Devotions: To Forgive or Not

 

For if you forgive other people for their offenses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive other people, then your Father will not forgive your offenses.

Matthew 6:14-15 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

 

These verses come directly after the Lord’s prayer. Forgiveness is a big deal to God. We have all sinned. We all deserve death. Yet, God chose to make forgiveness possible and He did that by paying the price Himself. We all sat on death row, awaiting execution, but Jesus stepped in and went to the hangman’s noose in our place while we were set free. This is the position of everyone who believes in and accepts Jesus’ sacrifice. It had nothing to do with our merit, and everything to do with God’s love and mercy for us. He is perfect, we are sinful, yet He chose to make forgiveness possible. As a result, our unforgiveness is highly offensive to Him. Who are we to refuse to others what we have accepted for ourselves? Especially since everyone’s sin is ultimately against God. So their sin against us is nothing compared to their sin against Him. What we have to forgive is significantly less than what God has to forgive. Yet He does. By refusing forgiveness we are putting ourselves in the place of God, demanding they pay for their offense, and at the same time saying that we deserve forgiveness and they don’t. That is hypocrisy at its highest. I do not say this in condemnation because I am the worst at this. I have always struggled with unforgiveness, so I say this in encouragement and warning. Don’t take it lightly, instead take it to God.

Notice that it does not say to forgive others for their offenses against you, just to forgive them for what they have done. Often, the things we hold against others are not things they have done to us, especially if we are already harboring unforgiveness against them for something they have done to us. After that, every little thing they do period is offensive to us, even if we are not involved. I say this from experience. The point here is that making people pay for their wrong doing is God’s job not ours. Our job is to love, and when necessary encourage or correct, but not to judge or punish (unless, of course, they are under our authority for that purpose, like children.)

What unforgiveness are you holding on to? What have others done that you hold against them? Take it to God. Ask Him to forgive your arrogance and unforgiveness. Ask Him to help you forgive and see others as He does.

 

 

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Translations of Greek and Hebrew words taken from blueletterbible.org