If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Matthew 6:14-15 NLT
Forgiveness is an act of will, not an emotion, nor a fleeting thought.
We choose to forgive.
Why?
Because we have been freely forgiven of all our sins by Christ the Lord.
Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
Colossians 3:13 NIV
If we do not forgive, we retain the offense committed against us. As we hold on to the offense, we meditate upon it and it becomes more powerful. Left to fester like an open wound, unforgiveness, if left untreated, becomes bitterness, cancer to the soul.
We must forgive if we want to walk in the light of the Lord. If we do not forgive, we walk in darkness.
This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all.
So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth.
But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.
1 John 1:5-7 NLT
Freely we have received forgiveness from God. His mercy is unearned, undeserved. Freely we give. Christ is glorified in us as we walk in Christ and His ways.
Forgiving is an act of God. When we forgive, we are partnering with God to do His will.
Release the charge of offense that anyone has committed against you. You may not feel like it. You may feel that they are undeserving of mercy for wounding you. Yet, who are we to judge? Have we not offended others? Have we not wounded others? Do we want the punishment that we deserve? Then, who are we to judge and punish others?
Leave everything where it belongs, in the hands of God. Vengeance belongs to the Lord. Mercy and forgiveness belong to the children of God.
Let’s walk worthy of our calling. Forgive those who sin against you and walk in the light. I can’t abide in the darkness. That season is over.
Father in Heaven, forgive me for retaining offenses against those who offended me. Forgive me for becoming bitter towards those who have sinned against me and wounded me in my body and my soul. I choose, as an act of my free will, to forgive everyone and anyone who has ever harmed me, whether intentionally or accidentally, whether willfully or in ignorance. I no longer want to be weighed down with unforgiveness. I choose to forgive. Thank You, Lord, for forgiving me of all of my sins. Let me walk in newness of life again. Amen.
And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.
Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.
Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
Ephesians 4:30-32 NLT
Recommended reading: Matthew 6, Romans 5 and Colossians 3.
Igniter Ministries 