Forgive and Be Forgiven
For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. Matthew 6:14-15 (NIV)
Insight
Our eternal destiny is determined by Jesus’ atoning sacrifice alone—the Bible is clear on this. However, our relationship with God is damaged and scarred when we withhold forgiveness from His children. God sees us all as worthy of forgiveness, no matter what we’ve done wrong and how gravely we’ve hurt those around us. It is offensive to God when we decide that one of His children should not be pardoned for their sins. The cross has declared us all “not guilty.” Who are we to claim, through our unforgiveness, that our judgment is superior to God’s?
God calls us to forgive with a humble heart. When we are wronged, we are called to remember His amazing, limitless grace toward us. It is hypocritical of us to joyfully receive His forgiveness while refusing to extend it to others (see Matthew 18:23-35). We are just as broken as those who’ve hurt us. We are just as desperate for God’s grace as anyone who has wronged us. We are not morally superior to any person we encounter. As humans, we all carry the same capacity to hate, damage relationships, and wound others.
The cultural messages we receive about forgiveness nowadays are often incompatible with God’s view on forgiveness. Today, we are encouraged to define those who sin against us by their wrongdoings. No matter how much love and care we have received from our offenders in the past, we often participate in revisionist history: we tell ourselves that those who’ve hurt us have always been evil, rotten, and selfish. We tell ourselves that because others have done wrong toward us, they are bad people, through-and-through. We conveniently forget that we have often committed the same sins that we refuse to forgive.
Forgiving others doesn’t mean we shouldn’t set healthy boundaries. God doesn’t call us to be a doormat or tolerate severe abuse. We are called to honor and respect ourselves the way the Lord has respected us. Though we are called to forgive, we aren’t encouraged to endanger ourselves or our hearts (Proverbs 4:23). We are meant to forgive those around us entirely—but this doesn’t mean our relationships with those who have hurt us have to remain the same. New lines can be drawn that protect our peace and the wellbeing of our spirit. Though, we must remember that forgiveness isn’t complete if bitterness still resides in our heart.
Reflection
If God’s forgiveness toward you was only as complete as the forgiveness you’ve shown others, to what extent would you be forgiven?
Think of someone you’ve been struggling to forgive. Pray blessings over them (Matthew 5:44).
Prayer
Abba, thank You for forgiving me so completely. Remind me of Your unlimited grace toward me when I struggle to extend grace to others. Remind me that You choose to forget my sins and pardon me when I don’t deserve it. With this in mind, empower me to forgive those You love for the ways they’ve hurt me. Change my vision so that I see them as Your beloved children. Don’t let me define them by their sin. Help me to see them through Your eyes. Humble me and remind me that I am no better, no more righteous than those who’ve hurt me. In Your perfect time, let the bitterness in my heart fade away. Show me how to forgive completely, while holding healthy boundaries. Don’t let me use these “boundaries” as an excuse to forgive only in part. Amen.
Port City writer Kate Redenbaugh wrote today’s devotional.