Forgiveness

Matt 6:12 "And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors."

Forgiveness. It is an amazing thing. I know that I hate it when I screw up. I hate it when I sin. I hate it because I know that I have disappointed God and I have violated what I believe. Not only that, but I hate the conviction that I have to deal with. It really is not any fun to be convicted of sin. I thank God for it because I know that He is working. I know that He is living in me. I know that I am His kid, but it still is not something that I enjoy. And then the guilt. The guilt that I deal with when I sin is crazy. It can eat you up.

That is why this verse is so beautiful: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." I need to let that sink in. If I acknowledge my sin before God, because of His faithfulness and because of His righteousness He will deal with it. He will forgive it. And He will do something that is totally amazing…He will cleanse me from all unrighteousness. That is all unrighteousness. Not just some of it, not just a part of it, not just a little of it…all of it. Praise God! It is gone. Conviction is gone. Guilt is (should be) gone. (I say should be because I know that I like to keep beating myself up over what I have done, but God does not.) Totally clean. Totally forgiven. Amazing.

And Jesus says that we are to do this. We are to come to God and confess. We are to come to God when we pray and say: "God, I have messed up. This is what I have done. Please forgive me." And He does.

But then look at this: "As we forgive our debtors." The word for debts and debtors actually means those who owe. It also means those who are owed punishment for a wrong they have committed. That is us. God owes us punishment for our sin…for our violation of His character and His word. But He extends forgiveness when we ask for it. And He does it in the same way that we extend it to others. Ouch. If someone has offended me, if someone has sinned against me, if someone owes me something or better yet if I have a right to take revenge for something someone did to me and I go after that, or I hold a grudge, or I am bitter or hold animosity toward that individual and I do not let it go, I let it fester, I hang on to it, then forget about coming to God and asking for the beautiful forgiveness that He offers.

Jesus was so intent on this He continued to talk about it. "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." Pretty serious stuff.

So I need to ask myself: Is there anyone out there that I have an unforgiving spirit toward? If there is, let it go. Bury it. Forgive them and soak in the sweet forgiveness of God.