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FORGIVE
'... forgive whatever grievances you may have ...' Colossians 3:13
When someone stitches us up the last thing we want to say to them is, 'I forgive you.' It feels like we're doing them a favour or we're 'letting them off the hook'. But this is just 'topsy-turvy' thinking. Forgiveness is a gift from God for you. Forgiveness isn't about doing someone else a favour; it's about setting you free! '"If you forgive others for their sins, your father in heaven will also forgive you for your sins. But if you don't ... your father in Heaven will not forgive your sins"' (Matthew 6:14-15 NCV). When we forgive, God is able to set us free from being trapped in our own sin.
Forgiveness isn't about letting them off the hook; it's about you becoming more like Jesus. To the people who crucified Him, 'Jesus said, "Father forgive them because they do not know what they are doing."' When we forgive, we act like Jesus, we become more like Jesus.
'When a person changes and follows the Lord ... we are being changed to be like Him' (2 Corinthians 3:16-18 NCV). Are you carrying a grudge? Why? It doesn't make sense. Why would you pick up something each day that weighs you down and carry it around with you? When we're given a gift, we're given a choice - we can accept and make use of it, or we can stash it under our bed and forget about it. Open up God's gift of forgiveness and use it.
written by Bob Gass
'... forgive whatever grievances you may have ...' Colossians 3:13
When someone stitches us up the last thing we want to say to them is, 'I forgive you.' It feels like we're doing them a favour or we're 'letting them off the hook'. But this is just 'topsy-turvy' thinking. Forgiveness is a gift from God for you. Forgiveness isn't about doing someone else a favour; it's about setting you free! '"If you forgive others for their sins, your father in heaven will also forgive you for your sins. But if you don't ... your father in Heaven will not forgive your sins"' (Matthew 6:14-15 NCV). When we forgive, God is able to set us free from being trapped in our own sin.
Forgiveness isn't about letting them off the hook; it's about you becoming more like Jesus. To the people who crucified Him, 'Jesus said, "Father forgive them because they do not know what they are doing."' When we forgive, we act like Jesus, we become more like Jesus.
'When a person changes and follows the Lord ... we are being changed to be like Him' (2 Corinthians 3:16-18 NCV). Are you carrying a grudge? Why? It doesn't make sense. Why would you pick up something each day that weighs you down and carry it around with you? When we're given a gift, we're given a choice - we can accept and make use of it, or we can stash it under our bed and forget about it. Open up God's gift of forgiveness and use it.
written by Bob Gass