Journal Entry ~ 05/03/18

31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.
32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. - Ephesians 4:31-32 

Forgiving others who have hurt us deeply is one of the most difficult things to do in our walk with Christ. How do we forgive offenses that cut us deep to our heart and soul?  This verse takes us to that understanding. 

We forgive because we are forgiven and we have been saved from the punishment for our sins. But our saving faith is not merely believing that we are forgiven, it's more than that. It looks at sin through God's eyes, sees how horrible it is, then looks to the holiness of our Lord and understands how unspeakably glorious His forgiveness truly is. We are not simply off the hook with the cross, our saving faith means we savor the truth that a forgiving God is the most precious reality in all of the universe. It is from that understanding that we can forgive others. 

When we see our sin the way He sees it, and know that He has freed us from all payment, then looking at the offenses of others becomes minuscule in comparison. The problem is that pride so often gets in the way of us being able to recognize this - we look at others and think their sin is worse, their wrong is worse than anything we would ever do...but that is just not true. That pride is sin, we need to humble ourselves and allow God to reveal our sin to us. The reality is that no one in my life can come close to the way I have offended my King, and He still loves me beyond measure.  How could I possibly hold a grudge against someone in my life?


Press on ~ you are loved 💗

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