Choosing Forgiveness: Day Four

Are you sore yet? I am! I’ve had so many toes stepped on I’m limping! Not only that but I have felt the Holy Spirit poking at some things I have kept locked away that I deliberately didn’t want to deal with. As much as I have tried to ignore it, He presses in all the more! But you know, I’m learning so much and I’m feeling the flood gates begin to open a little wider each time I relinquish control over my hurts. I hope the same is happening for you. I don’t pretend to know what each of you has faced. I know if we could talk that I would probably clasp my hand over my mouth in disbelief at what some of you have endured. But Beloved, I don’t need to know because Jesus does! He knows, He sees and He is big enough to overcome anything that you have experienced.

Yesterday we covered a lot of ground in our study of the parable of the unjust servant. We began to get a glimpse of the enormity of God’s work on the cross in forgiving our sins. I used to sing a song as a little girl that summed up the simplicity of the gospel:
“He paid a debt He did not owe,
I owed a debt I could not pay. I needed someone to wash my sins away. And now I sing a brand new song ‘Amazing Grace’!
My Jesus paid a debt that I could not repay! Selah!
It really is that simple and that complex all at the same time. When we look at the work that Jesus accomplished in atoning for our sins at Calvary and then choose not to forgive others we are like the wicked servant. At the outset of this study I touched briefly on the world vs. the word. In this parable the servant is our example of how the world handles forgiveness and the King is our example of God’s forgiveness of us.

I am continually amazed how much our lives are shaped with situational ethics, meaning we change our ethics, morals and decisions as the situation changes. Scripture is never situational about anything, especially forgiveness. Therefore, we are called to apply the truth of the Word over the ever-changing “ethics” of the world.

We are commanded to forgive. We aren’t asked, we aren’t advised and we aren’t given the choice. We are told to forgive. Why? Because forgiveness is the basis for the gospel. If there were no sin then forgiveness would not be necessary but scripture says that if our offenses were counted against us, who could stand? Our sins against the Lord are great but the Lord freely offers forgiveness every time for every sin. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

The rest of our study will focus on five aspects of forgiveness: The Basis of forgiveness, the Bitterness of unforgiveness, the Basics of forgiveness, the Blessing of forgiveness and the Benefit of forgiveness. We will begin to look at the first one next week: the basis for forgiveness, the gospel. Why is it that we are commanded to forgive? Why is it that forgiveness is unconditional? What and who do we look to in understanding how to forgive?

Meditate on these things as you begin the ascent into Passion Week. Reflect on the cross and the costly forgiveness that was bought for you with the blood of the spotless Lamb of God…and worship!