“But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matt. 6:15)
There is only one cause for ever contemplating forgiving anyone, it is because they have created an infraction against you, in some form they have brought into your life either physical or emotional discomfort.
And similar to the commandments in the Scriptures to love, forgiveness is a choice we make, yet unlike love, if we do not forgive those who have trespassed against us, there is a punishment to be expected, we will not be forgiven.
When we who are hid in Christ sin, some form of consequences for our sins are to be expected, even after we have repented with a broken and contrite heart, the Scriptures are filled with this truth, and so we must consider, if we do not forgive, in what manner will we not be forgiven, and what exactly does it mean to forgive.
“As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:12)
If we believe that forgiving means forgetting, we would be mistaken, for unless one contracts a malady of the brain, some things in this life we will never forget, and so to forgive as we have been forgiven must, at least in part, mean that we choose to look at those infractions brought upon us by others differently.
And this truth must also be considered, there is to be no difference in our forgiveness, whether it be unkind words spoken to us by a loved one, or the most heinous act committed upon us by wicked evil people.
No one can forgive in the manner we are commanded to unless they know fully the love of Christ that went to the cross for us, unless they have the Holy Spirit within them, it is not possible to forget, but it is possible to forgive.
To forgive is to harbor no ill will of any form within us towards those who have despitefully used us, who have caused pain, in whatever form you can imagine, to enter into your life, and I personally believe that the very beginning of the path to forgiveness in this manner, the very first step on it must begin with this verse.
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
“Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.” (Matt. 18:22)
The context of that verse is in reference to our brothers and sisters in Christ, but the opening verse in this short letter to you speaks of all who may come against us, we my friends are to forgive everyone, all the time.
Perhaps a length of time is inferred here, not in the sense that time heals all wounds, leave that thought to the world, but in the sense that in some of the most grievous acts that are committed against us we need time to contemplate just how much we have been forgiven, and the mercy and grace of our Father in heaven that forgave us.
I personally believe that it is impossible for the Living God to forget anything, it would be placing a limit on His Sovereignty and Majesty, and so it must mean that He has chosen to look upon our past sins differently, and we are commanded to do the same. Even if we consider the most despicable act imaginable committed against us, you must remember two things, somehow it was for good, and when we go home to glory, it will seem as an inconsequential matter to us.
I confess here, I have completely skipped over a part of the opening verse in this letter to you today, the part that says, “neither will your Father forgive,” and exactly what that means, because I do not know.
What I do know is this, to forgive means to remember differently, and this is what you must contemplate.
