Our scripture this morning is Ephesians 4:31-32 (NASB).
Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.
I read this passage this morning and thought this is probably the most difficult thing we are asked to do as followers of Jesus. We can suffer hardship for Him but when we are taught to forgive those who caused it, we pull back. How could we possibly forgive THEM?!
This division of “us” and “them” can’t exist in God’s kingdom, it can only be “we”. We are all God’s children and any that have received His forgiveness, we must forgive as well. How do we know who God has forgiven? We can’t and thus we are to forgive everyone.
This is the stumbling block we face as Christians. It is hard to forgive others as He has forgiven us. It requires us to stop keeping score. When Jesus told us about forgiving: “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven” (Matthew 18:22), He wasn’t asking us to do the math, He meant never stop forgiving.
Patient God, You continue to offer Your forgiveness even though we don’t deserve it. Help us to forgive as You have first forgiven us. Amen.
