Forgiveness

I had the opportunity to see the movie, "I can only imagine", at the local movie theater where I live.  The young group from my church was going and I was asked if I would like to go and I said yes.  I am glad I went and saw this movie.  It was a very touching story of forgiveness and redemption.

Sometimes it can seem extremely hard to forgive those who have hurt us really badly either physically or emotionally.  It is hard to forgive those who have hurt someone we love.  We may want to forgive them, but we just feel like we can't for one reason or another.  We may feel like if we forgive them that we be acting like what they did was no big deal.

When we do forgive someone we aren't not saying what they did wasn't wrong, but when we forgive someone we are releasing them into God's care and allow Him to deal with them.   That doesn't mean we should hope that the Lord, "smokes them", or sends a lightening bolt to fry them as tempting as that may be depending on the situation that we are dealing with.

When we don't forgive someone we may grow bitter and angry.  We end up hurting ourselves when we refuse to forgive someone that has hurt us.  Forgiving is not easy.  God could have very easily decided that mankind was just not worth saving and He could have destroyed us all.

Thankfully, God is rich in mercy and He loves us.  The Lord is crazy about us.  He doesn't desire that anyone perish and be sent to a literal hell.  We have all sinned and we are all deserving of being sent to hell forever and separated from God who is Holy.

God made a way for us to be reconciled back to Himself by sending Jesus Christ to die on the Cross for our sins.  Jesus shed His blood for you and me and for the whole world.  God raised Jesus to life on the third day.  We must repent of our sins and receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior in order to be saved.  We are saved by grace through faith.  We are not saved by works, but it is the gift of God that we must receive ourselves.

Everyone that has trusted in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior have the Holy Spirit dwelling inside of them.  The Holy Spirit will help us to live for the Lord each and everyday.

We all need forgiveness of our sins and that is only possible through Jesus Christ.  Let's forgive those who have hurt us as Christ has forgive us.

Lord,
Thank You for forgiving us of our sins through Jesus sacrifice in the Cross.
We praise Your Name.
Help us to forgive those who have hurt us.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.