FORGIVENESS

All Christians know personally what it means to be forgiven, oh but do we really, I mean really understand forgiveness? 

Do we really know what it means to have our sins forgiven? do we understand the great cost? Do we really understand that it took God becoming man and becoming a sacrifice for us?

Let's take a look at a few Bible passages that describe how God viewed us before we were reconciled to Him by the death of His son Jesus:

This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions ( Colossians 1:21).

For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life ( Romans 5:10)!

Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others ( Ephesians 2:3).

Quick Summary of our condition when God decided to reconcile us to Himself.

1. We were far away from God.

2. We were enemies of God.

3. We were separated from God (because of our evil thoughts and actions).

4. We were the objects of God's wrath.

In light of God's forgiveness, how can we not forgive those who have wronged us? God calls us to release anyone who may have wronged us.

I've always thought, who am I to hold an offense against any person who has wronged me when God has forgiven me when I was His enemy?

Father-thank you for Your forgiveness. Help us to release others of their offenses against us (help us to realize that forgiveness is for us to help us heal and not be griped by the evil of bitterness). Our great God help us to bask in the light of the great cost to You so that our sins could be forgiven, AMEN.