Are You A Forgiving Person?
—— That question does not mean to imply I’m leaving myself out of the question. I ask myself that same question. ——
Are you a FORGIVING person? Assuming you’re going to say yes (who wouldn’t), upon what do you base that assumption?
Here’s a thought:
Does saying “I forgive you” mean the one uttering the words is, in fact, a forgiving person? Or, does forgiveness come from something already deep within the person that flows out when called upon?
Forgiveness isn’t just a set of words that are uttered. Uttered words of forgiveness don’t bring true HEALING and FORGIVENESS unless spoken from a heart already nurtured towards that end. Long before any need to offer words of forgiveness, something very important must jump start it all — HUMILITY.
I’ll get to that at the end by concluding with II Chronicles 7:14.
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But first …
It is interesting to note the amount of print used to focus our attention on the need to FORGIVE one another. The highlighted words in the verses below all come from the same Greek word which means: To let go; to give up a debt (Matthew 6:12, 14, 15); to remit
Allow me to add Webster’s definition —
1. To cease to feel resentment against (an offender); 2. To give up resentment of a claim to requital for < — an insult>; to grant relief from payment of; Forgive implies the giving up not only of any claim to requital or retribution but also of any resentment or desire for revenge ——
Matthew 6
9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And FORGIVE us our debts, as we FORGIVE our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
14 For if ye FORGIVE men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also FORGIVE you:
15 But if ye FORGIVE not men their trespasses, neither will your Father FORGIVE your trespasses. ——
In short:
*If God forgives our debt of sin how can we then not forgive one another?
And …
*If we harbor ought toward our fellow brother what right have we to look to God for our daily need of forgiveness from Him or anyone else?
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Matthew 18
12 How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not LEAVE the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?
13 And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.
14 Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.
15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.
18 Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I FORGIVE him? till seven times?
22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
23 Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.
24 And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.
25 But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.
26 The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
27 Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and FORGAVE him the debt.
28 But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.
29 And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
30 And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.
31 So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.
32 Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I FORGAVE thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:
33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?
34 And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.
35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts FORGIVE not every one his brother their trespasses. ——
Did you notice the word LEAVE was highlighted along with all the words FORGIVE? That’s not by accident. It helps to connect the shepherd’s LEAVING to Peter’s question about FORGIVING.
When the shepherd LEAVES/Lets Go Of the 99 into the watchful care of the under shepherd, we see by way of illustration what it means when we FORGIVE a brother. Just like the shepherd, we are to let go of/release into the hands of God the incident, circumstance, issue that threatens the very existence of our brother or sister in Christ.
In essence: Forgiveness occurs when we LEAVE/Let Go Of the “thing” that means so much to us for the sake of another’s welfare … even if it costs us.
Now …
I want to call our attention to the preceding verses in Matthew 18. There are two words that are essential to this whole topic of forgiveness. And that’s the two words found in verse 4:
HUMBLE HIMSELF
1. At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?
2 And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,
3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
4 Whosoever therefore shall HUMBLE HIMSELF as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
From that I extrapolate this principle:
One cannot truly FORGIVE another from the heart — i.e., let go of the person, situation or circumstance into the hands/care of God — until he, through the in-working of God, HUMBLES HIMSELF like a little child.
That act of self-humbling applies not only to our Personal relationships — family, friends and acquaintances, but also to our Corporate relationships, — local fellowships, and to our National relationships — how we live and affect change in our County
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That brings me to the end and II Chronicles 7:14.
II Chronicles 7:14 used to be the clarion call to action when needing to affect change as believers in the world in which we live. That assumed the reality of two things:
1. We were God-fearing people living in the Diaspora of our Country anticipating the reign of Christ on earth.
2. The spiritual always undergirds and, when necessary, supersedes the political.
*I mentioned at the beginning HUMILITY jump starts the process that can lead to true forgiveness and healing. If you would …
1. Please meditate upon the highlighted words in verse 14
2. Take note where the words Humble, Forgive, Heal are positioned, and then
3. Make your own personal application
My personal application is: My willingness to forgive is predicated on my predisposed spirit of humility or lack thereof.
And so … I ask of you:
Are You A Forgiving Person?
II Chronicles 7:11-22
11 Thus Solomon finished the house of the Lord, and the king's house: and all that came into Solomon's heart to make in the house of the Lord, and in his own house, he prosperously effected.
12 And the Lord appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for an house of sacrifice.
13 If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people;
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall HUMBLE THEMSELVES, and PRAY, and SEEK MY FACE, and TURN FROM THEIR WICKED WAYS; then will I hear from heaven, and will FORGIVE their sin, and will HEAL their land.
15 Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.
16 For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there for ever: and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.
17 And as for thee, if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, and do according to all that I have commanded thee, and shalt observe my statutes and my judgments;
18 Then will I stablish the throne of thy kingdom, according as I have covenanted with David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man to be ruler in Israel.
19 But if ye turn away, and forsake my statutes and my commandments, which I have set before you, and shall go and serve other gods, and worship them;
20 Then will I pluck them up by the roots out of my land which I have given them; and this house, which I have sanctified for my name, will I cast out of my sight, and will make it to be a proverb and a byword among all nations.
21 And this house, which is high, shall be an astonishment to every one that passeth by it; so that he shall say, Why hath the Lord done thus unto this land, and unto this house?
22 And it shall be answered, Because they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on other gods, and worshipped them, and served them: therefore hath he brought all this evil upon them.
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