Forgive Us Father, For We Have Sinned

Matt 18:21-27

 Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?"

 Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.   Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.  And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.   But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made.   The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, 'Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.'  Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.
NKJV

I am sure that we all in one way or another have struggled in this area of forgiveness. Some person did us wrong, said something terrible, did the unthinkable to us. The opportunities are there every day.
I recently had a chance to speak to a couple of different people about two such things. One person I spoke with was willing and able to forgive and forget and the other was not able to get there yet. Everyone in there own time perhaps will get there. It is interesting the the peace the first one had as opposed to the other. I am not one who holds a grudge for very long because of one simple principal I learned long ago. Un-forgiveness only hurts the one who holds it.


The Bible has a lot to say about it, in fact it is a command from God himself for us to forgive and He spells it out pretty clear in the Gospels;


Matt 6:14-15

 "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.   But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.



Mark 11:25-26

 "And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.   But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses."

One thing I have learned is that the need to forgive before the Father is necessary, the need to speak to the other party is not. What I mean is, When we pray, we lift it up to God and leave it with Him, we move forward as if it never happened and the Lord takes it from there. If the person should happen to ask for forgiveness than by all means we should do that but only if they ask. Many people are hurt daily by thinking that they need to seek the person out and tell them they forgive them. I don't see that anywhere in the Bible and the reality is that the person will probably just laugh at them. The important thing is that you get it right before the Lord and then drop it. Don't bring it back up, don't continue to stir the embers of the old things you gave to the Lord to extinguish.
Luke 17:3-4
 Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.   And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, 'I repent,' you shall forgive him."

Forgiveness is a big thing to God, its the first thing He does when we decide to walk with Him, and He continues to forgive as we continue to mess up and fall short of His perfect plan.
1 John 1:9-10
 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

When we hold on to those bitter feelings of the past we are making a choice to poison ourselves for as long as we hold on to them. Remember the other party probably has no Idea you are even battling with it.

Make a choice today to forgive those who have wronged you and shake off that heavy load onto the feet of Jesus. He does not want you to bear it any longer. When we walk in unforgiveness, we walk in sin. If we give it to the Lord, He is faithful to repay in His time and measure.
The Lord knows your hurt and He knows your heart. Just trust in the Lord.

Ps 55:22 
Cast your burden on the Lord,
And He shall sustain you;
He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.