"Father Forgive Them for They Know not What They do."
Forgiveness is so important for the believer in Jesus Christ. When someone
mistreats us or sins against us, we have the hardest time forgiving him, let
alone forgetting as God does. "He is faithful and just to forgive us our
sins" (I John 1:9b). Then, why should we not forgive others? "Freely ye
have received, freely give" (Matthew 10:8). God has poured so much grace and
mercy on us, so we too need to show grace and mercy to others.
Satan tries so persistently to remind us of past differences we had with others,
but we must be firm and choose with our will to forgive. There is nothing
involved but our will. He tries to stop us because when we do not forgive, we
can never advance in the Kingdom. We need to develop a forgiveness that
instantly forgets. "For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember
their sin no more" (Jeremiah 31:34). This takes more than a half-hearted
following of Christ, but it takes the power of God - the mystery of Christ in
us.
God wants to teach us how to live and think with the Lord. Only then will our
conversation be godly. "For our conversation is in heaven" (Philippians
3:20a). We will live in a state of repentance for ourselves and others because
we will be thinking with God in His mercy and grace.
Hebrews 8:12, "For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their
sins and their iniquities will I remember no more."
Never forget, when you have lost your faith, when God is no longer real to you,
go back. Go back to the last place you saw Him. He will be waiting for you
there.
FAITH: "KEEPS ON KEEPING ON", FOR GOD.
Author Unknown