Forgive Me As I Forgive

When I opened my Bible this morning, it opened up to Matthew 6:14-15 NIV:

[14] "For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. [15] But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."

These verses obviously flow right out of my meditations yesterday on forgiveness and our need to forgive, so that forgiveness doesn't become a stumbling block to ourselves or to others. As I mentioned yesterday, there is a correlation between our forgiveness of others and God's forgiveness of us, as Jesus describes here. This is actually a significant theme, as Jesus speaks several times concerning forgiveness - see Matt 18:15-20 and Matt 18: 22-35.

The forgiveness available to us in God is complete and forever. There are several scriptures in the old testament that speak about the Father's heart concerning forgiveness.

Isaiah 1:18 NIV
“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool."

Psalm 103:10-12 NIV
[10]..."he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. [11] For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; [12] as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us."

Jeremiah 31:33-34 NIV
[33] “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. [34] No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the Lord. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”

These are just a few of the verses dealing with God's desire to forgive, and the completeness of His forgiveness. So, this forgiveness is available, but the application of this forgiveness is dependent upon our own forgiveness of others. There is no other way to read this, and we are wise to heed Jesus' warning here. If we would experience the powerful cleansing of forgiveness in our lives than we need to choose to forgive those who have sinned against us. If we would live under the shadow of God's wings and experience His mercy and compassion, than we need to have a willingness to put all things into the arms of the Lord, including the wrongs that have been done to us. We can no longer hold onto these offenses, but we must release them. We cannot continue to treat the person as if they have hurt us, for that is not forgiveness. The Greek word translated forgiveness is Aphiemi and its definition is as follows:

1. to send away
a. to bid going away or depart
b. to send forth, yield up, to expire
c. to let go, let alone, let be

The definition continue on for several more lines, but the focus of it all is leaving something completely behind, never to have it returned. This is how the Lord wants us to treat those offenses , those sins, those hurts that have wounded us. He wants us to learn to send them away from us, to let go of them, and learn to be free of them. Paul writes a similar encouragement in his letter to the Ephesians 4:31-32 NIV: "Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. [32] Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."

I don't believe that our forgiveness of others is a prerequisite to our receiving any forgiveness, and Paul seems to be in agreement. However, there is requirement that we express the same heart of forgiveness that God extended to us, to each other.

Lord help me to see in my life anyone that I have not forgiven. Help me to extend forgiveness and let go of any hurt, any offense and any plans for vengeance. Lord, I want to experience the fullness of Your forgiveness and I know that my own forgiveness of others affects my own. Help me to trust Your words, and receive Your grace to forgive.

Amen