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Our Weekly Devotional

Forgive us...as we forgive : It's a BIG deal to God

Wednesday, September 24, 2014 • Randy Kilgore • General
One of the fastest ways to incur God's displeasure is to fail to pass on His forgiveness. It's a bigger deal than you think.

"and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.  ---Matthew 6:12

     One of the more serious verses in the Bible is often overlooked because it rests in the middle of a familiar and oft-quoted passage.  Every time we recite the Lord's Prayer as a congregation, or use it as a guide in our personal prayer time, we appear to be asking God to forgive us exactly the same way we're forgiving other people.

     At first glance, this verse seems to be teaching the frightening idea that God will only forgive us in the same way as we forgive others. But we know from other parts of Scripture God's forgiveness is a part of His unmerited grace, meaning we can't earn it by the quality of our forgiveness of others. 

     So what should we learn from this verse?

     Throughout Scripture, God takes a dim view of any of His children who take Him and His actions for granted.  Jacob may have cheated Esau twice, but God says later: "Jacob have I loved, Esau have I despised." Why? Because Esau thought so little of the God-ordained blessing of the firstborn that he sold it for stew.  In Matthew 18, Jesus tells the parable of the huge debt forgiven by one powerful man, and that man's anger when he learns his forgiveness is not passed on.  So, not only does God take a dim view of those who take His mercy for granted; He takes a dim view of those who withhold from others what He has freely granted them.

     For most of us, this verse should serve as a spiritual barometer of our faith.  If we would dare to mouth these words while withholding forgiveness from others, it means we've lost touch with the immense debt Jesus paid and God forgave for us.  In other words, weĆ¢??re in a shabby state spiritually, and fellowship with God is directly affected by that shabby or cavalier attitude towards His grace and mercy.  It doesn't cost us our salvation, but it does cost us His approval and attention.

     For some, however, the verse may bear a more disturbing realization: It may, in fact, be a barometer of salvation.  For a person who has no desire to forgive---and indeed actively refuses to forgive---may not yet be a follower of Jesus, even if it appears they've said and done all the "right things."  Someone who refuses to forgive may be among those whom Jesus refers to when he says, "Not everyone who says, 'Lord, Lord'" is saved.

     Despite the concerns this passage should invoke, there is also another reason to pay attention to this verse, and it's even more satisfying and compelling than the darker sides of the verse:  A daily effort to give forgiveness to others, and to then seek it from the Father, keeps us focused perpetually on how often we fail Him and how much He forgives.  This then leads us to pass that forgiveness on to others who may not have done anything to merit it, surprising them first at our gift, and then opening their eyes to the nature of the God we serve. 

     And it's that which truly honors God:  Living our lives as walking examples of His mercy, received and given.

--Randy Kilgore

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