Trust God to Forgive

It is never easy to admit that we have made a mistake. 

The bigger the mistake the more we want to hide it, deny it, or ignore it. 

It is no wonder that we have a hard time confessing our sin, even in our private prayers to God. The result is that we carry around a complex baggage of guilt, shame, temptation, and habitual sin. This reality makes it difficult to accept God’s promise of forgiveness.

I know that I find it hard to confess my sins to God because I am embarrassed about what my sin reveals about my weakness. 

 After all I should know better! 

 “If I truly had faith,” I reason, “this sin wouldn’t be a problem.”

As a result I keep my distance from God. I don’t want to be weak faithless fool before Him.

Perhaps you struggle with asking for forgiveness because you are afraid of God. 

There is a voice inside of your mind telling you that if you confess your sins to God then He will punish you.  

“After all,” you think,  “isn’t God going to judge lawbreakers?”

In his book Created to Be God’s Friend, Henry Blackaby wrote:

Faith is lived out through trust. 

The question we need to ask ourselves is this: Do I trust God to forgive me? 

If we don’t trust God to forgive then we won’t turn to Him and confess our sins. 

Instead we will run away and hide. We will ignore the sin that is ruining our lives. We will do every thing we can think of to avoid God.

For us to trust people we have to believe that they have our best interest at heart.

This means we need to answer this question: Is there any reason why we should trust God to forgive us?

 

The reason we can trust God is Jesus. 

The life, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ is the evidence we need to trust that God will forgive us. This is true, no matter who we are or what we have done.

The writer of the book of Hebrews gave us this gem of truth:

How do we come before the throne of God? 

First, it requires our surrender to Jesus Christ as Lord. If we are not willing to be a follower of Jesus it is impossible for us to experience God’s gift of forgiveness. Jesus is the High Priest who has prepared the way to God. There is no other way to forgiveness except through Jesus.

Second, we need to confess our sins to God through prayer. God knows our sins, and He has declared His willingness to forgive. Yet, forgiveness requires the acknowledgement that we have done something wrong. This is an act of trust, because we need to believe that God has our best interest at heart. So we confess our sin because we trust that God will forgive us.

Third, we need to worship God. From singing praise songs to serving people in need, it is important that we set our hearts towards God. Worship requires the right motivation more than it requires the right actions. We can go through the motions of worship without love and trust. Worship that is grounded in faith is the type of worship that God desires from us.

Living in these bodies of flesh in this world means that sin will be a part of our lives. 

Not only do we need constantly struggle with sin to eliminate it from our lives, we also have to trust God to forgive us when we sin. 

God is gracious and willing to forgive us, but we need to turn to Him and ask for it.

Trust God to forgive you.

Keep Moving in the Right Direction

 I need this reminder.

With the enthusiasm of New Year's Resolutions fading away, I am guessing you may need to hear it too.

Changing our behavior is hard work and it takes time. 

Very rarely are people able to make significant life changes over night. Not only do we have undo years of habit development, but often we have to deal with our own negative self talk. 

At times it really seems like there is a part of us that doesn't want to change, regardless of how bad and unhealthy our behavior may be.

Something that I have been dealing with the last few weeks is the voice that tells me, "That is too little and too late." There is a part of me that wants me to believe that it doesn't matter what I do, all my effort will be a waste in the end. At times it feels like true lasting change is a hopeless dream.

When I listen to that voice I fall back on my old habits. When that I happens I want to throw in the towel and give up.

This is why it is crucial to remember that a mistake is not an excuse to give up. Nothing would ever change if we gave up when a mistake was made.

We need to remember that mistakes happen. They are part of learning a new skill, and it is okay if we are not perfect. The more we work on what we are changing, the easier it will become.

Remember what John wrote; "But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness." (1 John 1:9; NLT)

God provided a way for us to leave our sin in the past. He knew that we were going to stumble and fall, and so He made sure that even in our sin there would be an opportunity to return to Him.

Because of forgiveness, our sin is not an excuse to give up.

If that is true for sin, how much more true is it for the mistakes we make as we try to alter our habits and change our lives?

Since God forgives our sins, then we should be able to forgive ourselves of the mistakes we make, and keep moving in the direction of becoming a better person.

God Will Forgive » Paul's Ponderings

No one likes to admit that they have made a mistake. The bigger the mistake the more motivation we have to try to cover it up and act like nothing ever happened.

Since that is how many of us respond to making a mistake, it is no wonder that we have a difficult time confessing our sin, even to God. The result is that many of us carry around the baggage of guilt for past sins, and the chains of habit for present sins. This dual threat of guilt and addiction makes life complicated as we try to keep the masks we have created in place, so no one can see untidy parts of our lives.

One of the reasons I find it hard to confess my sins to God is because I am embarrassed about the weakness that I have in my life. “After all,” I think, “I should know better! If I truly had faith I wouldn’t do such things.” Like Adam and Eve, I try to hide from God because I don’t want admit my foolish choice.

There are other reasons why people hide from God, rather than confessing their sins to Him. I think another big one is fear. You know God is the law-giver, and fear tells you that if you confess your sin, then He will punish you. “After all God is holy,” fear has you rationalize, “and that means He has to punish those who break His law.” With a thought like this, it is easy to understand why people have a difficult time confessing sin.

Finish reading at God Will Forgive » Paul's Ponderings:

'via Blog this'

Daily Thought: A Denial of Jesus

"Cheap grace means grace as a doctrine, a principle, a system.  It means forgiveness of sins proclaimed as a general truth, the love of God taught as the Christian 'conception' of God.  An intellectual assent to that idea is held to be of itself sufficient to secure remission of sins.  The Church which holds the correct doctrine of grace has, it is supposed, ipso facto a part in that grace. In such a Church the world finds a cheap covering for its sins; no contrition is required, still less any real desire to be delivered from sin.  Cheap grace therefore amounts to a denial of the living Word of God, in fact, a denial of the Incarnation of the Word of God." ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship, p. 43

Daily Thought: Living the Reality

"I believe that what many of us are searching for is not simply another message reassuring us that God forgives freely.  As wonderful as it is, that information alone is not enough to enable people to grow in their experience of God's liberating forgiveness.  Many of us struggle at this point—not so much with understanding the message of forgiveness, but with living in the reality of it." ~ John Ortberg, The Life You've Always Wanted, p. 129

Daily Thought: The Cost of Forgiveness

"Beware of the pleasant view of the Fatherhood of God—God is so kind and loving that of course He will forgive us. That sentiment has no place whatever in the New Testament. The only ground on which God can forgive us is the tremendous tragedy of the Cross of Christ; to put forgiveness on any other ground is unconscious blasphemy. The only ground on which God can forgive sin and reinstate us in His favour is through the Cross of Christ, and in no other way. Forgiveness, which is so easy for us to accept, cost the agony of Calvary. It is possible to take the forgiveness of sin, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and our sanctification with the simplicity of faith, and to forget at what enormous cost to God it was all made ours." ~ Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest

Daily Thought: Receive and Give Forgiveness

"To receive forgiveness cannot be our ultimate end.  When we are genuinely grateful for forgiveness given us, we will in turn extend grace and forgiveness  to others.  This is what it means to live in grace, to live in an unending stream of forgiveness.  Grace both receives and gives forgiveness without measure.  To receive the grace of God and yet treat others ungraciously is an act of wickedness.  No matter how much we are required to forgive in others, it pales in comparison to what God has forgiven in relationship to us." ~ Erwin McManus, Uprising, p. 123

Daily Thought: Having a Forgiving Spirit

"This certainly does not mean that our forgiveness of others earns us the right to be forgiven.  It is rather that God forgives only the penitent and that one of the chief evidences of true penitence is a forgiving spirit." ~ John Stott, The Message of the Sermon on the Mount, p. 149

Daily Thought: Convincing the World

"Thus you can bless the world.  As the forgiving one, Jesus has set up His kingdom and continually extends it.  Through the same forgiving love, the church will convince the  world of God's love.  If the world sees me and women loving and forgiving as Jesus did, it will be compelled to confess the truth that God is with them." ~ Andrew Murray, The Best of Andrew Murray, p. 124

Daily Thought: Forgiveness is Freedom

"Forgiveness is the only cure for wrong.  And hand in hand with 'sense-of-injury' always walks the weak sister-demon 'self-pity,' so dear, so sweet to many.  In short, forgiveness is freedom, forgiveness is liberation of the heart, mind, and soul." ~ George MacDonald, p. 41, The Best of George MacDonald

Celebrating One Night Bethlehem Day 8

Peace on Earth

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
Luke 2:13-14; ESV

A group of shepherds were watching their flocks on the hills outside of Bethlehem when they were greeted by an angel.  The angel’s message  was to go into town and find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manager.  The angel declares that this baby, born in humble circumstances, is the long awaited Messiah.

If a visit from a lone angel is not enough the sky is suddenly filled with a host of angels singing about God’s peace to the world.  What is interesting about this is that this is not an angelic choir, instead it is an angelic army.  The Greek means, when literally translated, “heavenly army.”  So the picture of the angels’ visit to the shepherds is that of angelic warriors coming, not to make war on humankind, but to declare peace.  The enmity which existed between people and God because of sin was now going to be dealt with and the relationship between the Creator and the creation would be restored.

Part of the good news we receive at Christmas is that God is the God of grace and not vengeance.  He was within His rights to destroy us because we sided with His enemy Satan to bring chaos and destruction to His creation.  We rejected His Kingdom, His ways, and His purposes in order to pursue our own selfish interests and the result is the sinful and messed up world in which we live.

Thank God that He is compassionate and through it all He desired to have a relationship with people.  He did not give up on us, even though we may have given up on Him.  So instead of sending His army to destroy us He sent them to tell us that God was reaching out to us in peace.

It is impossible to avoid conflict in life.  We have had disagreements and fights with people and the result is that the relationships have been strained.  As we prepare for Christmas one of the things that we need to do is reach out to those people who have hurt us.

Take some time today to pray for those people who have hurt you and ask God to help you forgive them.  I would also suggest that you take it a step further and send them a Christmas card, acknowledging  that you have had differences in the past, but you want to put those differences in the past.  Let them know that you will pray for them through the Christmas season.  Christmas should be a time that we reach out to others in peace and in love.

The point to ponder today is: At Christmas we celebrate the reality that we have peace with God by extending peace and forgiveness to our enemies.

The Consequence of Not Forgiving

Originally posted on Saturday March 26, 2005

Years ago there lived an advisor to a great king.  The advisor and king were friends.  They ate together, they spent time together, and worshipped God together.  This advisor had a son who was one of the mighty warriors in the king’s army, and the son had a beautiful daughter. The son gave his daughter in marriage to another of the king’s mighty warriors, and he truly loved her.

One spring when the king’s army went off to war, the king stayed behind in the safety of his palace.  He had grown too important to risk the dangers of war.  He lounged, enjoying the pleasure of his kingdom while his men fought to protect the kingdom.  One evening, after a long afternoon nap, the king caught sight of the beautiful granddaughter of his trusted advisor.  The king sent for her and he took that which was not his.

When the king learned the beautiful woman was pregnant, the king arranged for her husband to be killed.  After a time of mourning the king brought the woman into the palace and married her, and the king was confident that his sin was covered.

A year later a prophet made his way into the court and confronted the king about his terrible sin.  The king repents, but as a consequence the son born due to the illicit affair dies.  The advisor, witnesses the prophet’s confrontation with the king, and when the advisor’s great grandson dies he realizes the treachery of his king.  The king has dishonored his family, took advantage of his granddaughter, and murdered her loving husband.

For eleven years the advisor let hatred and bitterness grow in his heart.  He waited for a chance to take his revenge on the king.  Finally one of the king’s sons decided to rebel and steal the kingdom from his father.  The advisor seizes the opportunity and sided with the son.  He advised the son to dishonor his father publicly by sleeping with the king’s concubines, and the advisor urged the son to go after the king and to allow him, the advisor, the opportunity kill the king.  For the advisor this was personal. The son takes the advisor’s first bit of advice, but relents from pursuing the king because the son listens to the advice of another advisor who is secretly loyal to the king.  Because the old advisor knew the son would not succeed in overthrowing his father, and because he has backed the loser, the advisor went home and hungs himself.

The advisor’s name was Ahithophel, and he was the grandfather of Bathsheba.  The story of Ahithophel and his part in Absalom’s conspiracy to overthrow David is found in 2 Samuel 16-17.  It is thought that David wrote Psalm 55 during this time, and verses 12-14 are believed to be a reference to Ahithophel.

 It is not an enemy who taunts me—I could bear that. It is not my foes who so arrogantly insult me—I could have hidden from them.
 Instead, it is you—my equal, my companion and close friend.
What good fellowship we once enjoyed as we walked together to the house of God. (NLT)

Ahithophel had every right to be angry with David, but he did not seek reconciliation with the king.  Rather the advisor looked for a way to destroy the honor and life of  David.  Over time the hatred and bitterness consumed him, and in the end it was Ahithophel who was destroyed, not David.

When we hold on to the hatred and bitterness that we have in our lives we miss out on the wonderful life God has for us.  Instead of seeing blessings and joy we become consumed with pain and indignation.  We could be justified in our anger, and the other person could have really done us wrong, but our hatred for them does us more harm to us, especially to our hearts, than it ever does for them.

There is a parable that Jesus told that speaks to this very issue:

“Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him. In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars. He couldn’t pay, so his master ordered that he be sold—along with his wife, his children, and everything he owned—to pay the debt. “But the man fell down before his master and begged him, ‘Please, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.’ Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt. “But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment. “His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it,’ he pleaded. But his creditor wouldn’t wait. He had the man arrested and put in prison until the debt could be paid in full. “When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him everything that had happened. Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’  Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt. (Matthew 18:23-34; NLT)

The hurt and pain that we have caused God as we have participated in destroying His creation and neglecting people whom He loves is so much greater than the harm people have done to us.  Yes, people have hurt us and forgiveness does not seek to minimize that reality, what forgiveness does is allows you to move past the hurt and pain so you can seek to mend the broken relationship.  One of the reasons we want to mend the broken relationship is because when we hang out to the pain and the outrage we are locking ourselves up in a prison that will hold us back from becoming the person God created us to be.  Forgiveness is the key which is able to unlock the door.

A second reason we forgive is because God has forgiven us.  If He can show mercy, then we too can show mercy. It is by the light of God’s forgiveness that reveals to us why we need to forgive those who have hurt us.

The death of Jesus is a reminder of the forgiveness God is willing to give to His enemies.  In the face of such great love how can we hold on to an unforgiving spirit and the bitterness that consumes our heart?

Sunday Quote: Extend Forgiveness

"To receive forgiveness cannot be our ultimate end.  When we are genuinely grateful for forgiveness given us, we will in turn extend grace and forgiveness  to others.  This is what it means to live in grace, to live in an unending stream of forgiveness.  Grace both receives and gives forgiveness without measure.  To receive the grace of God and yet treat others ungraciously is an act of wickedness.  No matter how much we are required to forgive in others, it pales in comparison to what God has forgiven in relationship to us." ~ Erwin McManus, Uprising, p. 123

Turn to God for Forgiveness

It is never easy to admit that we have made a mistake. The bigger the mistake the more we want to hide it, deny it, or ignore it. So it is no wonder when it comes to sin, our sin, we have such a hard time confessing it, even to God. Many of us are carrying around the baggage of guilt for past sins and the chains of habit for present sins while are lives become more and more complicated.

I find it hard to confess my sins to God and seek forgiveness because I am so embarrassed about my weakness. After all I should know better! If I truly had faith I wouldn’t behave is such a manner. So I keep my distant from God because I don’t want to appear like a fool before Him.

Perhaps you struggle with seeking forgiveness because you are afraid of God. There is a voice inside of you telling you that if you confess your sins to God then He will punish you. After all isn’t God out to get all the lawbreakers?

In his book Created to Be God’s Friend Henry Blackaby wrote; “When a child of God sins, what he does next will reveal his heart-relationship with God! Faith in God always returns a person to God for forgiveness. Faith always trusts and obeys.” (pp. 88-89)

Faith is a by-product of trust. The question we need to ask ourselves is this: Do I trust God to forgive me? If we don’t trust God to forgive then we won’t return to Him and confess our sins. We will run away and hide. We will ignore the sin that is ruining our lives. We will do every thing we can think of except turn to God.

Let’s stop and think about this situation we find ourselves in. Is there any reason why we should trust God to forgive us? Of course there is and that reason is Jesus Christ. The life, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ is the evidence we need to understand that God is willing to forgive us. No matter who we are or what we have done God is waiting to forgive us for what we have done.

The writer of the book of Hebrews gave us this gem of truth:

So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. (NLT)

How do we come before the throne of God? First it requires our surrender to Jesus Christ as Lord. If we are not willing to be a follower of Jesus then it is impossible for us to receive God’s grace of forgiveness. Jesus is the High Priest who has prepared the way to God. There is no other way to God except through Him.

Second we need to confess our sins to God through prayer. God knows our sins, but we need to acknowledge our sins to Him. This is an act of trust. We lay our sins at His feet so He can deal with them, rather than trying to deal with them ourselves.

Third we need to worship God. From singing God’s praises to serving a person in need it is important that we set our hearts to obey that greatest of commandments: To love God with our entire being.

As long as we live in these bodies of flesh sin will be a part of our lives. Not only do we need constantly struggle with sin as we try to eliminate it from our lives as much as possible, but we also have to learn to trust God to forgive us when we do sin. God is gracious and willing to forgive us if we will just return to Him and ask for it.

Ransomed Heart: Forgive

I wanted to share with the Daily Reading from Ransomed Heart that I received today, I think it is good stuff to remember.

Forgive
11/24/2009

We must forgive those who hurt us. The reason is simple: Bitterness and unforgiveness are clawsthat set their hooks deep in our hearts; they are chains that keep us held captive to the wounds and the messages of those wounds. Until you forgive, you remain their prisoner. Paul warns us that unforgiveness and bitterness can wreck our lives and the lives of others (Eph. 4:31; Heb. 12:15). We have to let them go.

Forgive as Christ has forgiven you. (Col 3:13)

Now – listen carefully. Forgiveness is a choice. It is not a feeling – don't try and feel forgiving. It is an act of the will. "Don't wait to forgive until you feel like forgiving," wrote Neil Anderson. "You will never get there. Feelings take time to heal after the choice to forgive is made . . ." We allow God to bring the hurt up from our past, for "if your forgiveness doesn't visit the emotional core of your life, it will be incomplete." We acknowledge that it hurt, that it mattered, and we choose to extend forgiveness to our father, our mother, those who hurt us. This is not saying, "It didn't really matter"; it is not saying, "I probably deserved part of it anyway." Forgiveness says, "It was wrong. Very wrong. It mattered, hurt me deeply. And I release you. I give you to God."

It might help to remember that those who hurt you were also deeply wounded themselves. They were broken hearts, broken when they were young, and they fell captive to the Enemy. They were in fact pawns in his hands. This doesn't absolve them of the choices they made, the things they did. It just helps us to let them go – to realize that they were shattered souls themselves, used by our true Enemy in his war against femininity.

(Captivating, 102-103)

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Compassion for the Lost

Luke 19 gives us an interesting insight into the heart of Jesus. Jesus is returning to Jerusalem to begin the week leading up to His crucifixion. As He rides down from the Mount of Olives towards Jerusalem His followers begin to hail Him as king:

"Bless the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in highest heaven!" (Luke 19:38; NLT)

But as they neared the city Jesus began to cry. The Greek word here means to wail. This isn't a silent cry with tears slowly running down His cheeks, this is all out sobbing. What an odd sight! He is being proclaimed king and He cries uncontrolably.

Why does Jesus cry? Jesus cries because He sees a city full of people, representing a nation full of people, and He knows their fate. Especially those leaving in Jesursalem. They would die horrible deaths at the hands of the Romans. The holy city would be turn down and the temple destoryed. Jesus says this:

"They will crush you to the ground, and your children with you. Your enemies will not leave a single stone in place, because you have rejected the opportunity God offered you" (Luke 19:44, NLT).

Jesus sobs because the horrible reality that awaits the citizens of Jerusalem.

Have you ever sobbed for people because the horrible reality that awaits them apart from Jesus? There is no law that can be passed, no program that can be implemented, and no amount of money that can save people from Hell. My heart constantly breaks for the citizens of our nation because they are slaves to sin, their lives are being stolen and destoryed (John 10:10) and the only thing they have to look forward to is more misery.

Being a disciple of Jesus means to care about the things and people Jesus cared about. If Jesus cared about the lost don't you think we should to? Jesus went to the Cross, what are you doing?

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Forgiveness is Difficult

Ask Questions for God
at the Blue Pyramid.

It is hard to forgive. When we have been wronged the last thing we want to do is to forgive the person who has hurt us. In a way it feels like we are saying, "It is okay that you hurt me. Let's forget about it and be friends." There is no way we want to do that, and so instead we choose not to forgive.

What we forget is how much we have already been forgiven. Jesus told this parable concerning forgiveness:

41 "A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?" (Luke 7:41-42; NLT)

I believe what Jesus wants us to understand is that if we do not see ourselves as having been forgiven a huge debt, if we are not grateful for what God has done, then we will not consider forgiveness to be a big deal. Jesus told this parable during a party at Simon the Pharisee's house. Simon did not offer Jesus the hospitality a host was to provide for his guests, but a sinful woman crashed the party and showed Jesus unusual affection. Simon and the Sinful Woman stand as contrasts between the one who believes he deserves forgiveness and the one who sees her huge debt erased. Her gratefulness moves her to love and hope. It is hard to forgive because we are not grateful for the forgiveness God has shown to us.

Jesus told another story concerning forgiveness:

21 Then Peter came up and said to him, "Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?" 22 Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven."


23 "Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything. 27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, Pay what you owe. 29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, Have patience with me, and I will pay you. 30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. 32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you? 34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart. " (Matthew 18:21-35; NLT)

This servant had a distorted perspective. He somehow did not think the forgiveness of what he owed to be a big deal, but the tiny sum that was owed to him was a huge deal. The same is true for us. Somehow we don't think the lying, cheating, lusting, murdering, hating, and other evil that we do is a big deal, after all it is our sin. So when we do a few "religious things" we think we have made up the difference. We forget that our debt is huge, and there is nothing we can do to undo what has be done. God, through His grace, has forgiven us of our wicked deeds.

Yet we want to hold against the person the small offenses a person has committed against us. Granted when they happen to us they are not small, but in comparison to what God has forgiven they are small. We demand justice to be done, and offer no forgiveness.

We find it hard to forgive because we have a distorted perspective.

What's the solution? The Apostle Paul wrote: 15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost (1 Timothy 1:15; NLT).

Was Paul the worst of sinners? No, I think we can list people who did worse things than he did. Yet Paul had a deep understanding that he had sinned in terrible ways and that there was no reason why forgiveness should be extended to him, but it was. It will always be hard for us to forgive, and when we don't understand how much we have been forgiven it will be next to impossible.

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