Forgiveness God's WaySýnishorn

Day 7: Forgive So That You May Be Forgiven

Congratulations! You made it to the final day of the Forgiveness God’s Way Plan. This was a reasonably short series, but I pray that you read something that inspired you to live more diligently in a way that pleases the Lord, even in the most challenging times.

I believe this final day’s reading is super important as we are talking about forgiving our offenders so that God will forgive us. This may confuse many because we know we cannot earn anything from God. So, why should we forgive so that we can be forgiven by Him?

Mark 11:25 sends a clear and very strong message that unforgiveness is extremely costly. This alone should be enough to make us forgive our offenders. The risk is far too great. The words “so that” tell me that our forgiveness from the Father is contingent upon forgiving our offenders. We must forgive! There is no point praying while we have ill feelings toward others because God will not hear us, and He will not forgive us for our sins. Psalm 66:18 (KJV) is clear: “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.”

The forgiveness mentioned in Mark 11:25 — “so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins” — is contingent upon you forgiving your offenders, and this forgiveness of sins is not for salvation. Salvation is free. It is not conditional. So, we do not need to do anything to be saved. Jesus already paid the price for our sins; therefore, as reflected in Romans 10:9, all that is left for us to do is confess that Jesus is Lord and believe that He was raised from the dead, and we will be saved.

Note that Jesus was not talking to unbelievers. He was talking to His disciples, so this directly pertains to believers. We cannot be deceived by believing this cannot apply to a child of God. This is the teaching of Jesus; it is for all who will listen — believers and unbelievers — but Jesus was talking to His disciples. Though we are believers, the law of sin that rules us prior to accepting salvation is not dead; it is merely subdued and is now overruled by the law of God. Consequently, we will err and need forgiveness from God, but forgiving our sins depends on forgiving those who wrong us. If you hold anything in your heart against anyone, get it resolved before praying.

For many, and probably you, it is difficult to humble yourself and admit that you indeed are holding a grudge against a brother or sister. There may be concern that it will ruin your self-image, but think about how far from God this drives you every time you allow pride to restrain you from making things right. Nothing is worth putting yourself in a position that makes your prayers futile.

A major hindrance to answered prayers among believers today is unforgiveness. Do not let this be said of you. So many people in the church pray, but because they harbor unforgiveness in their hearts, they do not receive the answers they expect from God. Mark 11:25 is clearly saying that if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father in heaven forgive you your trespasses.

It is human nature to want to get even when treated unjustly, but as a follower of Christ, you are a new creature, old things have passed away (2 Corinthians 5:17). Therefore, as a believer, you strive to take on the nature of Christ. You must surrender to Christ and allow the finished work of the cross of Calvary to crucify your flesh and empower you to forgive others of their sin against you.

Your flesh must die, and you must allow the Holy Spirit to work through you to enable you to forgive those who hurt you. You cannot do this in human strength. You must be empowered by the Holy Spirit to do so, and He is ever so able and available to assist you.

The purpose of the Forgiveness God’s Way Plan is for us to learn to forgive just like God has forgiven us. No, we will never be like God, but we should also strive to grow in Him and to be more like Him. So, as we close out this 7-day plan, ask the Holy Spirit to help you release the people who have hurt you. Take the step, reach out to them, and make peace with them. The Bible says that as much as it lies within you, you should live peaceably with all men (Romans 12:18), so you are responsible for making amends.

Furthermore, you should not let the sun go down with that unforgiveness still lurking around in you. You might not be able to resolve all issues before the literal sundown, but you should be careful not to let it linger in you. Listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit as He is speaking to you right now, forgive, and move on with your life.

Once again, I hope and pray that this 7-day plan has enlightened you and opened your eyes to the dire need to forgive your offenders. If you want to read my full book, The High Call of Forgiveness: It’s a Mandate, you can get your copy at LINK. Al so, you can get The Spoken Word on Forgiveness. A 40-Day Devotional at LINK.