Read Hosea 14
Forgiveness is the most fundamental aspect of the Christian life. At the very outset of your walk with the Lord, you are offered His unlimited forgiveness. Having been set free by His forgiveness, we are called to forgive those who owe us a debt. But as we read through the Scriptures to study forgiveness, we find some amazing and some rather challenging truths. Please read all the passages in their context and take the time to look up each and every verse, to meditate on them and to pray over them. Resolve and agree now to let Scripture be your SOURCE OF AUTHORITY, rather than experience or what others have told you.
What is Forgiveness?
The Bible does not actually spell out for us what forgiveness entails. There is no verse in the bible that lists in detail the things you must do or think or say when you forgive someone else. What we must do is search the Scriptures and let the Scriptures teach us about what forgiveness really involves.
The starting point on deciding what is involved in forgiveness is asking ourselves what the Lord has done for or to us in forgiving us. Since we are told (Col 3:13 et al.) to forgive others as we have been forgiven by the Lord, we can apply what we learn about God’s forgiveness to forgiving others.
Several passages spell out what God did for us in forgiving us.- Jeremiah 31:34, Hebrews 8:12.
- “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."
From these passages about the new covenant it is clear that when God forgives us He
chooses not to remember our sins any more. He is not forgetting, but rather consciously choosing not to dwell on our sins and iniquities.
Several implications are imminent for us as we forgive others for sinning against us.
1. In offering to forgive someone we choose not to remember their sins. i.e.
- We choose never again to accuse that person of that sin.
- We choose not to bring it up in the future
- We choose not to bring it up in another argument or clash
- We choose not to talk about that sin with another person.
Psalm 103:10 tells us that when we turn to the Lord for forgiveness:-
- · ...He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to
our iniquities.
The implication for us is very clear.
- When we choose to forgive someone we determine not to treat that person as their sins deserve.
Often when we are hurt by someone, the greatest block to forgiveness is our somewhat natural desire for revenge. Deep down we cry out for vengeance. We yearn to see the offending party get what they deserve. We cry out for justice. This passage (Ps 103:10) hints at another verse in the Bible.
Prayer:-
- Pray that the message of God’s forgiveness would ring out loudly from the Burmese students training at Grace college and RBC. Pray that the team going in November would be a great catalyst for the preaching of forgiveness and repentance.
- Pray that there will be reconciliation in your own congregation where needed..
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