Luke 23:34
“Father forgive them for they do not know what they do”
In Matthew 5:44 Jesus tells us how we should treat our enemies but he didn’t just say forgive your enemies, he lived it out.
Knowing the power Jesus has, why did he hold back and forgive? He held back to demonstrate love, he shows God’s mercy and love.
2 Corinthians 4:4
Jesus understands our hearts are blinded by sin and he died on the cross to save us from this, so we could be set free from the hold of sin and have a relationship with him.
How do we live this out? How do you forgive?
- We need the Holy Spirit
- We need the Holy Spirit’s power working on our hearts every day.
- Forgiveness allows God to work on our hearts, it may hurt initially, but it releases you and others permanently.
- Forgiveness is the song and melody that God sings to us every day. We have forgiveness every day for our sins, so how much more do we have to show that to others
- Forgiveness allows God to show us the bigger picture
- Anger narrows our vision, but forgiveness lets us see the big picture that people are broken, are hurting and lost. There’s a reason and story behind everyone’s actions.
Forgiveness won’t always be immediate, but over time the Holy Spirit will work on your heart to heal and sooth you. Next time you’ve been wronged, before you do anything, take a moment and remember that God has forgiven us, so we must forgive others.
Forgiveness isn’t fair and it isn’t easy, but it restores, so let’s practice letting go and not holding onto bitterness and ask God for a heart of forgiveness.