’s parable of the king who forgave his servant—who then refused to forgive a fellow-servant. (You may want to read it again from Matthew 18:23–35.) From this parable, we learned that to refuse to forgive is hypocritical.
Read MoreCategory Archives: Forgiveness
When You Are the Offender, Part 1
Matthew 5:23–24 describes in a nutshell the correct response and procedure to follow when we have been in the wrong and have offended someone. “Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering . . .
Read MoreA Reason to Forgive
When wrong has been done against another person, there are only two possibilities of blame. But whether we are responsible for the offense or we are the recipients of it, the first move is always ours. The true servant doesn’t keep score.
Read MoreGod’s Forgiveness of Us
When on the cross Jesus Christ paid in full the penalty of our sin, God’s wrath was expressed against Him—the One who took our place. God was therefore satisfied in the epochal sacrifice . . . allowing all who would turn, in faith, to the Son of God to be totally, once-for-all, forgiven. Christ’s blood washed away our sin. And from the moment we believe in Him, we stand forgiven, relieved of guilt, before a satisfied God, thereby freeing Him to shower upon us His grace and love.
Read MoreGod’s Required Course: Forgiveness
Late one spring Aaron was praying about having a significant ministry the following summer. He asked God for a position to open up on some church staff or Christian organization. Nothing happened. Summer arrived, still nothing. Days turned into weeks, and Aaron finally faced reality—he needed any job he could find. He checked the want ads, and the only thing that seemed a possibility was driving a bus in the south side of Chicago . . . nothing to brag about, but it would help with tuition in the fall. After learning the route, he was on his own—a rookie driver in a dangerous section of the city. It wasn’t long before Aaron realized just how dangerous his job really was.
Read MoreTurning to God
The composer of Psalm 137 acknowledged the sorrow of his situation, recognizing that Judah had brought this chastisement upon themselves. But he didn’t stay in the doldrums. He turned from the past to focus on God’s unchangeable character, His faithfulness to fulfill promises, His desire to extend mercy with every opportunity. Finally, he turned his eyes to the horizon to anticipate the future.
Read MoreCreating a Legacy of Forgiveness: Cancel the Debt
I’ll forgive . . . but I’ll never forget. We hear that so much, it’s easy to shrug it off as “only natural.” That’s just the problem! It is the most natural response we can expect. Not supernatural. It can also have tragic consequences. In his book Great Church Fights, Leslie Flynn tells of two […]
Read MoreWhy Forgiving Someone Is Hard and How to Do It
Would you like to hold a grudge with God’s blessing? I mean, wouldn’t it be great to know exactly how much of the same guff you had to take from someone until you no longer had to forgive? The problem with forgiving is that the debt is real. Your parents neglected or even abused you. […]
Read MoreThe Sweetest Prayer
Repent! For some the word conjures up fiery preachers with piercing eyes; a bony finger pointed in the face of a “sinner in the hands of an angry God.” But repentance isn’t always like that. Sometimes it means a quiet acknowledgement that things aren’t right, and a humble resolve to change our thinking. Either way […]
Read MoreThis Should Be Me
The sound of bleating lambs and shuffling footsteps filled the temple. With three trumpet blasts, the priests announced the start of the Passover sacrifices. Worshipers responded to the priests’ psalms with “Hallelujahs” as each man offered his household’s sacrifice to God. As the disciple John raised the knife to the throat of the lamb he’d […]
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