Jacob
2006-06-19 16:01:44 UTC
Sometimes an unrealistic perception of what it means to forgive others
may make it look as if it is beyond our ability, and actually stop us
from going ahead and forgiving them. Let us start by believing that if
God asks us to forgive, He certainly thinks it is possible for us to do
it.
What God asks us to do is to forgive others just as Christ has forgiven
us (Ep.4:32;Co.3:13). He has forgiven us out of His mercy, as a free
gift (Ep.2:4,8). 1. We didn't deserve it. 2. It was unreasonable, after
all the things we had done against Him. 3. He had to suffer in order to
forgive us. He loved us, and therefore He forgave us.
As a Man, Jesus forgave even when people did not repent (Lk.23:34).
This is how we have to forgive. God does not forgive unless people
repent. We just have to leave judgment for God to decide (Ro.12:19).
But sometimes we tend to be unrealistic with regard to forgiveness.
Many people think that we have to forgive and forget. Anyone who tries
this will come to see that the more we try to forget, the more it gets
imprinted in our mind. When God forgives us, He does not forget our
sins. What He promises to do is not to remember them (He.8:12). It
means that He will not bring them up and hold them against us any more.
When we forgive someone, what we do is to let go of the hold we have on
him because of the sin he has done against us. It is basically a choice
we make in our will. It doesn't mean we think that what he has done is
all right. He still has to repent or face the judgment of God. While
Jesus forgave those who crucified Him, they still had to face judgment
for their sins.
We may take time to get over feeling hurt over what someone has done to
us, even after we have forgiven him. We can't wait to feel good before
we decide to forgive. But when we choose to forgive, our feelings
towards him will start changing, and we may start praying for him.
After we have forgiven someone we don't necessarily become friends with
him as if nothing has happened. It also depends on him. We wish he
would repent and get right with God. But if he doesn't change, we have
to be wise in our dealings with him if we don't want to get hurt again.
http://www.c-n-c.org
may make it look as if it is beyond our ability, and actually stop us
from going ahead and forgiving them. Let us start by believing that if
God asks us to forgive, He certainly thinks it is possible for us to do
it.
What God asks us to do is to forgive others just as Christ has forgiven
us (Ep.4:32;Co.3:13). He has forgiven us out of His mercy, as a free
gift (Ep.2:4,8). 1. We didn't deserve it. 2. It was unreasonable, after
all the things we had done against Him. 3. He had to suffer in order to
forgive us. He loved us, and therefore He forgave us.
As a Man, Jesus forgave even when people did not repent (Lk.23:34).
This is how we have to forgive. God does not forgive unless people
repent. We just have to leave judgment for God to decide (Ro.12:19).
But sometimes we tend to be unrealistic with regard to forgiveness.
Many people think that we have to forgive and forget. Anyone who tries
this will come to see that the more we try to forget, the more it gets
imprinted in our mind. When God forgives us, He does not forget our
sins. What He promises to do is not to remember them (He.8:12). It
means that He will not bring them up and hold them against us any more.
When we forgive someone, what we do is to let go of the hold we have on
him because of the sin he has done against us. It is basically a choice
we make in our will. It doesn't mean we think that what he has done is
all right. He still has to repent or face the judgment of God. While
Jesus forgave those who crucified Him, they still had to face judgment
for their sins.
We may take time to get over feeling hurt over what someone has done to
us, even after we have forgiven him. We can't wait to feel good before
we decide to forgive. But when we choose to forgive, our feelings
towards him will start changing, and we may start praying for him.
After we have forgiven someone we don't necessarily become friends with
him as if nothing has happened. It also depends on him. We wish he
would repent and get right with God. But if he doesn't change, we have
to be wise in our dealings with him if we don't want to get hurt again.
http://www.c-n-c.org