Forgiveness Received
Tuesday February 23, 2016
Forgiveness happens when a person lets go of actual violations and transgressions committed against them. When we accept Jesus’ death on the cross as payment for our sins, we become children of God and God generously forgives us for the many sins and wrongs we have committed against others. By our belief in Jesus, we are freed from the power sin has over us. As God’s children, God then asks us to forgive the sins of those who have committed an offence against us. If we refuse and hold on to another’s sin, then we are not free from sin as God intended, for the sin of others still has power over us.
And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. (Matthew 6:12 NIV)
When we receive God’s love and acceptance, through Jesus’ death on the cross for OUR sins, then we are filled with the Holy Spirit of God who will enable us to forgive the sins of others. Gratitude and joy for our freedom from sin will flow from us and forgiving others is something we will do out of thankfulness for Jesus.
God is love and all God’s actions are filled with love. We are only truly alive when we live in God and God lives in us. Anything we think, or say, or do, or even desire to do, that is not filled with love, is something that grieves the heart of God. God loves others He has wonderfully created, just the same as He loves us. One of the many ways we demonstrate that we are not loving is we choose to ignore God and neither care about who He is or what His will is for us. God pursued us to have a relationship with Him but we ignored Him and did life on our own. God created us to live in a loving, caring relationship with Him, and with others, but we were not interested. Worse, we didn’t even care about the life and love God had for us. The Bible describes all our unloving ways towards others as sin against God, for which we need forgiveness.
Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. (Psalm 51:4; 1 John 1:9, 2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV)
Are we willing to receive God’s forgiveness today? Have we truthfully acknowledged before God that we have sinned and broken His commandments? Are we willing to turn from our unloving ways and turn to God?
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