I Forgive You

Wow, when put together, these 3 words are powerful, “I forgive you.” If you have become a child of God and been washed with the blood of Jesus Christ, you have been forgiven of ALL your past sins, any sins you might commit now and any future sins. What an amazing gift that was given to us! To no longer be stained with sin, but to be seen “white as snow.”

As followers of Christ, we are to reflect Him. If he has extended forgiveness to us, then we ought to extend forgiveness to others. I understand this is much easier said than done, especially if we try to do it in our own strength. In fact, it would be impossible without the Lord helping us. Our fleshly man would justify why that person doesn’t deserve forgiveness. But the question has to be asked, did we “deserve” forgiveness of our sins? The answer is no, we did not deserve forgiveness. God’s compassion and unconditional love for you and me provided forgiveness of our sins.

When faced with a decision to forgive someone or not to forgive, we have a choice. We can choose to forgive or hold onto unforgiveness that will cause bitterness and hatred in our lives. Or we can obey His Word, “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:31,32

Pastor Emily Christenson