ForgivenessНамуна

Pattern of Forgiveness

Christianity is fundamentally about forgiving people. Jesus' incredible act of self-sacrifice serves as the ideal illustration of forgiveness and the benchmark by which God's followers are expected to forgive others Ephesians 4:32. God's forgiveness is our pattern for forgiving others. We could not learn the pattern of forgiving others if we do not learn the pattern God use in forgiving us, let us look at God pattern of forgiveness. God established a comprehensive system and a template for pardoning sinners through Moses. Do you remember it? The offender was required to bring the priest a spotless animal. The priest would then sacrifice the animal in the penitent's place as the intermediary between God and man, atoning for the sinner. Therefore, the person who brought the sacrifice was confident that God had pardoned him for his transgression because of the offering he had made. Sacrifice. Mediator. Blood. Forgiveness. That was the pattern God Himself established for the pardoning of sins. There was nothing else.

Although God freely extends forgiveness, we cannot fully comprehend the price. No one deserves God's pardon because, as offenders, we are weak, sinning, unworthy enemies who should receive God's wrath. But God willingly offers forgiveness even to those unworthy of receiving it. God showed us by his love, kindness, and grace that he is willing to forgive. His ability to pardon us comes naturally to him and is unrelated to our readiness to repent or do acts of repentance. We have this grace because of the person God so deeply loves. According to the depths of his grace, we have redemption through his blood and the ability to have our sins forgiven in himEphesians 1:7-10. When a person receives God's forgiveness, their prior sins are no longer a basis for a relationship. Forgiveness is offered because it is needed, not because it is deserved. It can be granted for any sin, from simple mistakes to the worst imaginable. Forgiveness covers all time, so that past sin is not brought up again in an accusing or manipulative manner.

Because God has forgiven us, we have reason and the ability to forgive others Matthew 18:21-22. As God has erased our sins and sees us as holy and blameless through Christ, we can and should seek to do the same to others: to erase the sins of others from our ledger of wrongs. God forgives us without limit, as long as there is genuine repentance. We are also expected to forgive others without limit. And, just as God forgives us completely, immediately, and with sincerity, we are expected to show these qualities in our forgiveness to others. Let us rely on God's power, trust his word, respond to Christ's love, and forgive others, demonstrating the difference Jesus has made in our life.