…As I forgive…
It has been said that the two most difficult words for mortals to say are: FORGIVE ME! Well, closely related are two other words that are difficult to say as well are: I FORGIVE!
The emphasis is usually on how we need to be able to ask forgiveness from others for some error that we have committed. But there is another angle to consider as well. What about those who commit trespasses against us? Are we as willing to offer
forgiveness as we are in wanting to be forgiven? Or, are we one of those who delight in holding a grudge? Maybe something that happened twenty-five years ago but we refuse to let it go? Some people seem to thrive over what they know about other people.
Being able and willing to forgive others is vitally important if we are going to expect God to forgive us when we err in some way.
We do not qualify to ask God’s forgiveness if we are not willing to forgive others ourselves.
You will note the way this part of the prayer is worded: Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. Or, to state it with emphasis: Forgive us our debts AS we forgive our debtors. The forgiveness received from God for our sins is in proportion to that which we are willing to forgive others. If we are limited in the forgiveness that we ask from God, it will be limited by our own actions toward others. We determine the extent of forgiveness we receive from a merciful Savior by the extent of our willingness to offer forgiveness.
We have what has been labeled “The Golden Rule” as found in Matthew 7:12: Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.
If we would endeavor to live by this rule we all would have a much better society in which to live. Too many are only concerned about what they want without any concern about the needs or feelings of others.
While we may have a problem in expecting the world to live by this rule, it should not be a problem in the Church!
Paul taught us in Acts Ac 20:35: I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive. While this reference to the Lord saying It is more blessed to give than to receive, is usually quoted in reference to offerings given to the work of God, it is obvious from the context that Paul was speaking about more than money. Jesus taught at different times and in differing ways the need
of giving something extra. Going the second mile. Giving the cloak as well, etc. This would certainly apply as well in regards to our need of forgiving others whether they ask our forgiveness or not. Holding grudges will only do us harm. Until and unless we are able to turn loose of that thing that we feel someone has done against us, it will likely continue to be a burden that will drag us
down.
COMPASSION
Paul made reference to this important attitude in a couple of places in particular: Ephesians 4:32, we have him saying: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
Strong’s speaks of the term “tenderhearted,” as “well compassioned.” It is those who understand the true meaning of compassion that will be willing to show it to others.
If we are forgiven by the Lord of our sins in the same proportion that we forgive others, then how do we stand with God?
Paul made reference to this in Colossians 3:13 as well when he said: Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
Our efforts and attitudes toward others should be that of wanting to be a help to them, not a hindrance. Forbearing with others speaks to us of supporting each other in all the miseries and trials of life. This may at times mean that we will have to endure the ignorant actions of others as well as those which are deliberate. I doubt that any one of us can report that we have never done something that later proved to be an ignorant act or statement.
WITH LOVE
Clarke: “It was a maxim among the ancient Jews, that no man should lie down in his bed, without forgiving those who had offended him. That man condemns himself to suffer eternal punishment, who makes use of this prayer with revenge and hatred in his heart. He who will not attend to a condition so advantageous to himself (remitting a hundred pence to his debtor, that his own creditor may remit him 10,000 talents) is a madman, who, to oblige his neighbor to suffer an hour, is himself determined to suffer everlastingly! This condition of forgiving our neighbor, though it cannot possibly merit any thing, yet it is that condition without which God will pardon no man.”
HINDERED PRAYERS
Jesus stated in Mark 11:25: And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
Our attitude toward others will affect our attitude toward God. Or, to put it another way, our communication with God will be affected by our communication toward others.
It is of interest to note that the prayer under study does not end with reference to forgiving others, yet that is what Jesus emphasized upon concluding His example of prayer. The next two verses Jesus stated: For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
So of all the things that the Lord mentioned in His example prayer the act of forgiveness was the one thing that He emphasized again. From this we can clearly note the importance that the Lord placed upon the need to forgive others.
We have not forgiven others if we continue to bring the subject up in later conversations.
We have not truly forgiven someone if we cannot honestly pray that the Lord would bless them.
The Greek word which is translated here to forgive is aphiemi, (af-ee’-ay-mee). Strong’s defines the word: “(to send; an intensive
form of eimi, to go); to send forth, in various applications (as follow):–cry, forgive, forsake, lay aside, leave, let (alone, be, go, have), omit, put (send) away, remit, suffer, yield up.”
Quite a definition for a word. Yet when we examine the definition we can readily see that to forgive involves more than making a
statement.
If we forgive we lay the matter aside.
If we forgive we send the matter away.
If we forgive we let it go and we let it alone.
The amount of animosity or jealousy, or any other carnal feeling we have toward others, that we bring with us to our altar of prayer
will be the amount that will hinder us in our approach before God. Like Saul of old who returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites claiming that he had done the will of God, was asked by the prophet Samuel: What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?
Our record is following us all the way to judgment. If we do not take care of those things which will hinder our stand before God on that day, we will stand there like Saul did before Samuel. The evidence behind us will show whether we have obeyed God or not.
PROPORTIONALLY
It is a sober thought to realize that we are forgiven by the Lord only in proportion to that amount and kind of forgiveness we have extended to others. Have you completely emptied your heart and mind of something that someone did to you by forgiving them?
The Greek scholar Robertson wrote: “We ask forgiveness ‘in proportion as’ we also have forgiven those in debt to us, a most solemn reflection.”
The burden of asking for forgiveness as well as the burden of forgiving someone rests upon each of us. There is nothing we can do about what the other person does. We can only make sure that our own heart and conscience is clear to ourselves and with God. We cannot make someone forgive us for our sins against them. Neither can we make someone accept our forgiveness of their sins against us.
If we have asked someone to forgive us then we should try our best to continue our relationship with them as it was before the incident.
If we have forgiven someone for some wrong they had committed against us then we should try our best to continue our relationship with them as it was before. This will never be accomplished if we continue to bring it up in later conversations.
SOWING – REAPING
The universal law concerning sowing and reaping is found in such places as Galatians 6:7: Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for
whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
The familiar statement “What goes around comes around,” certainly applies as well in describing that what we do will some day come back home to us.
Forgiving someone signifies strength – not weakness. Holding things against someone is not a sign of someone who has confidence in them selves. Nor is it a sign of strength. Any one can carry a chip on their shoulder. Any one can sulk and act like the whole world owes them an apology. It is the person who feels confident with themselves that are willing to take the humble side of any situation in order to promote harmony and peace.
When forgiveness is extended to someone there is a release and removal of what caused the need for forgiveness to begin with. In fact, one could forgive someone for something done against them BEFORE the other party even asks – or ever asks – them to forgive them. Forgiveness is a privilege that you can extend at your pleasure. You can hold on to it and squeeze it for all you can, trying to make the guilty party squirm. Or, you can forgive any error done against you and thus remove it from your heart and mind whether they ask for it or not. Your forgiveness removes the problem from your heart. It will be up to the one who should be asking for your forgiveness to come to you in order to remove it from their heart. My main concern should be that my heart is clean and void of any thing that could cause hindrance in my walk with God.
HOW MUCH?
At least seventeen times in the Gospel accounts we have the Lord making reference to forgiveness. The Apostle Peter was concerned about what the Lord was saying about forgiveness, and he inquired of the Lord in Matthew 18:21: Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? I don’t know for sure Peter’s reasoning of seven times, but the response he received from the Lord in the following verse was probably not what he expected: Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
Obviously it is not likely that anyone would come back to you 490 times asking forgiveness, but the emphasis is that this is the kind of spirit we should manifest toward those who sin against us. Again, in connection with our own desire for forgiveness from the Lord, how often do we want the Lord to have mercy on us by extending forgiveness when we ask Him?
Because of the world we live in and because we are all still human, every one of us are susceptible to rubbing someone the wrong way. Or saying something that we later regret saying. As long as we are in this body we will need the compassion and understanding of others for any errors in judgment that we make. As long as we are in this body we will need to offer the same
compassion to others. Offences will happen. Forgiveness will be needed to receive as well as to offer.
