THE GIFT OF FORGIVENESS
By : Pr. PM Raju
One of exciting gift of God to us is the spirit of forgiveness. In this unforgiving world we have to kindle this gift. This has the power to transform the life of the people, rebuild the broken relationship and renew the peace of mind. If anybody is ready to exercise this gift his family become heaven and through unforgiving people the whole world will become heaven. Let’s see the different steps of forgiveness.
1. Receive forgiveness from God. The Bible says “All are sinners and fallen short of glory of God”. To get a release from the clutches of sin is through the obedience of Word of God. The blood of Jesus Christ can change you as a new person. If you have an attitude to confess your sins to Jesus Christ, through His blood He will wipe away your sins and transform you as new person in Christ. Receiving forgiveness from God and reconcile with God is blessing in our life.
Our God is a Holy God. Though you are involving in sins, our God’s character will not change. Even if you talk with wrong motive or others are thinking that your are cheated them or touch a person with wrong motive, you have to reconcile with that person and God through repentance.
If we are sincere in our repentance we must be willing to pay the penalty for our crimes against others. This could include restoration of any goods, money or services that were taken wrongfully or never given at all, if we owned them. Luke 19:8 is an example for real repentance with action.
If you fully reconcile with God you will not have guilt of sin. The greatest suffering of human being is the suffering from the guilt of sin. If you receive forgiveness from God you will live without guilty consciences.
2. You yourself forgive: When Jesus died on the cross, He took our punishment upon Himself. He took the guilt of our sins and bore them in our place. He received all the emotional pain of the abuse, betrayal, injustice and scorn that we ourselves have given and received. Isaiah 53:5. Once Jesus has forgiven us we must forgive to ourselves. Sometimes the devil will contempt us by telling that even if God has forgiven you, you cannot forgive to yourselves because your sins are big and it will not be easily forgiven.
No sins are too big for God to forgive. God’s power can change a terrorist in to a good man. If God can change a terrorist in to a good man he can transform you also. There are times in our life some tragic and sad situation take place. Sometimes we are questioning God, Lord, why it is happened in my life. Why should my husband had died particularly when I was young, why this sickness, financial problems happened to me. By thinking all these types things we are unknowingly developing some grudges against God. Let me tell you, instead of murmur or questioning God, you surrender completely to the Lord and believe for each and everything happened with the knowledge of my God and he has a purpose in my life. When you realize the purpose of God trough these trails you can glorify God.
3. Forgive others: Matt 6:14-15: People does not like to forgive others. If you have a firm conviction that my Jesus has forgiven your sins, you are obliged to others to forgive their sins and shortcomings. How did Jesus forgive us? He has forgiven our sins and loved us. See, I have forgiven to you, but now onwards I will not talk to you. I have forgiven you but you should not come to my house and I will not come your house also. Suppose, Jesus tells you and me, see I have forgiven your sins but hereafter I will not talk to you. I will not heal you. I will not help you. Will you happy? Jesus said “ As I have forgiven you likewise you forgive other”
Even though you are worshipping in a same church and still keeping a grudge with somebody and find difficult to talk and forgive, then how can you talk to God through your prayer and worship. Word of God says, “Settle the matter and come for prayer” Matt 5:23-24. Let’s forgive others as Jesus did. If you are not forgiven, your emotional state will become very weak and the master of this world will enter in your life and will control your remaining period of your life.
How do you know that you have forgiven to someone?
If you think about person immediately you feel irritation and uncomfortable feeling that means you are still not forgiven to that person. When you think about a person who made all types of harm against your life and still you feel compassion and love to that person means you are forgiven to that person. Christ like compassion means, I will be moved with compassion and I will love more than before. Those who have done harm to you forgive and pray for them. That is the essence of Christ’s message to you and me.
