Our walk with God begins with recognizing that we have offended God and are in need of his forgiveness and cleansing. We have been infected by sin and nothing will remove the stain except the blood of Jesus.
In fact our plight is so bad that we are considered to be enemies of God, and headed for a lost eternity. Our condition is so bad that God himself cannot overlook our sin or just forgive us.
But God, who is rich in mercy, sent His only Son to pay the price for our sin. The righteous one died in our place, bearing the guilt of our sin. This is but the starting place of our salvation. Without acknowledging our lost and sinful condition, we cannot find God's mercy and access His forgiveness.
When Jesus hung on the cross He said "it is finished." What was finished at that time? The penalty for sin had been made, and Jesus bore all of my guilt and shame. The fire of God's wrath cannot burn in the same place twice, just as a bushfire cannot re-burn the paddocks which it has already devastated.
God cannot re-judge my sin, but He will judge what I do with Jesus, who is God's gift for our salvation. What have you done with Jesus? Did you accept his act of mercy and receive his judgment for your sin and thank him for it? Heaven's door swings wide open to those who receive God's forgiveness through Jesus, but remains closed and cold as steel to those who try to obtain salvation another way.
Once I am forgiven of my sins, my name is placed in God's book of life, and my death is only a passing out of this body and into a new Heavenly body, and out of this sin sick world into the realms of Heaven.
When we have been forgiven, God expects us to forgive others also. When we hold onto resentment, bitterness and un-forgiveness we distance ourself from God and bind ourself to the problem. We are required to walk in forgiveness, so that nothing blocks our walk with God.
Quote:
"Forgiveness is a funny thing. It warms the heart and cools the sting." - William Arthur Ward
It is time to stop judging people and start being a friend instead. When we refuse to forgive others, we ourselves end up in bondage by the very judgement we held against others. But we even need God's help at times to forgive, because some things hurt so much that we need to ask God for grace to forgive and see the good in others. Love covers a multitude of sins.
Quote:
"To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you." - Lewis B. Smedes
Mark 11:25-26
And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him and let it drop (leave it, let it go), in order that your Father, Who is in heaven, may also forgive you your (own) failings and shortcomings and let them drop.
But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your failings and shortcomings.
Ephesians 4:32
And become useful and helpful and kind to one another, tenderhearted (compassionate, understanding, loving-hearted), forgiving one another (readily and freely) as God in Christ forgave you.
Colossians 3:13
Be gentle and forbearing with one another and, if one has a difference (a grievance or complaint) against another, readily pardoning each other; even as the Lord has (freely) forgiven you, so must you also forgive.
Matthew 5:24
Leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.
Matthew 5:44-45
But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
Matthew 6:9-15
This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Matthew 18:21-35
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times." "Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him.Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. The servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.' The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. "But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded. "His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.' "But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened. "Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."
Matthew 26:28
This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
