“What we mean is that God was in Christ, offering peace and forgiveness to the people of this world. And he has given us the work of sharing his message about peace.”
2 Corinthians 5:19 (CEV) In January 1956, five American missionaries headed to the rainforest of the eastern Amazon in Ecuador. They were making a second visit to the Huaorani tribe, which anthropologists said was the most vicious, violent society on the face of the Earth. They had a culture of killing, and studies showed 60 percent of the tribe died by homicide. As soon as the missionaries got out of the plane, they were speared to death by members of the tribe. The brutal murders made news around the world and were on the covers of Life magazine, Time, and Newsweek. Many newspapers reported the deaths of these men, who included Nate Saint and Jim Elliot. A couple years later, Elisabeth and Valerie Elliot, wife and daughter of Jim, and Rachel Saint, sister of Nate, moved into the Huaorani village to show love and forgiveness and minister to the people who had killed their families. Eventually, Mincaye, who was the leader of the tribe, and other men who participated in the missionary murders became Christians. The kind of forgiveness Elisabeth Elliot, Valerie Elliot, and Rachel Saint modeled doesn’t make sense until you have been forgiven by God. So, once you’ve experienced God’s forgiveness, how do you forgive? You do the four things these women did: Relinquish your right to get even. Romans 12:19 says, “Don’t try to get even. Let God take revenge” (CEV). Leave it up to God. He’ll take care of it, and he’ll do a much better job than you ever could. Respond to evil with good. How can you tell when you’ve completely forgiven someone? You can actually pray for God to bless the person who hurt you. The Bible says. “Do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you” (Luke 6:27-28 NIV). Repeat these steps as long as necessary. Peter asked Jesus in Matthew 18:21, “How many times should I forgive someone who does something wrong to me? Is seven times enough?” (CEV). Jesus replied, “Not just seven times, but seventy-seven times!” (Matthew 18:22 CEV). Sometimes forgiveness has to be continual. Rescue others with the Good News of God’s forgiveness. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:18-20, “God has done it all! He sent Christ to make peace between himself and us, and he has given us the work of making peace between himself and others. What we mean is that God was in Christ, offering peace and forgiveness to the people of this world. And he has given us the work of sharing his message about peace. We were sent to speak for Christ, and God is begging you to listen to our message. We speak for Christ and sincerely ask you to make peace with God.” Because you’ve been forgiven by God, he expects you to forgive other people. He will help you work through your hurt and give you the grace to forgive those who’ve hurt you.
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“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
Ephesians 4:32 (NIV) You will, unfortunately, be hurt in this life. And many of those hurts will be intentional—the direct results of what people say about you or do to you. In fact, any time you read the word “forgiveness,” you likely instantly call to mind certain heartaches, hurts, and problems from your past. The memories still feel fresh because you’ve been hurt very deeply. When you’re hurt deeply, it’s often hard to consider forgiving the perpetrators. But the Bible gives you one very important reason you need to forgive. You forgive others because God forgave you. The Bible says in Ephesians 4:32, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (NIV). Thinking about how much God has forgiven you will help you be more forgiving of those who have hurt you. The opposite is also true. If you don’t believe and accept in faith that you’ve been forgiven by God, you’ll likely have a hard time forgiving others. If that’s the case, consider whether you truly believe God has forgiven you. Talk to God about any doubts. Think of it like this: God has completely wiped your slate clean of sin because of what Jesus Christ did on the cross. All of the things you deserve to be punished for have been cleared away because God has forgiven you. As you accept this truth, you’ll find it increasingly tough to hold a grudge against someone else. No matter what anyone does to you, you’ll never have to forgive another person more than God has already forgiven you. And he has forgiven you. That’s a promise. “[God] will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever. He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. The LORD is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him.”
Psalm 103:9-10, 13 (NLT) The Bible says there is no condemnation for our sin once we place our faith in Jesus. But it does not say there are no consequences. Every time you disobey God, you hurt yourself and you hurt other people. You lose your fellowship with Christ. You lose your effectiveness and joy here on earth. You lose rewards in heaven. But you do not lose your salvation. Why is that? Why doesn’t God just kick you out when you blow it? Why doesn’t God reject believers when we sin? The first thing to understand is that God’s love is unconditional. He doesn’t say, “I love you if” or “I love you because”—just “I love you. Period.” God will never stop loving you, because you are a recipient of his grace. Lamentations 3:22 says, “[God’s] compassion never ends. It is only the Lord’s mercies that have kept us from complete destruction” (TLB). Your salvation isn’t based on your performance. The Bible says, “He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy” (Titus 3:5 NLT). You can’t earn your way into heaven, buy your way into heaven, work your way to heaven, or bluff your way to heaven. The only way you ever have any hope of getting into heaven is by the grace of God. Jesus has already taken your punishment. The law of double jeopardy in the United States criminal justice system says you cannot be tried for the same crime twice. That’s true in God’s book, too. People are not punished for the same sin twice. Over two thousand years ago, Jesus stretched his arms out on the cross and took the punishment for your sin. He served your term. The price is paid in full—all you have to do is accept the gift of forgiveness and salvation that he offers! Jesus understands your human weaknesses. God is sympathetic and understanding. He knows your frailties, your faults, and how you’re wired. And he is patient with you. “This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin” (Hebrews 4:15 NLT). Jesus lived in human flesh for 33 years, so he understands your weaknesses. God doesn’t keep grudges! The Bible says, “[God] will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever. He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him” (Psalm 103:9-10, 13 NLT). If you are a believer, God is not angry with you. Why? Because all of the punishment was taken on the cross. You may be thinking, “You don’t know how far I’ve fallen. You don’t know what I’ve done.” Maybe not, but God does. If you think you’ve strayed too far from God, this is what God says to you: “Come back to me, you unfaithful children, and I will forgive you for being unfaithful” (Jeremiah 3:22 NCV). “What happiness for those whose guilt has been forgiven! What joys when sins are covered over! What relief for those who have confessed their sins and God has cleared their record.”
Psalm 32:1-2 (TLB) Feeling guilty or ashamed can cause us to lose our happiness. You’ve got to get rid of guilt and maintain a clear conscience if you want to be happy, because you cannot feel guilty and be happy at the same time. Philippians 2:15 says, “Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people” (NLT). You might say, “I’d like to be happy, but how do I keep my conscience clear when it’s not clear right now?” Do what Psalm 32:1-2 says: “What happiness for those whose guilt has been forgiven! What joys when sins are covered over! What relief for those who have confessed their sins and God has cleared their record” (TLB). Happiness, joy, and relief are three things everybody’s looking for in life. We all want to be happy. We all want to enjoy life. We all want relief from our pain. The Bible says it all comes from purity, and purity comes from forgiveness through God’s grace. So how do you keep a clear conscience? At the beginning and at the end of every day, do a spiritual inventory. Talk to God about anything that is standing between you and him, and then deal with the junk from your day. When we confess our sins, “he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9 NIV). “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
Ephesians 4:32 (NIV) God calls us to forgive others, but how do we do that? Here are four ways to help you let go of your pain, hurt, and bitterness. Recognize that no one is perfect. When we’ve been hurt, we tend to lose our perspective about the person who offended us. But we need to remember that we are all imperfect people. Colossians 3:13 says, “Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others” (NLT). Relinquish your right to get even. Trust God to confront the person who hurt you and trust him to work things out for you. Choose compassion over your desire to retaliate. The Bible says, “Don’t insist on getting even; that’s not for you to do. “I’ll do the judging,” says God. “I’ll take care of it”” (Romans 12:19 The Message). Respond to evil with good. Romans 12:21 says, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (NIV). Getting even only brings you down to the other person’s level. Take the high road instead. The Bible says to treat your enemies with kindness. It’s nearly impossible to do this on your own. That’s why you need the love of Jesus to fill you up. Refocus on God’s plan for your life. When you are focused on the people who hurt you, you’re actually letting them control your life. When you forgive them, you find the freedom to refocus on God’s purpose for your life. Isaiah 26:3 says, “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you” (NLT). Don’t go another day with resentment, bitterness, and unforgiveness in your heart. Start practicing these four choices and move on to live the life God created you to live. “If you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive the wrongs you have done.”
Matthew 6:15 (GNT) If you are unwilling to forgive someone and you don’t want God to forgive them either, that reveals bitterness and resentment in your life. If you want someone else to be punished but you expect forgiveness for the bad things you’ve done, you’ll just make yourself miserable. You’re not hurting them; you’re only hurting yourself. Jesus said, “If you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive the wrongs you have done” (Matthew 6:15 GNT). Forgiveness involves your past, present, and future:
Consider Jonah. After he warned the people of Nineveh about God’s judgment, they repented and so God forgave them and didn’t punish them. This disappointed Jonah and made him bitter. But remember how Jonah originally turned away from God? He wanted God’s forgiveness for his own sin of disobeying. Yet he didn’t want God to forgive the Ninevites. So Jonah prayed, “I knew that you are a loving and merciful God, always patient, always kind, and always ready to change your mind and not punish. Now then, Lord, let me die. I am better off dead than alive” (Jonah 4:2-3 GNT). Jonah’s resentment was only hurting himself. Here were the Ninevites enjoying the grace of God while Jonah was wallowing in self-pity. It’s critical that you forgive anyone from your past who has hurt you. And that you forgive anyone who wrongs you today because God has forgiven you for your past sins, and he has promised to forgive you in the future. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9 NIV). “Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.”
Colossians 3:13 (NLT) We forgive because we have been forgiven. God expects us to show grace to others because he showed grace to us. He demonstrated his love by sending Christ to die for us, even though we were still in rebellion to him (Romans 5:8). It’s easier sometimes to be selfish instead of gracious. You see the slow cashier in the grocery store line as a five-minute interruption to your day rather than somebody who might be struggling to keep his job, somebody who just got the worst news of his life a few minutes before. You see someone in your family who’s struggling as a drain on you rather than seeing her hopelessness over a desperate situation. You see the person who cut you off on the freeway as a villain instead of someone in need of God’s love. We’re all in need of God’s love. That’s why Jesus Christ came into this world. And to show people grace is to remember what God has done for us. The ultimate way God shows us grace is by forgiveness. And the ultimate way he asks us to show grace to others is also by forgiving them. People often ask, “How can I find the strength to forgive? I don’t have it in me.” The truth is, none of us do! The only place we find the strength to forgive is to remember how much Jesus has forgiven us. Through that reminder, he gives us the strength and grace to forgive others. There’s a story about a woman named Clara Barton, who founded the American Red Cross. A friend reminded her of a particularly cruel thing somebody had done to her years before. The friend asked, “Don’t you remember?” Her famous reply was, “No, I distinctly remember forgetting it.” Forgiveness doesn’t mean the person who wronged you was right. And it doesn’t make what that person did okay. When forgiving someone seems impossible, remember one thing: Jesus forgave you. “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:31-32 NIV)
Everyone who is alive will be hurt, many times over. Sometimes you will be hurt intentionally. Other times someone will accidentally hurt you. The way you respond to hurt will determine how it affects you. If you forgive, you can move on and find happiness. If you become bitter, you can let one hurt wreck your entire lifetime. You will find that bitterness is a boomerang. It always comes back and hurts you more than anyone else. Paul, one of the early Christians, talks about how destructive bitterness is. In his letter to the church at Ephesus, he says, “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:31-32 NIV). What is the antidote to the poison of bitterness? Forgiveness. Paul tells you to follow the example of God, who forgives you in Christ. Is there anyone you may be bitter against? An old boyfriend or girlfriend? An employer? A former spouse? A parent or child? A teacher, neighbor, or friend? Let Jesus flush that bitterness out of your system. Choose to forgive that person, like God forgives you. Let God set you free from bitterness and make room for kindness and compassion in your heart. When Jesus was teaching his followers how to pray, he told them to say this: “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” (Matthew 6:12 NIV). In essence that’s saying, “Lord, forgive me as much as I forgive everybody else.” That is a tough standard! But if you follow it, and forgive people in the same way you want to be forgiven, it will help keep bitterness away. You may have been hurt deeply. You may think it’s impossible for you to forgive—and it may be impossible for you to forgive on your own. That’s why you need Jesus Christ. Only the power of God can replace hate with love and set you free from the bitterness that can grow from deep hurts. “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
(John 8:32 NIV) In John 14:6, Jesus says that he is the way, the truth, and the life. Several chapters earlier, in John 8:32, he says, “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (NIV). You know what guilt feels like. Guilt robs you of happiness. It causes depression. It can make you physically sick. When David, a great king of Israel, had sinned, he felt the weight of guilt. He said to God, “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation” (Psalm 51:12 KJV). God has an answer to guilt: confession. The Bible says in 1 John 1:9, “If we tell Him our sins, He is faithful and we can depend on Him to forgive us of our sins. He will make our lives clean from all sin” (NLV). You might have spent years working through a problem that really has a very simple solution: You just need a clear conscience. Jesus offers you that. He offers instantaneous forgiveness! God tells us, “I will forgive their sins and I will no longer remember their wrongs” (Jeremiah 31:34 GNT). Satan wants to keep you weighted down under the burden of guilt. He wants to keep you bound up so you can’t live in God’s freedom. But that’s not how God works. Here’s how God works: You ask for forgiveness. Then God forgives you. But then, he goes a step further and no longer remembers your wrongs. It’s like God takes your sins and puts them in the deepest part of the ocean—and then he puts up a “no fishing” sign. God won’t pull up your sins again, and he doesn’t want you to, either. He wants you to be free. Are you feeling the burden of guilt today? Remember that Jesus has come to set you free. When you confess your sins, he will forgive you and set you free from your guilt. Then, you can live in the true freedom of knowing your past is forgiven and you are no longer bound by it. “Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others” (Colossians 3:13 NLT).
A lot of people think God carries grudges. They picture God up in heaven, waiting to zap them for anything they do wrong. Here’s what God is really like: “I am the God who forgives your sins, and I do this because of who I am. I will not hold your sins against you” (Isaiah 43:25 GNT). God wants to forgive, and he has done everything necessary to forgive our sins in Christ. Even before the world was made, God was already planning in Christ to forgive your sins. He knows every wrong thing you’re going to do. None of it surprises him! All the guilt that’s in your life, God made a plan to offer you forgiveness for it even before you were born. That’s why God can say this: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1 NIV). Condemnation is gone because of what Jesus Christ did for us—that means unconditional, complete, consistent, eternal, by-grace forgiveness in all of our lives. What a relief! You don’t have to suffer or pay for your sins now or in eternity. It’s paid for by Jesus Christ. You are forgiven if you accept that gift of salvation from Jesus. Once you recognize that you’re forgiven, you are then enabled and strengthened to forgive other people. How do you do that? “Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others” (Colossians 3:13 NLT). Take a good look at yourself, and you may see ugliness, selfishness, and sin. But the important thing is how God sees you. You are his creation, a masterpiece designed to live for him and bless others. When you take a good look through God’s eyes, you see the forgiveness that only he can give. By accepting his forgiveness in your life, you’ll be able to offer it to others. |
AuthorTaken from Daily Hope by Rick Warren. Categories
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