Forgiving As We Are Forgiven, Pt. 5 — A ‘Time With God’ Devotion

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Transcript

Good morning. As we come to the end of the week, let’s just remember what we’ve been talking about this week as we’ve focused in on forgiveness. You might expect that we’d be talking about God’s forgiveness for us, and yes, we have been, and that’s so crucial, but our focus has been on learning to forgive people in our lives and learning to ask for forgiveness and receive forgiveness as well.

This is core to our lives virtually every day and probably multiple times in a day, you might feel offended, something someone has said, something they’ve implied, something that has offended you, and how are you going to react to it? How are you going to respond to that relationship in your life? Because being offended and forgiveness are all about relationship, aren’t they?

We saw on Monday that forgiveness and grace go together, that forgiveness is not about the person deserving forgiveness. Don’t ever think I can’t forgive that person because they don’t deserve it. That’s not what forgiveness is about ever. Forgiveness is about what’s in your heart, and do you have grace in your heart to forgive?

Undeserved gift

An undeserved gift is always an expression of love, and you can even love people that you don’t like. Love is a reflection of God and His activity in your life. Tuesday we looked at the huge principle that we need to forgive because we have been forgiven. No one can offend you more than you have offended God and caused the death of His Son in order to provide a way for you to be forgiven.

Forgive because you have been forgiven. You’ve been forgiven much more so you can forgive the people in your life.

Wednesday we saw that offering forgiveness costs you. It cost God, didn’t it? Incredible cost, as Jesus went to the cross in order for us to be forgiven. It costs the forgiver to forgive, but it also rewards them. It says that Jesus endured the cross for the joy set before Him, and that joy was us and His relationship with us.

And then we saw yesterday that receiving forgiveness also costs us. I mean, to go to someone and ask for forgiveness is against your pride, isn’t it?

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It’s humbling yourself, and yet nothing is more beautiful to God in your life than for you to humble yourself and ask for forgiveness when you need it. In fact, He says, if you have an offering to give Him, you want to come to God with worship and remember that someone has something against you, you should leave your offering and go and be reconciled to them first and then come to God.

And today we want to just talk a little bit about how to become a forgiver. Let me just read you a few verses from Jesus’ crucifixion in Luke 23 in the Bible. It says:

Two others who were criminals were led away to be put to death with him, and when they came to the place that is called the skull. There they crucified him and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left, and listen to verse 34, and Jesus said, Father, forgive them. They don’t know what they do.

Wow. The people crucifying him, even while it was happening. Father, forgive them. They don’t know what they do.

When Jesus had risen and the church was growing in Jerusalem, Stephen is one of the leaders in the church. The Jewish leaders who crucify Jesus now take Stephen out and start to stone him to death. It says in Acts 7:59 and 60, while they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. Then he fell on his knees and cried out, Lord, do not hold this sin against them. When he had said this, he died. Well, Stephen was reflecting Jesus, wasn’t he?

How do you become a forgiver? Well, as we look at these examples, number one, you value people over your own rights. Yes, you have the right, but do you value people over your rights? Value relationships over pride? Yes, they have offended your pride, but do you value the relationship more?

Yes, it’s hard to ask for forgiveness, but remember, forgiveness is the only way to reconciliation in your relationship. Let God’s model be your example.

I’m John North.

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