What it Truly Means to Forgive
As Jesus teaches his disciples how to pray in the Bible, he includes forgiving others. He tells us that God will only forgive our sins if we forgive others. This means our hearts must be open to forgiving others so that we can receive the incredible gift of His forgiveness to us.
“For if you forgive men their trespasses, he will also forgive you.”
Less than 1 out of 500 people actually understand what Christ means when he tells us to forgive other people. Most people think that because God forgave us, we should forgive others. However, this truth doesn’t seem to work.
In Matthew 18, Jesus tells us we must forgive from our heart because that is where we are wounded. What it cost God to forgive was his son, so you can imagine the importance of this action. The torment caused by unwillingness to forgive continues until we choose to forgive.
If you don’t forgive someone else who has wounded you, God stops forgiving you.
If you truly understand Christ’s answer to forgiveness, you will be so motivated to run to forgiveness.
Unforgiven sins are doors for torment. They will remain open and painful, no matter how much you pray. This is not because God wants you to be tormented, he just wants to see you forgive. God doesn’t have a closed mind, he has a broken heart.
Do you still have massive amounts of sin that need to be forgiven? Take some time to make a list of people that have wounded you in the past. Think through what they did that wounded your heart. And forgive them.
Tell us about your story of forgiveness here.
