“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV
How are we to forgive? Replace your anger and fear by praying for your enemy. Do not rest or lean on resentment and the natural tendency to just “get even.” Instead desire for God to transform your resentment into love and compassion. The grace of God will enable you to detach yourself from their control and acknowledge that only God can ever bring any transformation into their lives.
We must understand the depth of our own sin in order to understand His sacrifice. We have been forgiven not because of anything we have done; it is a gift and so in the same way we should forgive others not because they have earned it but as a gift.
“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” 1 John 4:10 NIV
God loved us first and was filled with love for us when He sent his Son to die for our sins. Forgiveness is challenging, always costly and never easy. It is not free…it will have a cost. In our case the cost of our sin was paid for by Jesus. In the case when we forgive others we must be prepared for the cost. This cost may be letting go of what we believe to be our rights to hold others accountable and not let them get away with what they have done.
We must let all these things go and turn it all over to God. We do these things because God has told us to love others, this is to be done as He has loved others. Let love be the defining mark of your life not bitterness. Bitterness and unforgiveness will only lead to suffering in our lives. Love will cover a multitude of sins and lead to God’s peace and joy in our lives.
Forgiveness is to be treasured and to be shared by one another. Stand for truth, respond in grace and choose the gift of forgiveness. Accept a relationship with God the great reconciler and watch your heart change towards others and possibly your enemy’s heart.
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” John 13:34 NIV
Anchor In The Storm 