FORGIVE!
FORGIVE!
As the king was about to cross the river, Shimei fell down before him. “My lord the king, please forgive me,” he pleaded. “Forget the terrible thing your servant did when you left Jerusalem. May the king put it out of his mind. I know how much I sinned. That is why I have come here today, the very first person in all Israel to greet my lord the king.” —II Samuel 19:18-20
How quick are you and I to ask someone to forgive us that we have sinned against? (II Samuel 16:5-10). Or do we just seek to justify our sin against that person? What is it Jesus said at the cross? “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). Look how much we sinned against Jesus as an individual and as a human race and yet from the cross forgiveness was on His lips. God is so quick to forgive those who come to Him. This is how it should be when we sin against another follower of Jesus… they should be quick to forgive— “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you” (Colossians 3:13) and “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32). “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins” (Matthew 6:14-15). We are to be quick to forgive as followers of Jesus. When we are sinned against we are to be quick to forgive and when we sin against another follower of Jesus they are to be quick to forgive. Now, why is it you cannot forgive? Have you experience something Jesus has not? Is there a greater offense or sin against you than Jesus experienced? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWS2p1gHOCo
In the passage above, Shimei owned and acknowledged his sin against King David. The King was quick to forgive even when others wanted to kill him. How many followers of Jesus would rather see someone die than to forgive? You say, “I would never think like that!” Ok, have you allowed a relationship dissolve because of unforgiveness? That is death in a relationship! Have you left a local church only to attend another because of unforgiveness? That is death in a relationship! Have you stopped attending any local church because of unforgiveness? That is death in a relationship! How many churches have you left because of unforgiveness? That is death in a relationship! How many of your relationships have dissolved because of unforgiveness? That is death in a relationship! Unforgiveness is the great destroyer of relationships! This is seen with those who will never ask Jesus to forgive them of their sin. They will spend eternity in Hell (so hard to understand) because of rejecting the forgiveness He is offering because of all that took place at the cross. But how many of your relationship will be fractured for life because you have not forgiven? How many relationships are dead to you? Let us ponder the forgiveness God has given us through His Son and then let us consider why I am not willing to forgive someone… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcuM8n_OciI
Dear Forgiving Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, may I be quick to forgive those who have sinned against me, but also may they be quick to forgive me whom I have sinned against. Yes, Dear Father, may the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ be quick to forgive each other through the power of Your Holy Spirit. May it be so!