Journal Entry ~ 05/03/19

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. - 2 Corinthians 5:17

Letting the old pass away isn’t just a suggestion for how to live a better Christian life, it’s what God calls us to do.  This means we must let go of our past, our old hurts, our old expectations, our old ways of thinking and doing things. We are called to love without condition and forgive without limits. These aren’t options for a true believer in Christ. We choose not to judge because we have been released from judgment, we choose love because we are loved, we choose forgiveness because we are forgiven. 

In any context, forgiveness always requires a choice. You don't just get past it or let it go. The emotion - the hurt or the anger - may fade over time, but that's not forgiveness. Authentic forgiveness flows out of a decision apart from emotions—in fact, forgiveness often happens in spite of painful feelings. Forgiveness is a choice to release someone from an obligation that resulted when they injured us. Every habitually unforgiving person remains unforgiven by God and is not a citizen of heaven. God accepts no love from human hearts that is gripped by hate - that’s why scripture tells us to leave our gift at the altar and reconcile ourselves with our brother. 

That should cause each of us pause and check our hearts. Scripture says it quite clearly:  if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.  If we don't forgive, we are not forgiven. Saved people forgive - in all circumstances. 

Spend time searching your heart today for remnants of unforgiveness, He will reveal your sin. Our deceitful hearts have such a tendency to justify our lack of forgiveness or to bury unforgiveness.  But we are never truly free until we experience the forgiveness that can only come from the Spirit moving in us. 


Press on ~ you are loved 💗

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