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23rd May 2024
ThursdayReflection
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Jeff Stott comments on
Forgiving One Another (Colossians 3:13)
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In your life people are going to be unkind, impolite, and rude.
Some of you have been mistreated and abused.
Some things in your life should not have been said or happened, but they did happen and it was said.
Listen carefully, without forgiveness your life will be governed by an endless cycle of resentment and retaliation.
For your personal growth and peace you must learn to be a forgiver of people.
Number one, forgiving one another is letting go of your resentment toward others. Colossians 3:13 says we are to "forgive."
You are told to "make allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you" (NLT).
When someone sins against you: they lie to you or about you, they break a promise or vow they made to you, they steal from you, they hurt or violate you in some way, they were rude to you, they offended you ... they sinned against you in some way.
If you are not careful you will begin to hold a grudge against them and you will feel like they owe you something.
This grudge shows up in the form of resentment, bitterness, and anger.
To forgive someone is to let go of the grudge, let loose of the offense, and to not hold them in debt for what they said or did.
You are releasing them from the debt of sin against you. You are letting go of the resentment and grudge you have against them.
This is why Jesus said,
"But when you are praying first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against ..."
Mark 11:25, NLT
Stop holding the grudge and let it go. You let it go with forgiveness.
You cannot say you are fine, that it was not a big deal, or that, since it was in the past, you've just moved on.
You must be honest about the reality of the wrong done to you if you want the forgiveness to be equally serious.
Forgiveness doesn't excuse their behaviour.
Forgiveness prevents their behaviour from destroying your heart.
Some people are prone to live as if the world were not filled with depraved sinners capable of sin, hurt, pain, and evil.
Ignorance of or ignoring the wrong committed against you is not forgiveness.
You must acknowledge the wrong done to you in order to forgive them.
Forgiveness is not giving permission for the person to do it again.
Forgiveness is not forgetting about sin committed against you.
It is actually impossible to completely forget such things.
Just because you still remember and the memory still hurts, does not mean you are walking in unforgiveness.
That may be more of an indication that you are still hurting or grieving over the hurt.
When God says,
"Their sin I will remember no more,"
He does not mean that He has no memory, but rather that He continually chooses not to bring it up or keep it in the forefront of His thinking.
He does not hold it against them anymore.
You can forgive someone and still feel hurt by the offense but not hold it against the person.
Number two, forgiving one another is based on Jesus forgiving you.
Look again at Colossians 3:13,
"Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others" (NLT).
This is significant.
What we have a tendency to do is forgive people based on what they say or don't say, do or don't do.
If they apologize or ask for forgiveness, but it doesn't seem genuine or real enough we don't forgive them.
Our forgiveness is based on whether or not we see enough humility, repentance, or sorrow.
Your motivation to forgive others is based on Jesus love and forgiveness toward you, not the character or actions of the other person.
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This is an edited version.
The full article and Bible references are avaiable on request
TRUTH APPLIED
Jeff Stott
became a follower of Jesus as a teenager.
He was not raised in a Christian home, but God used several factors to draw him to Himself.
Some of them included the following: grandparents who were believers and his mother getting saved at age thirty-two
As he began to grow spiritually his hunger for God's Word grew with it and his desire to share it and teach it was overwhelming.
In his later teens he began to have a desire and drawing toward some kind of full time ministry.
Eventually he went to college and while there God confirmed through His Word, others, and experiences that He was calling him into the pastoral ministry.
More
Forgiving one another is unlimited.
It has no boundaries. Colossians 3:13 says, "forgive anyone who offends you" (NLT).
The word "offends" refers to any complaint against you (right or wrong), sin against you, or wrong against you.
When you are offended by someone you are to forgive them.
Have you ever been around someone who was easily offended?
It's one thing to be offended by something that is offensive, it's another thing to be offended by constructive criticism.
For some people they are easily offended. You cannot give them constructive criticism because they get offended by it.
You cannot offer real advice to them because they feel attacked by it.
Overlooking an offense is immediately forgiving an offense.
It is to your glory to overlook an offense and it is to your shame to hold on an offense. Let it go.
The point I'm making is forgiving one another is to be unlimited.
Your forgiveness toward others is unlimited in regards to three aspects.
Your forgiveness has no limits in regards to the person. Colossians 3:13 says, "Forgive anyone who offends you" (NLT).
It doesn't matter who they are.
Your forgiveness has no limits in regards to the offense.
Colossians 3:13 says, "Forgive anyone who offends you" (NLT). Any offense.
Your forgiveness has no limits in regards to the amount.
Jesus made it clear in Luke 17, "Even if that person wrongs you seven times a day and each time turns again and asks forgiveness, you must forgive" (v.4, NLT;
see also Matthew 18:21-35).
A constant flow of forgiveness.
Conclusion
Have you accepted God's forgiveness that He offers you?
You can be forgiven of your sins.
The only way you can have eternal life is for you to receive God's forgiveness.
Paul stated this clearly when he said, "that through this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins.
Everyone who believes in Him is declared right with God" (Acts 13:38-39, NLT).
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