Make allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.
My favorite verse is not the one about turning the other cheek when someone slaps you. Maybe I have an issue. Forgiving is not always easy especially if the person is close to you. I have found through my years of ministry and through living life that is often easier to forgive people you don't know or people you rarely see, but it is tough to forgive those you have to interact with often. You might disagree.
But you will agree with this ... forgiveness is part of life. No. We don't need to let people walk all over us, but people need to see God in our lives. He forgave us. We can and must forgive others. Do you have an issue with this?
"But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.
But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too."
That is pretty clear. People who know, love and follow God will forgive others. It is part of what being a Christian is. Forgiveness is part of God's character and what He is doing in your life and mine.
Jesus forgave our sins. I might not be a murderer, yet I have committed sin. The Bible is clear about the fact that if we are not forgiven that we cannot and will not get in to Heaven. Lets deal with sin.
First, praise God that He has forgiven our sin. If He has not forgiven your sin, it time for you to come to know God.
Second, forgive yourself. Maybe the hardest person to forgive is really yourself because you hold on to the junk you have had issues with and the things you have done. Move on. God has.
Third, forgive others as often as you get an opportunity. You and I forgiving someone might be the first step to their coming to know God. It might be the part that brings someone back to God and back to church. Forgiving someone is a spiritual act. We are like God when we forgive people that have hurt us.
"Brothers, listen! We are here to proclaim that through this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins.
It is all about Jesus. Nothing more. Nothing less. If we are trying to live life away from God and on our own, we have missed the point. Anything we do a part from God is flat wrong. He created us. He desires to know us and spend time with us daily.
Unforgiveness keeps us from being close to God. Praise God for His grace and for His forgiveness. Who is it that needs to know that love of God? Who is it that will be encouraged if I will show just one spiritual act? It is time to forgive someone. It might be you. Most likely it is someone else.
But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners.
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