Forgiveness, It Really Comes From The Heart, Matthew 6:12, 14-15

Matthew 6:12, 14-15 (NKJV): And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

Forgiveness (from https://carm.org/dictionary-forgiveness): Forgiveness is the act of releasing someone from a debt or obligation. There are seven words in Scripture that denote the idea of forgiveness: three in Hebrew and four in Greek. No book of religion except Christianity teaches that God completely forgives sins. God remembers our sins no more (Heb. 10:17). God is the initiator of forgiveness (Col. 2:13).

There is only one sin for which the Father does not promise forgiveness: blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (Mark 3:28, Matt. 12:32). The contexts suggest this to be the sin of attributing to unclean spirits the work of the Holy Spirit.

For man to receive forgiveness, repentance is necessary (Luke 17:3-4). For the holy God to extend forgiveness, the shedding of blood is necessary (Heb. 9:22, Lev. 17:11). Forgiveness is based upon the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.

We all have experienced it. We have a friend, family member or acquaintance that we offended. We didn’t realize that we offended them, but we did. When we found out we did, we asked for forgiveness. We sought to make it right. Sometimes, we do not receive it. It makes us feel bad, crushed, sometimes even angry.

What if it was us not giving forgiveness though? What if we hung on to that offense/anger? That would be what could be referred to as a resentment.

Resentment (from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/resentment): a feeling of indignant displeasure or persistent ill will at something regarded as a wrong, insult, or injury

The problem with resentment is that it harms the person who is carrying it. It has been described as someone taking poison hoping to harm the person they are angry at.

Here’s a question to ponder, “What if God held a resentment towards all of us?” “What if He didn’t provide forgiveness for any of us?” Simple answer: none of us would have a chance at entering into His Grace nor into Heaven. He would not allow any of us, because we are all sinners and we have offended Him in one or many ways, to be able to draw near to Him. He would not allow us an opportunity to repent from our wrongs, therefore, all of us, would be outside in the darkness from Heaven, where Jesus described as gnashing of teeth and weeping. There would be no chance of turning around from this. However, God Loves us all and gives us a chance to be by His Side.

Jesus gives  us a warning here. He said that if we don’t forgive, we will lose out on True Forgiveness. He instructed us that since The Father, Who is offended by our sins, Forgives us, we should be willing to forgive as well.

A great benefit of forgiveness for us is that we do not carry resentment. Resentment is truly poison to us and can make us bitter.

Keep this in mind as we deal with others who would surely offend us, without intention of causing us offense. This will surely help us to show True Love to others.