Corrie Ten Boom, a Christian woman who survived the Nazi concentration camp once said, “Forgiveness is to set a prisoner free, and to realize the prisoner was you.” Many of us are being held hostage by ourselves because we won’t forgive. The absence of forgiveness in a person’s life is a destructive bondage causing: strife, division, depression, oppression, sickness, divorce, and even damnation.
Matthew 6:14-15 (N L T) “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. 15 But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins”.
There is a promise written here in Matthew 6:14-15. If we forgive those who sin against us, then God will forgive us. But if we don’t forgive those that hurt us, God will not forgive us. It’s that simple! God is holy! Sin hurts God just like offenses hurt us. Now if God who is holy and almighty is willing to forgive sinful man, who are we to not be willing to forgive one another.
Do you need the mercy of God? Well if you desire to find mercy with God, you must show mercy to your brothers, sisters, friends, family, and neighbors. Christ came into the world as the great Peace-maker, not only to reconcile us to God, but to reconcile us to another.
Colossians 3:13 (New Living Translation)
Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.
We all have faults. We all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Therefore, we must quit acting as though we’ve never been the offender. We want to be forgiven but don’t want to forgive. Colossians tells us to make allowances for each other’s faults. We all mess up! Therefore let’s be willing to let go of someone else’s mess ups.
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