Long time no post :p Anyway I have started working on my bible degree, and I am doing a topical study on a few words. Forgiveness and guilt. I started with forgiveness. After much work I came to a little homily? I am by no means a pastor, but I did this.
So, someone has wronged you? Should you forgive them? Why should you forgive them? Many times in our life someone wrongs us. People sin against us and it makes us, angry, resentful, unmerciful, and a host of other things. We can better ourselves by forgiving that person.
"Ok Joe, this sounds good, but its not practical!" I would have to disagree and say it is very practical to forgive someone no matter the situation. First is it a sin not to forgive? Luke 6:37 "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven." I would say that not forgiving is judging someone or condemning them. An antonym to forgiveness is punishment. If we are not forgiving we are punishing. At the end of the verse it says to forgive and you will be forgiven. Matt 6:14-15 "For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." Jesus clearly says to forgive men. We need to forgive and give it over to the Lord. Instead of holding this anger, resentment, whatever you have toward the person who wronged you, forgive them and your sin will be forgiven and you will feel better. "Your only as sick as your sin."
Now you can't just lip service this forgiveness either. "Well I'll forgive them, but I am not talking to them or going around them." I would say to you then, that you have not truly forgiven them. Matt 18:34-35 "In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.“This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.” Therefore we must truly forgive with our heart. The Lord knows whats in your heart and you can't hide it from him. The very definition of forgiveness is the willingness to forgive.
"You know Joe, I would forgive them, but what they did was just really wrong!" Hey I understand that point, but let me counter point it. If the person who sinned against you asked God for forgiveness, he/she will receive it. Mark 3:28-29 "I tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin.” Jesus illustrates with this passage that there is only one thing a person can do and not be forgiven and thats to "blasphemes against the Holy Spirit." There is nothing that anyone can do to keep you from forgiving them.
If you still don't want to forgive them, let me leave you with this. We should model Jesus. We should be more like Jesus. Jesus is the perfect role model. Let's follow his example then. You tell me is there anything anyone has done to you that is more vile than what I am about to show you? Get the person and their action ready to compare to what I am going to show you. Luke 23:34 "Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided up his clothes by casting lots." Jesus is being killed! He was innocent! Yet he says, "Father forgive them." Does your story compare? Is it as bad as what Jesus forgave? If Jesus can do that, then what keeps you from forgiving someone?
