FORGIVE

Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ —Matthew 18:32-33

Do we truly understand the “tremendous debt” that God has forgiven us when we trusted the finished work of Jesus at the cross? Sin is contrary to God’s character and is an affront to Him. We cannot fully understand His Word if we do not understand the unholiness of sin and the holiness of God. Nor will we understand the judgments of God in the Old Testament or the New Testament without this understanding of the nature of sin and the nature of God.

As we grow in our understanding of how much we have been forgiven, then we can more readily forgive someone else when they sin against us. But, we must also understand that unforgiveness will affect of fellowship with God (Matthew 6:12, 14-15) and that we should forgive as Jesus has forgiven us (Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:13). When we understand better as to how much we have been forgiven then our love for God and others will grow (Luke 7:47).

Who is there that you need to forgive? Do you not want to forgive that person? Why? Don’t you understand the tremendous debt you have been forgiven? Forgive…

Dear Father, thank You for forgiving my sin in Jesus and for giving me Your righteousness in Him as well. Oh, I desire to be with Him in glory, but may I first be faithful with the work You have for me on Earth in the authority of Jesus and by the Holy Spirit’s power.