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Dear Friend: Forgive Us As We Forgive?

I have been thinking about our talk on forgiving. First, I would like to draw attention to two truths that seem to be contradictory.

1) "Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you" (Col. 3:13). "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you" (Eph. 4:32).

2. "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart" (Matt. 18:35). "Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors… For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you" (Matt. 6:12, 14).

The first truth sets Christ’s forgiveness for us as the means that makes it both possible and mandatory that we forgive others in the same way. The second truth sounds like our forgiveness of others is the basis of our being forgiven by God.

All forgiveness begins with God’s character and work.
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. (Psalms 51:1-2)

He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. (Luke 24:46-47)
The man in Matthew 18:24 owed the king $100 million. He was forgiven by the king’s mercy only. It was after he had been forgiven that the servant did not forgive his fellow servant.

It is after we are forgiven that we can pray Matthew 6:12: “Forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors.” (Because we have forgiven others like the Father has previously forgiven us.)

We can honestly pray Matthew 6:12 if we have obeyed Colossian 3:13. In other words, I need to be forgiven first for not obeying Colossians 3:13 in order to be able to forgive.

The major thing is to confess to not forgiving. We will then be forgiven, and we will be able to forgive. Forgiving others is a natural consequence of being forgiven for not forgiving.

The two books that we use the most are the result of the 17-year revival (1935-1952) in East Africa: The Calvary Road by Roy Hession and Continuous Revival by Norman Grubb.

"If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, `I repent,' forgive him" (Luke 17:3-4). It is obvious that the “repentant” person in this verse is not truly repentant. However, forgiveness is unlimited. It is not dependent on the other person being truly repentant.

When I forgive someone, it does not help the someone. My forgiveness for him does not clean his conscience. Only God does that. So when I forgive someone, it does not help him at all. It only helps me. If I do not forgive, I am like the man in Matthew 18:35. If forgiveness is from my heart, I am helped. If it is not, then I am the one in big trouble.

Jim

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