Week 2, Day 3:Forgiveness is Essential to Relationships

Scripture Readings: Matthew 6:12,14-15; Matthew 18:21-35

Consider this: God created a whole system of law and sacrifices in the Old Testament to address on main issue: forgiveness. There existed a broken relationship between God and us, and we were powerless to make amends. In order for us to experience reconciliation and fellowship with God, forgiveness was essential. There can be no reconciliation without forgiveness. It is the key to restoring broken relationships. Christ came and completed God’s act of forgiving sinners once and for all. There can be no more done to forgive you than what Christ did by dying on the cross. The way of reconciliation is now open so we can experience God’s love freely.

If this is so, then it must be significant in our loving people. When you also consider Jesus’ teaching in Matthew, you are struck with the seriousness of not forgiving others. If pride makes us feel better than others, unforgiveness makes us feel people are in our debt without a means to pay. And Jesus makes is clear that God does not like this and gets extremely angry at us if we are unforgiving.

So unforgiveness leaves us living in a loveless prison. It is the opposite of all God has done in reconciling people to Himself. When we don’t forgive we oppose the very grace God is offering us and keep ourselves living under the bondage of judgment. We aren’t designed to hold people in our debt, rather to forgive them even as we have been forgiven.

We all need to be forgiven and to forgive others. It is a part of relationships here on earth. God shows us the way to forgive. Now it’s our turn to give it away to others.

Meditate on God’s love for you that sought you to forgive you. Embrace it and enjoy it.

Ask God to show you anyone you haven’t forgiven.

Forgive them from your heart.

If there is a need to go to them, make a plan to do so.

Pray for and speak blessing over their lives.