“For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” – Matthew 6:14-15
As Jesus delivered the greatest sermon ever preached, He was very blunt that forgiveness isn’t optional for Christians. Just as mercy isn’t optional, neither is forgiveness toward others. If you’ve truly believed and been saved by the Gospel, you’ll be quick to forgive others. Why? Because you know how much God has forgiven you! If you’ve truly asked God’s forgiveness for your sins and been forgiven as a gift of God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ, then you understand that just as you didn’t deserve to be forgiven, you must forgive others who don’t deserve it.
This can be extraordinarily hard, but you don’t have an option. If Jesus is your Lord, the good news is that He’s already given you the example and the power to forgive. Christians can forgive those who wrong and hurt us because Jesus forgave us. Our sins nailed the Son of God to the cross to die and while He hung on that cross, Jesus forgave us. Your sins nailed Jesus to the cross and while He hung there, Jesus forgave you! Jesus showed us how to forgive people who don’t deserve it.
Because His Spirit lives in every genuine Christian, we also have the power to forgive like He did. If Jesus is your Lord, you can forgive others. Even if they don’t deserve it. You can forgive them to God. You may, or may not, be able to forgive them personally. You can release the anger, hurt, and bitterness that hold your heart hostage. You can and you must. Jesus didn’t give any Christian an exemption from these words. Take time right now to examine your heart and mind. Is there anyone you need to forgive for what they did to you? If so, start talking to God about them right now. Work to release those hard feelings to the Lord. Tell God that you do forgive that person. If possible, think about how you could let them know that they’ve been forgiven and why. #FollowJesus