THE FORGIVEN, FORGIVE…
The verses for today are taken from the Lord’s Prayer. We are so familiar with it that if we’re honest, we would admit that it really doesn’t mean all that much to us when we read or say it. I know I have felt that way. But the Lord’s Prayer is full of theological truth and practical application, and in the midst of this prayer lie some hard words – like those found in verse 12:
“And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”
Did you catch it? When we pray those words we are asking God to forgive us of our sins just like we have forgiven those who sin against us. How good are we at forgiving others?
What do we do to others? Do we forgive or do we resent? Do we love or do we harbor bitterness? Do we pursue reconciliation or grudges?
For some reason it is very easy for us to forget the kind of forgiveness we have in Christ. We are a people who have offended God more than we’ll ever know, but we also have been forgiven to a degree that we can hardly comprehend. The magnitude of our forgiveness must lead us to extend forgiveness to others.
The Call to Forgive Others
C.S. Lewis wrote:
No part of his teaching is clearer: and there are no exceptions to it. He doesn’t say that we are to forgive other people’s sins provided they are not too frightful, or provided there are extenuating circumstances, or anything of that sort. We are to forgive them all, however spiteful, however mean, however often they are repeated. If we don’t, we shall be forgiven none of our own. (Fern-seed and Elephants)
More hard words! There are no exceptions anywhere in the Bible that allow us to get out of extending forgiveness to others.
It is easy to view the sins done against us as worse than the sins we commit against God and this can lead to many refusing to extend forgiveness. The scary thing is that God speaks to this and what He has to say is straightforward and hard…
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” – Matthew 5:7
Who is receiving mercy? Those who show mercy.
“… if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” – Matthew 6:15b
Just to be clear, we do not earn our forgiveness by forgiving others, but it is a sign of our salvation. Those who have been forgiven will forgive others. It is a test of our spiritual health. If we constantly struggle with forgiving others, we harbor bitterness, or holding a grudge is common in our lives, then we do not really understand the heinousness of our sins towards God and the amazing forgiveness we have in Jesus.
The Power to Forgive
Because of God’s mercy and grace there is always good news! Forgiving others is not easy and not really possible without the power of God. We are new creations and this means we have been given the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:11) and the ability to love and forgive those who sin against us. Don’t believe the lie that you can’t. You can!
It is easy? No way! God never said it would be easy. But because God is always with us, and for us, and in us, we are able to be victorious over anger, bitterness, grudges, and all other forms of unforgiveness.
We belong to a God who asks us to do hard things – never in our strength, but always in His! We also belong to a God who gives us the power to do more than we could ever have imagined.
Looking To Jesus,
.
What a beautiful message Jen!! This has been a most revealing and beautiful week. As I finished reading your message I went and spent time looking and taking in the message from the Lord’s Prayer. I read some where that this was the only thing the disciples asked Jesus to specifically teach them and it’s our most important blessing and weapon!! Something stood out to me today, the sentence, “Give us this day our daily bread” Usually food, manna, came to mind. I would say it and be done, but this morning “Bread of Life” came to mind. Man doesn’t live on bread alone, but on the very Word of God. Then, because we serve a God of order, “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.” We need our ”daily BREAD to be able to forgive our debtors!! As we get our daily Bread, we are also armed with our armor, our weapons also needed to NOT be led into temptation, but to be delivered from evil. I was amazed to say the least. Then I was led to Psalm 126:4 KJV ” Those that sow in tears shall reap in joy.” Hasn’t that been this week? Many tears have been shed, cleansing, life giving tears to be replaced by joy, God’s joy!! Incredible week and incredible study!! Be blessed, and be a blessing and may all have a Jesus- filled weekend!! <3
Love he way you said we need our daily bread to forgive, and to put on our armor to be able to resist temptation! Thanks for sharing!
Mondee~LGG Encourager
May we all be filled with the Bread of Life each day.
What an incredible week indeed
Yes, Deanna! Our God is a God of order! I never put those two statements together (they always stood as separate “pieces of the puzzle”), but we do need our daily BREAD to be able to forgive our debtors! Thank you so much for sharing what He showed you this morning!
My SOAP note for today’s verses talked about how do I really forgive…much like your blog post Jen. ? This week was a hard check on my reality of how I have forgiven others. Forgiving is hard work , and as you said ‘we belong to God who gives us the power to do more than we could have ever imagined.’
JoAnn, it was a reality check for me also! Thank you for sharing your thoughts today, I am so thankful for this study and the women in it. Thank goodness we have help and don’t have to struggle through forgiveness alone!
Mondee~LGG Encourager
Forgiving is definitely hard work, JoAnn! But, thank God for his strength, and renewed daily grace!
Jen, thank you so much for these words today! I love that you brought up the Lord’s Prayer! Years ago I read something that talked about how we say it, but we don’t even think about what we are saying! It’s often true, but after reading that I make a huge effort to always say the Lord’s Prayer and think about the words and mean it. I have to say I am guilty of asking for my own forgiveness, but I don’t spend enough time and real thought into forgiving others! I don’t even know sometimes if I am holding onto a grudge until I’m in a bad mood and start letting ugly thoughts move into my head. So I’m really working on this, praying about it. This study has moved me, opened my eyes and softened my heart. THank you o all of you that put this study together. I feel blessed to feel like part of this group.
Mondee Nelson~LGG Encourager
I think we all must be guilty of asking for our forgiveness over forgiving those who we perceive to have wronged us. I, too often don’t recognize unforgivebess until my mood changes to bitterness. This I need to work on and this week has been instrumental in recognizing it in my life.
I’m not easily impesesrd. . . but that’s impressing me! 🙂
It’s always a pleasure to hear from someone with expertise.
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Thank you for your transparency, Mondee! I agree that I often don’t realize I am harboring unforgiveness until the fruits of it (the bad moods, etc.) start showing up! And, oh, how the devil tries to remind of me of my weakness in this area! But, with God’s strength we CAN forgive as completely as He does!
Jen, this post is so timely! Being raised Catholic, we would recite the Lord’s Prayer at EVERY mass. And, I’m sure they taught us about it’s meaning growing up, but it became such a habit that I would say it and move on. I have also caught myself glazing over it even when I read it now. But, when I break it up, like today’s plan, focusing on just a verse or two at a time it helps me really focus on the WORDS and the PURPOSE of the prayer.
I also have heard to think of the Lord’s Prayer as a guideline, not as something to recite. We should start with declaring God’s holiness and focusing on fulfilling His will and purpose for our lives instead of our own agendas. We should ask Him to fill our spirit with the “food” it needs each day and ask Him for forgiveness of our sins for that day. If needed, ask Him to help us with forgiving others (or even to bring to light any unforgiveness we may be harboring). And finally, to ask Him for His protection from the evil temptations that we face daily in this world.
Wow, what a beautiful sight, most of all the LGG encourager are in the blog commenting….Yes, another beautiful inspiring and encouraging words from you, Jen Thorn to end this week 5 of YAF….Another good explanation of the ‘Lord’s Prayer’….love it.
Jen, this study has spoken volumes to my heart. Thank you and your team for sharing and for giving of your time and hearts to this ministry.
I love this whole study and todays blog….WOW!!! Walking out forgiveness outside of submission to God is not easy.
At one point my husband and I hit bottom in our marriage and yes the thing I feared the most happened. But because I was actively praying for our marriage and crying out to God for Him to change our hearts and intervene He was able to work on my heart and my husbands.
My husband confessed his sin to me and to God and I confessed my faults in our marriage and God had a plan of restoration. And that He did. It was hard work at times. But daily the enemy would bring these things up in my mind and I had to remind him that my husband is FORGIVEN and I have choose to forgive him also. So with Gods loving guidance day after day, moment after moment I CHOOSE to forgive.
Times would come that were harder than others but if I submitted my heart, confessed the thoughts forgiveness would rise up out of the ashes. He would take me back to who I was and all I was forgiven for and remind me that nothing is unforgiveable. I had been forgiven of much and if God was willing my sins why would I think I should hold them against my husband.
And then I saw that if I held on to unforgiveness that a bitter root was going to set up in my heart. Now my husband has asked for forgiveness and God forgave and cast them as far as the east is from the west but now the bitter root of unforgiveness was on me not him.
So one day I sat and wrote letters (with not intention to send them) and I poured out my heart, my hurt, my pain, my anger upon the page. Tears soaked every stroke of the pen. I emptied out all that was built up inside me upon those pages of the notebook. Then when I finished both letters. I went into our basement, collapsed in front of our wood burner, opened the door and stared at that raging fire…..with tears streaming I threw both letters into that fire and prayed “Lord you said you make beauty from the ashes. Take all my hurt, all my pain, all my unforgiveness and make something beautiful out of it.” I cast those letters in and watched them burn. That day was a turning point. I believe the Lord led me to perform this act so I would remember that I gave it all to Him.
Its not been easy but He has surely done a work in me since that day. Its given me more compassion for myself and towards others. We all mess up, that is why we need Jesus. Yes we can get hurt but what hurts more is holding on to unforgiveness.
I love this quote because of this day in my life: “I survived because the fire inside me burns brighter than the fire around me.” Rely on Him for strength to forgive ladies, He has equipped us to be able to forgive. <3 Sheila, LGG Community
Oh my dear Sheila, I just want to give you a big hug and cry with you and at the same time my heart wants to sing praises to our God for healing your marriage! He worked a very similar miracle on mine as well. Though many tears and hate-filled words came out before I allowed God to soften my heart towards my husband again so that forgiveness could be possible.
It is truly amazing to hear all the stories of God turning what the devil meant for evil into something beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing your story of how God has turned your ashes into something profoundly beautiful and restored!
Oh sweet friend thank you <3 I believe marriage is under attack every single day and a lot of us face these things and are not equipped to make it through. Without God I would at another failed marriage but with His guidance we overcame. I have prayed and asked God to send women to me so I can share of His strength and ability. Time and time again I see marriages fail because some refuse to forgive. But I even remember asking God "how do I" and He was faithful to lead me there. If I can help even one other women through what I have gone through it was worth it. God is so faithful to heal, restore, mend and make right our wrongs if we keep our hearts submitted to Him. Forgiving is key in living free. there is so much more to this story and maybe someday I will share it all. Thanking God this morning. Love ya sweet friend!
Oh sweet friend thank you <3 I believe marriage is under attack every single day and a lot of us face these things and are not equipped to make it through. Without God I would be at another failed marriage but with His guidance we overcame. I have prayed and asked God to send women to me so I can share of His strength and ability. Time and time again I see marriages fail because some refuse to forgive. But I even remember asking God "how do I" and He was faithful to lead me there. If I can help even one other women through what I have gone through it was worth it. God is so faithful to heal, restore, mend and make right our wrongs if we keep our hearts submitted to Him. Forgiving is key in living free. there is so much more to this story and maybe someday I will share it all. Thanking God this morning. Love ya sweet friend!
This study came for a time as this. I’ve been divorced for two years and I just moved into my much smaller new home last month. The process of moving and purging along with this bible study brought healing to my soul. Knowing that my prayers are hindered by my unforgiveness was an eyeopener for me. This study has allowed me to let go and let God. There is still much work to be done and my daily prayer is for Him to reveal areas of my heart where I may still be holding on to hurt and resentment. It is truly so liberating when we release those ugly feelings and lay them at the foot of the cross, where all has been forgiven and mercy abounds!
Maritza, your new chapter in life is starting well; between a new home, purging the clutter, letting God be in control is moving us in the right direction-you see I’m in the process of selling our long time home, healing my marriage from his affair and decluttering has been freeing but the biggest thing is God is definitely working a good thing in us by teaching us to love others and forgiving them. I have let go of the hurt and bitterness and with it went the memories of his past to fade away. We are working on resestaishing trust and boundaries and God is leading us in our marriage.
I love your line about laying the ugliness at the cross. There was a lot of ugliness but Christ took it all for me and you JoAnn LGG Encourager
Good article. I’m going through many of these issues as well..