Resolution #4 - Resolve To Forgive

Forgive as much as you have been forgiven, now that's a lot of forgiveness.

Ephesians 4:31-32 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of malicious behavior. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. 

Luke 6:36-37  You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate. 37 "Stop judging others, and you will not be judged. Stop criticizing others, or it will all come back on you. If you forgive others, you will be forgiven.

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We love to keep score, I'm not talking about an athletic event, I am referring to the history of good and bad things that we do to each other. It is tempting to try to keep the score in balance, if you think that somebody has been a bit worse to you than you have been to them, then it is time to do something to even up the score.

Jesus set the bar really high when he told us "forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you" Now that is a lot of forgiveness that we have to pass on to the ones that have wronged us. It is easy to think that we need to even up the score but we do not have permission to be unforgiving or even bitter or to even say something to get at them, instead of permission to settle the score we have a command to forgive just as much as we have been forgiven by our creator.

Micah 7:18 Where is another God like you, who pardons the guilt of the remnant, overlooking the sins of his special people? You will not stay angry with your people forever, because you delight in showing unfailing love.

Jesus didn't demand that people treat him special so none of us are so special that we can demand to be treated special or demand that we get our own way. I must strive to be just as compassionate as God is, Jesus didn't come to earth to condemn it, rather he came to show us a better way to live, in a loving relationship with our creator and with our fellow man.

Help us Lord to exercise the same forgiveness that you gave to us. Thank you for the gift of forgiveness.