21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. (Matthew 18:21-22)
The offense of sin hurts. Wherever sin occurs, it wounds extensively and indiscriminately. Sin erects walls, as it alienates and sours relationships. The mere sound of the word elicits negative emotions. It is deceptive, destructive, controlling, Christless and addictive. Sin follows a process of desire, conception, birth, maturity and death. James describes its diabolical development: “Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death” (James 1:15). So, sin is not to be taken lightly. Besides, its infliction of pain refuses to be ignored for long. Sin will take you further than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay.
Sin invariably invites a response from the one it offends. One possible option is to fight sin with another sin. This is messy and can be long and protracted. Like trying to overcome a harmful habit with another harmful one, no one except Satan really wins when sin battles sin. Sin is rampant, and no one is immune from its consequences. It divides, belittles and brings on relational suicide. However, when you are sinned against, you are to forgive. When someone’s sin undermines your attitude, you are to forgive him. When someone’s sin berates your work, you are to forgive him. When someone’s sin betrays your trust or steals your joy or crushes your dreams or steals from you, you are to forgive him. This level of forgiveness is contrary to common sense and counter-cultural, but it is the way of Christ.
Forgiveness is God’s fundamental strategy for us. You will lose if you don’t forgive, for unforgiveness is agonizing to the soul. It is harmful to the body and wounds the emotions. Unforgiveness leaves hollow lives in its wake. Conversely, forgiveness is being able to let go and let God be the judge.
Forgiveness effectively cuts through the varying degrees of guilt and erases the entire debt. True forgiveness comes from the heart of the one offended. Forgiveness is not a superficial acknowledgement. It is a sincere cancellation of anything that is owed. When the offended one forgives, he wipes out even the expectation for an apology, the admission or the restitution. It is forgiveness, clear and direct.
In essence, forgiveness is letting go. It is letting go of the hurt, anger and shame. When you forgive, you are free. You are free from the shackles of sin. When you forgive, you trust. You trust God to judge others in His time. His judgment is fair and just. God can be trusted with the consequences of sin’s offense.
So, continue to forgive others because your heavenly Father continues to forgive you. The Scripture teaches, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32). Without Christ’s forgiveness, you are lost and undone. Jesus does not give out forgiveness in quotas. The forgiveness of the cross was swift, full, final and forever. Unlock your relational restraints with the key of forgiveness. Write a letter with tear-soaked ink that documents your forgiveness. Call or e-mail someone today and let them know that because you are forgiven, you forgive them. Set others free with forgiveness, and you will be free. There is freedom in Christ.
Forgive fast and forgive often. The forgiveness of Christ is forever.
DAILY MEDITATIONS:
Monday: Matthew 18:21-22
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
Tuesday: Proverbs 17:9
Whoever would foster love covers over an offense, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.
Wednesday: Colossians 1:13-14
For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Thursday: 1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
Friday: Matthew 6:14
For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
Saturday: Isaiah 43:25
I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.
Sunday: Ephesians 4:32
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
All scriptures are quoted from the New International Version (NIV).
By Pastor Samuel Sam
