Love... Is Forgiving
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9 (ESV)
But if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Matthew 6:15 (ESV)
For Christiana, forgiveness is a mandate…. without exception for the darkest deeds or the most malevolent of villains.
No matter how innocent the victim.
No matter how difficult it may be.
No matter how “justified” hatred seems.
When Christians hold on to unforgiveness, hearts are corrupted, their souls are tortured, their witness is spoiled, and love is AWOL.
They should profess to follow Jesus… when they choose to hate, by nursing a grudge.* If they do, they’re guilty of FALSE WITNESS! (God forbid!, because…)
The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant exemplifies His compassion. In it, a master decides to forgive one of his servants of a massive debt. Later, that same servant will NOT forgive a fellow servant of a tiny debt.
Epilogue: When the master hears of the first servant’s cruelty and total lack of mercy, He releases him to “the torturers”.
Actors, models, and talent for Christ:
God makes His position on forgiveness absolutely and abundantly clear. Since He forgives us without exception, we must forgive without exception, TOO.
We're not called to judge the degree of sin, as if our own are fewer or smaller.
'For the person who keeps all of the Laws except One is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God's Laws' (James 2:10).
A crucial footnote:
You know better than to judge “Hollywood”. Do you know better than to judge yourself? Therein…
Have you also forgiven your own sins? If you’ve confessed and repented from them, GOD FORGIVES. Who are we to disagree?
Don’t make Satan smile by beating on you. Do forgive others and yourself. ALWAYS!
Love… Is Forgiving (Part 40)
* The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+18%3A21-35&version=NASB
NOTE: God is my Ghostwriter. If what I write is good, it’s from God! We’re all called to be actors (action stars) for Jesus. We’re all called to be models of Jesus. We all have gifts, talents, and a commission to multiply them in the world for His glory.
P.S. NO DEVOTION, PREACHER, or SERMON… can begin to replace personal time in the Bible. I wholeheartedly and clear-headedly recommend DAILY BIBLE READING.
WARNING: Don’t focus on your favorite verses, because taken out of context, they’re often misinterpreted. I plead with you to READ AT LEAST 1 BIBLE CHAPTER DAILY. How long does it take? An average of 5 to 10 minutes!