"If we confess our sin, He is
faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins to cleanse us of all
unrighteousness."
1 John 1:9
"Bear with one another and forgive
one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord
forgave you."
Colossians 3:13
"Let the wicked forsake their ways
and the unrighteous their thoughts."
Isaiah 55:7
We speak and write about forgiveness quite often. We are often offended
or hurt by another and are reluctant to forgive their transgressions as it is
in our nature to hold a grudge.
I can hold grudges with the best of them.
I took a class called "Freedom" at my church about three year ago.
Part of the class was about forgiving others and letting go as it only hurts
you. That is quite true. I did not realize until the class just how much I was
holding on to wrongs against me, real or perceived. Sometimes I was holding on
for years, even decades!
But what about when you are the transgressor? When you are the one who
hurts someone else? I recently did just that. I did something very foolish and
inexcusable. Even worse, I hurt those I care about the most. I shattered their
trust. I would dare say that I would rather be the aggrieved party than be the
perpetrator of hurt. I think of my namesake, David, who sinned against the
Lord. He committed adultery and even had someone murdered. God forgave David
and even honored his future descendants.
So, I know that nothing I can do will separate me from God's love.
Still, I feel I have once again failed God. I even have this image that He must
watch me and shake His head at me. Fortunately, He is a loving God who, in His
tender mercy, sent his son, Jesus Christ, to die for my sins and grant me
mercy.
But that does solve the problem of those I have hurt by my foolishness.
How do we seek to repair the damage and regain the trust of those we have
wronged? Nobody better to answer this than Billy Graham.
Rev. Graham says,
"It’s always important to seek the forgiveness of those we’ve hurt,
even if it is hard to do. Jesus said that if “your brother or sister has
something against you … First go and be reconciled to them” (Matthew 5:23-24).
They may not forgive you, of course; they may reject your attempt or react with
renewed anger over what you did, but then it becomes their problem, not yours.
You will have done everything you could to let them know you regret what
happened, and that you want their forgiveness. That’s what’s important to God.
The Bible tells us to “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of
you has a grievance against someone” (Colossians 3:13).Why is it important to
seek the forgiveness of those we’ve hurt? For one thing, it could bring about
reconciliation. After all, you were the one at fault; you alone are responsible
for the hurt that resulted. But that hurt will only be healed if you seek to
heal it (and if the other person responds).But now that you’ve given your life
to Christ, you have another important reason to seek the forgiveness of those
you’ve hurt. It’s this: You now have an opportunity to tell them how God has
forgiven you — and how He can forgive them also. No matter how much you’ve
wronged others, it’s small compared with the wrongs we’ve committed against
God. And yet He still loves us, and Christ stands ready to forgive us."
Amen.
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