| “Love keeps no record of wrongs” ~I Corinthians 13:5. |  |
Most of us do keep a record of the wrongs done to us. And yet as followers of Jesus Christ, we need to be obedient to His commands. “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you” John 15:12.
How does Jesus love us? He forgives us! And aren’t we eternally grateful for that?! The most amazing act of forgiveness was Jesus choosing to forgive those who tortured and executed Him.
Is it easy to forgive those who have hurt us or our loved ones? No! It is not. In fact, humanly much of the time it’s impossible. But God calls us to live by the power of His Spirit. And by His power we can choose to forgive. We honor God by doing so.
Understand that forgiveness is not condoning what the person did. It is relinquishing our right to revenge. It does not mean we forget. It means we choose not to rehearse the memory of it. Forgiveness is not just saying the words. It means a change of attitude in which there is no longer resentment. Forgiveness is not the same as reconciliation. Forgiveness is a transaction between us and the Lord. It provides an opportunity for reconciliation if the offender takes responsibility and apologizes.
We have the power to forgive because Jesus took our punishment so that we can be forgiven, receive His Spirit into our lives, and have eternal life with Him.
~Adapted from Building Blocks for a Beautiful Marriage, by Dr. Virginia Cadle
Forgiven to forgive...
How does Jesus love us? He forgives us! And aren’t we eternally grateful for that?! The most amazing act of forgiveness was Jesus choosing to forgive those who tortured and executed Him.
Is it easy to forgive those who have hurt us or our loved ones? No! It is not. In fact, humanly much of the time it’s impossible. But God calls us to live by the power of His Spirit. And by His power we can choose to forgive. We honor God by doing so.
Understand that forgiveness is not condoning what the person did. It is relinquishing our right to revenge. It does not mean we forget. It means we choose not to rehearse the memory of it. Forgiveness is not just saying the words. It means a change of attitude in which there is no longer resentment. Forgiveness is not the same as reconciliation. Forgiveness is a transaction between us and the Lord. It provides an opportunity for reconciliation if the offender takes responsibility and apologizes.
We have the power to forgive because Jesus took our punishment so that we can be forgiven, receive His Spirit into our lives, and have eternal life with Him.
~Adapted from Building Blocks for a Beautiful Marriage, by Dr. Virginia Cadle
Forgiven to forgive...
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