Forgiveness

Forget a wrong, release the perpetrator

Image by BenteBoe from Pixabay By Bradley Shotts

For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more. – Hebrews 8:12

What Jesus forgives, God chooses not to remember. How refreshing is that? Wouldn’t it be wonderful that after we wronged someone and asked their forgiveness, that the wrong we committed would be permanently erased from their memory? How many times have we heard someone say, “I accept your apology, but I will never forget what you did.” This indicates that the wrong committed has forever stained the relationship and things will never be the same again.

I will be the first to admit that I have done a lot of wrong in my life. I have hurt those that I love. I have had to crawl on my knees at times to seek the forgiveness of those I have hurt. In those moments, I remember thinking, “If I could just go back in time, oh how I would change things!” I also remember thinking how I wished I could somehow wipe away from their memory that this ever happened. This is exactly what God chooses to do for us.

I have witnessed someone telling another that they are forgiven, then in a moment of anger at a later date remind that person of how they had hurt them, bringing up the past again and again. This continually holds the wrong that was committed against them and is not forgiveness at all.

Aren’t you glad that God does not treat us like this when we sin? Once we go before God in prayer and confess our sin, the Bible says He is faithful and just to forgive our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

The sin is then cast into the sea of forgetful- endured all of the pain and sin of all the world ness, never to be remembered (Micah 7:19). and He still faithfully forgives all of us of our

I believe that if you truly forgive someone, it sins when we come to Him in prayer. n means that you totally release them from the hurt they have caused; you move forward, treat- Father, for some reading this, they caning this person as if the wrong committed had not imagine having the ability to forgive never happened. The wrong is not brought up something that has hurt them so badly. again and we afford this person the same cour- You understand this kind of hurt because tesy that we would desire, having sought the forgiveness of someone we had wronged. Forgiveness is a tricky business. We definitely want the forgiveness from our sins from God, but it’s a whole different ballgame when it is required of us to forgive those who have wronged us. God takes forgiveness very seriously. He even goes so far as to say in Mark 11:26, “But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.” Simply stated, after everything that Jesus endured to pay the price for our sins, you have endured it. I am asking that You break down any walls preventing them from having a forgiving heart. Instead of us concentrating so much on how hurt we are, may we turn our eyes on You and see that person through Your eyes, Lord, eyes of compassion and love. Only You can break the chains of resentment and we ask You to begin this process now in Jesus’ Name. Amen. Bradley Shotts He requires us to forgive those who have wronged us. There cannot be unforgiveness in our hearts. Bradley Shotts began his ministry working in the funeral

One might say, “Well, you have no idea what this person has industry in 1988 at Lloyd James Funeral Home in Tydone to me. They don’t deserve forgiveness.” I do understand ler, Texas. He currently serves as the general manager of how deep the cut can be and there are times when the only Forest Ridge Funeral Home Memorial Park Chapel in way we are able to forgive is with the strength and power God North Richland Hills, Texas. He and his wife, Amy, live in gives us. Bedford, Texas. They have two adult children, Blaine and

Allow me to ask two questions. Did Jesus deserve everything Braylee. Bradley is a member of Rotary International and He endured on the cross for your sins? No. Do you and I serves on the board at Shepherd Heart Ministries in Tyler. truly deserve the forgiveness of our own sins? No. Yet, Christ He is an ordained minister.

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