Christian Living

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What if you could forgive as God forgives? Would that change how you view others? Psalms 103:2-3 says, "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases". (KJV) God makes it very obvious in verse 3 that He has forgiven you of all your iniquities. All of your past, present and future sins have been paid for by the blood of Jesus. Since that is the case, then why is it so difficult for you to forgive certain people?

Once we understand how loving, merciful, accepting and forgiving our Heavenly Father is, then we can begin to take steps forward toward forgiving those who have deeply hurt us. Do you believe God has forgiven those people who have hurt you? Do you believe He has forgiven you? If you do, then you are on your way to forgiving the forgiven.

I really like what Paul said to the Ephesians in the last verse of chapter four, "And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you".(KJV) Anytime I read the word "hath" or "has", I insert the word already just before it. This reminds me whatever God said He "has" done, its already a done deal.

God has already forgiven you of all your sins. We are commanded to forgive one another as God has already forgiven us. What is so amazing about God's forgiving ways is He does not remember your sins. Hebrews 8:12 states, "For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more". (KJV) God chooses not to remember your sins. Then why do we choose to remember our sins and the sins of others?

Our enemy does not want us to forget our sins and the sins of others. Why? He wants to use them against us. God does not hold our sins against us does He? How can He? He does not remember them anymore. All sin was paid for by Jesus and all are forgiven. Do you believe this truth?

If you do, then you are in position to forgive the forgiven. In God's eyes, all have been forgiven, even the ones who have hurt you. Every person you have ever known or will know has already had their sins forgiven. We are known as "The Forgiven". Since God has chosen to forgive those who have done you wrong, don't you think He has given you the ability to forgive others? No matter what anyone has said or done to you that was ungodly, it has already been forgiven by God.

One of my favorite verses in the Old Testament is Amos 3:3 which says, "Can two walk together, except they be agreed"? I've discovered it is best to walk together in agreement with Jesus than disagree with Him. Are you agreeing with Him regarding forgiveness? Have you been holding onto an offense for too long? If you are truly going to walk together in agreement with your Lord, then its time to forgive as He forgives.

I do not agree with people who say, "I can forgive but not forget". Does that sound like true forgiveness? When is the best time to forgive? NOW! Why wait? I believe God has given us the ability to forgive and to be merciful. You have been created in the image of God's dear Son. Forgive and forget just like God. Ask Him to help you to forgive and forget. Do you think He will say "Yes" to your request?

Forgiveness is freeing not only for you but also for the one you forgive. Remember, the people you choose to forgive NOW are The Forgiven. God forgave you just as you were, didn't He? You can also do the same when you forgive others. When you forgive The Forgiven, you will be forgiving just as your loving, merciful and forgiving Father. Isn't it time for you to forgive The Forgiven?

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