Forgiveness Unpacked
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Someone asked a psychology and counselling professor the question.
“What does it mean when someone says, ‘forgive and forget’?”
He answered saying,
“We have control over forgiveness because it is an act of the will, a conscious effort; but we have no control over forgetting, because we don’t control what our memory keeps.”
Then he said something very profound. He said,
“When you choose to forgive, you realize that whatever you have forgiven gradually becomes insignificant to you and begins to fade in your memory.”
The conclusion is that forgiveness puts the issue in the background, and aids forgetting.
In yesterday’s devotional entitled “Sacrifice Unpacked” we gave several examples of how Jesus practiced sacrifice, and concluded that perfect people don’t need sacrifice. Sacrifice is for the imperfect, to make up for the imperfections. This followed the devotional entitled “The Love Test“, in which we concluded the test of love is sacrifice and forgiveness. We continue, and unpack forgiveness today, using examples from scripture. Just like sacrifice, perfect people offend no one, and do not need forgiveness. Forgiveness is for the imperfect.
What is forgiveness?
Jesus, while teaching His disciples to pray in Luke 11 taught them to pray saying:
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us.
(Luke 11:2-4)
From what Jesus said in this text, we can say forgiveness is releasing people of their debts to us. When someone hurts or offends, they automatically owe us a debt. This debt, usually, would be redeemed by hurting or offending back. No scripture puts this practice more succinctly than the Mosaic law in Leviticus 24:19-20 which says,
Anyone who injures their neighbor is to be injured in the same manner: fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. The one who has inflicted the injury must suffer the same injury.
(Leviticus 24:19-20 NIV)
But Jesus advocates a better way of redeeming our debts — by forgiving, and releasing people of the debts they owe us. We should not keep records of the debt of “wrongs” (1 Corinthians 13:5).
Retaliation often brings some semblance of satisfaction to you, but it does not bring you peace because you then owe the other person a debt of “wrongs” too! This cycle continues unless one person breaks the chain by forgiving. Forgiving brings peace to both the forgiver and the forgiven!
Paul put this beautifully in Romans 13:8 when he wrote:
“Owe no one anything except to love one another.”
(Romans 13:8 NLT)
Contrary to conventional wisdom, we should owe those who offend us a debt of love. Jesus said,
By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.
MEMORY VERSE
“Owe no one anything except to love one another.”
(Romans 13:8 )
QUESTIONS
What debts do others owe you?
Do you know that we identify as God’s children when we forgive?
PRAYER TIP
Father, please give me a heart that forgives; because You also forgave me, and expect me to follow Your example.
URGENT CALL
Every soul is valuable to God, far more than the entire world! But by nature, we are all sinful, and alienated from God, and we ultimately face his wrath!
God in His mercy and love made a way for us to remedy this. He gives us a chance to reverse this downward spiral to destruction, join His family, be part of His household, and become His children.
The first step to becoming a member of God’s household is for us to be saved.
Salvation comes through accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Personal Savior.
It is a very personal decision. No one can make that decision for you.
If you make that decision today, there will be great singing and rejoicing in heaven; because one new member has joined the family and household of God! A soul, much, much more valuable than the world, has been saved from destruction!
Do you want to make that decision today?
Please visit “The Believer’s Prayer” for guidance if you want to make that decision.
Then develop your new relationship with God through your Quiet Time.
Then find a Bible-Believing Church where you can Fellowship with like minded people.
We will be happy to hear from you through the contact information on that page, or the ones at the top of this page. Don’t delay. Make this very personal decision today!
God richly bless you
SPECIAL GRATITUDE
Thank you for visiting the Testimony Devotional Website.
We would not have gotten here without your prayers, goodwill and overall support. We are grateful, and humbled.
We thank God for counting us worthy to share in His Great Commission; and we thank you for sticking with us through this journey.
God richly bless you.
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