As other things that come from inside to defile us so does lack of forgiveness. How great our debt to our Savior Jesus? A debt we could never pay and He does not ask us too but to accept His forgiveness and turn to Him.
Matthew 6:12 And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.
Matthew 6:14-15 For if you forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
In Matthew 18 Jesus speaks of forgiveness. He tells the parable of one who owed a great debt and was forgiven this debt but then the one that had been forgiven a great debt went from there and saw one who owed him a small debt attacked the man and demanded he pay him and refused to forgive that debt. There were witnesses to his actions and went back to the forgiving master and told what the forgiven had done. The forgiving generous master rescinded his debt forgiveness and told the man he had to pay the large debt owed.
Jesus paid the debt we could never pay. We all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory but His mercy and love still holds true.
Matthew 5:7 Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
As believers we have God given rights but we are not to use those rights against others. To use them to get what we want is using the law against those who may not believe. We are charged with living in the fruit of the Spirit before others that in the day the Lord visits their hearts they may accept His invitation.
1 Peter 2:12-17 Having your conduct honorable among the gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe glorify God in the day of visitation. Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.
We do not fight God’s battles. God fights ours. Do we have the right to take others rights? Do we want them to take ours?
Matthew 7:12 Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the law and the prophets.
Do we think about what we would like from others? Do we do these things unto others even if we feel they are not returned? Do we give love, gentleness, respect, kindness, goodness, and use self control? Does our righteousness exceed the sadducees and the pharisees? Do we study to know Jesus way? It can be hard because this flesh wants to do to others what they do to us; to fight back. God says not by might nor by power but by My Spirit. By prayer and supplication bring all things to God in prayer. Do we think we know better than God what is needed?
Jesus did and still does.
