Forgiveness...

Jesus said in His prayer to the Father in Matt. 6:12, "Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors."...Have we done this? This week? Today? Am I in a ongoing daily habit of forgiveness? As we looked at this Sunday night at Real Life as we studied Genesis 4:, Lamech pronounced vengeance upon any who would hurt him. In fact, he declared that the person would be returned evil 70 x 7 fold!! Does this math sound familiar? It should. Jesus in Matt. 18:22 said in response to Peter's question of how many times we should forgive one who has hurt us, "Up to seventy times seven". You see, so much of the time our desire is to harbor bitterness towards those who have hurt us, done us wrong, but Jesus says that God's way, the blessed way is not to hold things against people, but to forgive, and forget! Forget about what that person did to you!! Many of us won't forgive b/c we think we're letting that person off the hook who offended us, but Jesus is telling us this truth, that we might be freed! "the truth will set you free!" When we humble ourselves, and forgive we experience healing, we are freed from anger and bitterness, resentment and malice. We aren't letting them off the hook, we're loosing the chains by which we ourselves are bound! For who or what are you holding bitterness today? Truly forgive that person, look at the cross, see Him who freely forgave us, and forget about it.

Read Matt. 18:21-35