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Thou Shalt Forgive
Ephesians 4:32: "And be ye kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. (KJV)"
One of the most important lessons Jesus taught his disciples was that they were to forgive their fellow man. Jesus spent a large portion of his ministry teaching about forgiving. Jesus says in Matthew 6:14-15: "For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But, if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." (KJV)
Jesus was sincere in his teachings of the importance of forgiving. Persons who fail to heed his teachings on forgiving goes directly against Christian values and ethics.
Jesus instructed his disciples to forgive their fellow man with no limitations. Matthew 18:21-22 says: "Then came Peter to him and said, Lord how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Till seven times? .... Jesus saith unto him I say not unto thee, until seven times, but until seventy times seven"(KJV). The Hebrews looked upon seven as being a perfect number. The Bible says that God created the world in 6 days and that he rested on the seventh day. Peter thought there was a limit to the number of times a man should forgive his brother. Jesus corrected Peter by saying there are no limits to the number of times a man should forgive his brother.
The person who sincerely forgives his brother will forget the pass transgressions of his brother and seek no personal revenge against him.
The spirit of forgiveness is one of the highest Christian qualities. Christians are a forgiving people. The attitudes of Christians toward their fellow man should be one of forgiving. Christians who have a forgiving spirit will pray for their fellowman and seek reconciliation when his brother or sister offends them.
The Ability To Forgive And Forget Is One Of The Fundamental Teachings Of The Gospel Of Jesus Christ.
Reverend Micheal J. Darby