Forgive Because I've Been Forgiven

Forgive Because I've Been Forgiven

In Colossians 3:13 I read, “Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others." (NLT)

When someone hurts me deeply, forgiveness probably isn’t my natural response. Instead, I may want to hold on to the hurt and to bitterness toward the person who caused me pain. But God calls me to forgive, to let go of the past, and release any bitterness toward the people who’ve hurt me.

In fact, the Bible gives three reasons I have to forgive. And those reasons have nothing to do with whether those people deserve my forgiveness or not.

I have to forgive those who’ve hurt me because God has forgiven me. Colossians 3:13 says, “Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others” (NLT).  

If I want to be a forgiving person, I first need to accept the forgiveness of God through Jesus Christ. The Bible says that God came to Earth in human form in Jesus to forgive everything that’s ever been done wrong. Jesus paid for sin so I don’t have to. That’s the Good News.

I have to forgive those who’ve hurt me because, otherwise, resentment controls me. The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 7:9, “Only fools get angry quickly and hold a grudge” (CEV).

Resentment makes me miserable, and it keeps me stuck in the past. And when I’m stuck in the past, I am controlled by the past. Every time I resent something, it controls me. Am I allowing someone who hurt me five, 10, or even 20 years ago to continue hurting me today? Make the choice right now to not continue to be hurt by what happened years ago. My past is past. I’ve got to let it go.

I have to forgive those who’ve hurt me because I’m going to need more forgiveness in the future. Jesus said in Matthew 6:14-15, “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins” (NIV).

Forgiveness is a two-way street. I cannot receive what I am unwilling to give. Someone once told John Wesley, “I could never forgive that person!” Wesley replied, “Then I hope you never sin.”

When hurts run deep, forgiveness is hard. But remember that I have three big reasons to forgive: God has already forgiven me, I don’t want to let resentment control me, and I will continue to need forgiveness in the future.

Choose to live in the freedom of forgiveness today.

In summary, when I’m hurt deeply, forgiveness isn’t my natural response. I want to hold on to the hurt and to bitterness toward the person. But God calls me to forgive, to let go of the past, and release any bitterness toward the people who’ve hurt me. The Bible gives three reasons I have to forgive. And those reasons have nothing to do with whether those people deserve my forgiveness or not. Forgive, because God has forgiven me. Accept the forgiveness of God through Jesus Christ. God came to Earth in human form in Jesus to forgive everything that’s ever been done wrong. Jesus paid for sin so I don’t have to. Forgive those who’ve hurt me, otherwise, resentment controls me. Resentment makes me miserable, and it keeps me stuck in the past. Every time I resent something, it controls me. So I need to make the choice right now to not continue to be hurt by what happened years ago. I have to forgive those who’ve hurt me because I’m going to need more forgiveness in the future. I cannot receive what I am unwilling to give. When hurts run deep, forgiveness is hard. I have three big reasons to forgive: God has already forgiven me, I don’t want to let resentment control me, and I will continue to need forgiveness in the future. Choose to live in the freedom of forgiveness today.

The key to forgiving others is remembering how much God has forgiven me. It should be so difficult to forgive someone who has wrong me a little when God has forgiven me for so much. Realize that God's infinite love and forgiveness can help me love and forgive others. Let God worry about the wrongs I've suffered. Don't quench my life in bitter feuding; live renewed in love and joy.