THE
BOOK OF GOD'S PROMISES
Forgiving Others
By
J. Steven Lang
CBN.com
-- Probably one of the most quoted lines of poetry is Alexander Pope's
"To err is human, to forgive divine." Pope caught the essence of the Bible' message.
God forgives us, and if we are his people, his children, we must be forgiving
also. There is no way around this. Grudges have no place in the Christian life.
Just as we desperately need God's forgiveness of our failings, so we desperately
need to forgive those who fail us. People with good sense restrain their
anger; they earn esteem by overlooking wrongs. Proverbs 19:11 Don't say,
"I will get even for this wrong." Wait for the LORD to handle the matter. Proverbs
20:22 "God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy. "Don't
resist an evil person! If you are slapped on the right cheek, turn the other,
too. If you are ordered to court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat,
too. If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles.
Give to those who ask, and don't turn away from those who want to borrow. "You
have heard that the law of Moses says, `Love your neighbor' and hate your enemies.
But I say, love your enemy! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you
will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight
to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and on the unjust,
too. If you love only those who love you, what good is that? Even corrupt tax
collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different
from anyone else? Even pagans do that." Matthew 5:7, 39-46 "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." Matthew 6:14-15
You must make allowance for each other's faults and forgive the person who
offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Colossians
3:13 "I am warning you! If another believer sins, rebuke him; then if he repents,
forgive him. Even if he wrongs you seven times a day and each time turns again
and asks forgiveness, forgive him." Luke 17:3-4
The Book of God's Promises -- Copyright, 1999 by J.
Stephen Lang. All rights reserved, used with permission.
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