Dear Friends,
During “40 Days of Prayer,” we have been looking at ways to develop a stronger relationship with God though prayer. A lot of our emphasis has been on God’s love, his trustworthiness, and his grace. This week, let’s look at a stumbling block that may be draining our prayers of power. Jesus spoke of this stumbling block when he taught his disciples to pray, “Forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.” Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
Jesus goes on to say, “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.” Verses 14-15
Jesus repeated this warning, “Then Jesus said to the disciples, ‘Have faith in God. I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours. But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.” Mark 11:22-25
Jesus tells us our prayers can have “mountain-moving” power, but that power is activated by faith and contingent on forgiveness: God’s forgiveness of our sins, and our forgiveness of the “sins” of others. In 1 John 1:9, we read, But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.
Our path to forgiveness begins with confession of our own sins, but the stumbling block for many is forgiveness of others. I, for one, would find it very difficult to forgive the man who, on Sunday, November 5, 2017, walked into the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas and murdered twenty-six worshippers.
Does Jesus mean we have to forgive everyone? How far are we expected to go with our forgiveness? I raise these questions because I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who has struggled to understand what Jesus meant when he said, “… as we forgive others.”
When I want to better understand verses of Scripture, I find it helpful to read as many different translations to see the different ways translators have interpreted the original text. Sometimes I approach this exercise in the spirit of Psalm 86: Teach me your ways, O LORD, that I may live according to your truth! Grant me purity of heart, so that I may honor you. Psalm 86: 11.
Other times, I feel like W.C. Fields who, on his deathbed was found reading the Bible. When a friend asked him what was going in, he replied, “Looking for loopholes.”
I’ve gone through quite a few different translations this week, and I must report that there are no loopholes when it comes to forgiving others. There are times when we might not think it is fair to forgive, times when we want God to punish, but forgiveness isn’t about fairness; it’s about God’s grace.
Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:31-32
How far we go when it comes to forgiving others may be a measure of how far we have come in our effort to come closer to God. I may not have it in my heart to forgive someone who has committed a heinous crime. But with God’s help, I may find the grace to at least pray for them.
“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. 44 But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:43-45
“Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously.” Isaiah 55:7
In our daily lives, forgiving others is another way of living the golden rule: “Do unto others as you would like them to do to you. If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them! And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit? Even sinners do that much!
Luke 6:31-33
Translations that use the words, debts, trespasses, offences, etc. (in lieu of sin) show that even small offences give us daily opportunities to forgive.
Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Colossians 3:13
Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends.
Proverbs 17:9
When we forgive our family, our neighbors, and our brothers and sisters in Christ, we find peace for our souls and bring glory to God.
Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.
2 Corinthians 13:11(NIV)
In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16
Blessings,
Your Friends in Christ
Because He Loves Us Press 