Forgiveness

July 6, 2009

Dear Fellow Travelers,
In my message yesterday, I intended on pointing out some of the characteristics of Jesus’ life that separated Him from the world of religious folks; characteristics that, once seen, help to remove the scales of legalism. There were ten that I intended to share, but on my way home, I realized that I had omitted one of them, a very significant one of them.
These are the nine I shared: (1) Jesus was a man of relentless tenderness; (2) Jesus was a man of incredible courage; (3) By His own admission, He did not come to condemn the world but to save it; (4) Jesus’ weapons were mercy, grace, and love, not swords, guns, and muscles; (5) Jesus was a man of humility, not arrogance and pride; (6) He hated sin, but loved sinners; (7) Jesus was a man of few words, but when He spoke, the trees clapped their hands, the sea roared, and the heavens thundered; (8) Jesus was a man with few true friends, but He, nevertheless, calls each of us “friend”; (9) In Jesus’ eyes the Sabbath was made for Him, not the other way around.
This is the one I unintentionally omitted: Jesus was a man of instant forgiveness, never keeping a record of wrongs suffered. The truth is, He took the “record of wrongs committed against Him” and nailed it to the cross not only for His good, but especially for our good. That “certificate of debt” no longer exists—period!
I find it interesting that we can so quickly and eagerly accept His forgiveness of our sins, but we often find it very difficult, seemingly impossible, to forgive others, when they sin against us.
Just for the record: forgiveness in NOT what most think! It is not pushing feelings aside and pretending that all is well; instead, it is releasing another from a legitimate debt. Forgiveness can be accomplished only after the debt, that was created by the offense, is paid in full. The problem with that is this: not one of us has the resources to pay the debt, even a portion of it, much less the entire debt, which is why we so desperately need a Savior, especially One who never keeps a record of wrongs suffered—instant forgiveness.
It is very difficult for me to understand how anyone can receive His forgiveness with-out readily forgiving others. It is very difficult for me to understand how those, who have been forgiven so much, can be so diligent in keeping a record of wrongs suffered.
Remember this: YOU are a slave to the one you refuse to forgive. THAT person controls more of your life than you probably realize—what you think about, where you go, your sleep, your attitude, your relationships, et al.
For the life of me, I do not understand why He did not remind me of this yesterday, during my message. Oh well-