If He Can do it, so Can You!

What is forgiveness really? In terms of the Bible, forgiveness is a conscious choice to free a person from the debt or wrongdoing they have committed against you-an offense of some sort, in a way that mirrors God's act of pardoning humanity's sin through Jesus Christ. This involves discarding any resentment and desire for revenge but not necessarily forgetting or condoning the offense itself.

One beautiful-yet painful display of forgiveness was during Jesus' last moments alive. After being betrayed by one of his closest friends, Jesus, an innocent man, was arrested. From there, he was found to be innocent yet was selfishly thrown of to endure one of the most horrific forms of torture/execution-crucifixion. Before that, he was whipped, beaten, mocked, and forced to wear a crown of thorns. He was also forced to carry his own weighty cross to his place of crucifixion, where he was nailed to it through his flesh and left to die in front of a crowd of mockers.

And here is what Jesus said:

"Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots." -Luke 23:34

He forgave them. Look at all the things they did to him. Yet Jesus forgave them. He was an innocent man, yet he was unjustly forced to endure one of the most humiliating and painful punishments imaginable-and he forgave everyone who did him harm.

So who wronged you? Who do you still have to forgive? Nothing anyone could have done to you likely could compare with what Jesus had to endure. And if he could forgive his persecutors, so should you! So I encourage you today to thing of one person, or better yet, write a list of people who have wronged you, and forgive them.

If you can do that, God will gladly forgive you as well for it is written:

"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." -Matthew 6:14-15