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Scripture:
Matthew 6:14-15 For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Luke 6:37-38 Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.
Observation:
If we don’t forgive others and surrender our offenses and hurts to God, we won’t receive forgiveness for our sins. It’s as simple as that. The above passage in Luke further illustrates this point. This verse is often used in connection to money, but the context here has nothing to do with the giving of our finances. It has to do with judging others or showing mercy. What we give is what we’ll get, and then some.
Application:
We don’t forgive others because they deserve it, or we feel like it. We forgive because it is God’s heart and we have been forgiven for more against God than what anyone has ever done against me. I need mercy, so I look for every opportunity to be merciful. I need forgiveness, so I make the decision to forgive others even before they wrong me. I want God to be kind and merciful to me, so I must make it my aim to be kind and merciful to others.
The Golden Rule, “Do to others as you would have them do to you” applies here (Luke 6:31). Remember that God is a perfect Father and never asks anything of us that He Himself wouldn’t do. He wants us to love, so He loved us first (1 John 4:19). He wants us to forgive, so He forgives us (Ephesians 4:32).
Ultimately, we forgive because He forgave us first. This is how we know Him and can be like Him.
Prayer:
Lord, I love You. Thank You for today. You are holy. I ask forgiveness for my unforgiveness. Help me to let go of my offenses and trust in Your goodness and righteous judgment. Teach me to be loving, merciful, and forgiving before the fact. I need Your mercy and grace. Help me to be merciful and gracious to others. Amen.
Worship: