Good morning,
Biblical forgiveness
Now, as an older man, I am faced with the challenge of dealing with the idea of forgiveness that has always been one of the most pressing challenges of the people we have lived with and tried to help. The Lord is helping me now to see this challenge in an even more challenging way then before. When God decided to make people in his own image he built into us some values and responses that would be a part of all of us no matter who we are or when we are born or where we live. God also knew that when tested, humans would choose to listen to Satan and rebel against his commands. Every culture since Adam and Eve has had to deal with forgiveness. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard.(Rom.3:23) God himself has had to deal with forgiveness toward our rebellion as part of his original plan. The whole purpose for God the Father in sending his son Jesus was to show his love by allowing his perfect son to suffer and die in our place on the cross. Jesus shed his blood as proof of his eternal love and when he rose again God offered us eternal life and to pay the full price for our sins. Remember what Jesus said just after they nailed him to the cross, "Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing.”(Lk.23,34) After Jesus finished paying the price for our sins we are told that, But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.(1Jn.1:9)
As Christians we say that we know all that stuff. But the problem comes when we who see ourselves as members of God’s family find ourselves surrounded by all sorts of sinful, hateful, unfair, and cruel people outside and inside the church family. Right from the beginning Satan has done a wonderful job of dealing with the hatred and confusion that people have to deal with because of his wicked ways. If the pain is serious enough, he teaches them to kill or want to kill the problem person or to kill themselves in despair. One of his favorite lines is “That’s not fair!” and gets us to be angry with someone or something that leads us to become self focused and deep down makes us angry at God for allowing things to happen in such an unfair way. Satan also loves to twist God’s promises like, And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.(Rom.8:28) Our enemy encourages us to ignore or feel angry that good people like us don’t deserve that kind of treatment. Then God also tells us Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.(Col.3:14) Our enemy quickly reminds us that it is impossible to love people who are like that. What we forget is that as sinners we can’t do something like that. But as God’s children, he tells us that - the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.(Gal.5:22,23) God does tell us to forgive others, but only genuine children of God will be able to love and forgive those around them by the Holy Spirit’s power. No psychology or human based system will be able to give us joy and peace and patience and all the other gifts that our loving Father longs to give us. The hard part of this truth is that often those who claim to be God’s children, hear these truths, but then turn away from God’s freedom to one of Satan’s other systems as their best answer to this unfair treatment.
Colossians 3:13 Make allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.
Roy Wisner
