Forgiveness: Receiving and Giving
“Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:31-32)
Most of us know what it’s like to say or do things we wish we could take back but can’t. For the most part, all we can do is apologize and ask forgiveness. That’s necessary but not fun. Yet it’s a relief when the one offended accepts the apology and doesn’t hold a grudge. If someone has ever offended you, then come back and apologized, hopefully, you showed the same gracious attitude.
Apparently, bitterness was a problem among church members at Ephesus, which is why Paul said what he did. He told them to be kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving, and then added, “…even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” When we see the lengths to which God went in order to forgive us, we see clearly how important it is for us to have a forgiving attitude toward others.
God cannot just fluff off sins. If He did that, He’d be unjust. “…Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” (Genesis 18:25) As a judge, God has to punish sin. Imagine a judge in court. A defendant stands before him, guilty of a serious crime. Yet the judge tells him he is forgiven and releases him. Is the judge doing right? Absolutely not! The judge has to punish wrongdoing!
As Judge of all the earth, God has decreed that sin is punishable by death: “For the wages of sin is death;” (Romans 6:23) If God didn’t punish sin by death, He’d be a liar. Yet this is where Jesus Christ, God the Son, comes in. He never sinned and deserved death, but He took our death penalty for us: “…Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) His death was horribly brutal and cruel: “…his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:” (Isaiah 52:14) Yet even on the cross, He cried, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)
Jesus died, was buried, and rose again: “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen;” (Revelation 1:18) When a sinner receives Jesus as Saviour, he has eternal forgiveness of all past, present, and even future sins! How can that be? Because Jesus’ death paid for them all! “But this man [Jesus], after he had offered ONE SACRIFICE FOR SINS FOR EVER,” (Hebrews 10:12, capitals added) We may not understand it, but the Bible says it’s true!
When you have Jesus as Saviour, you can be sure your sins are eternally forgiven and heaven is your home. Just as God doesn’t hold a grudge against us, then, He wants us to have a forgiving attitude toward others. That’s why the Bible tells believers in Jesus to be kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving, “…even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”
Do you know for sure that your sins are forgiven and that you’ll be in heaven? If you want to see what the Bible says about having eternal forgiveness by receiving Jesus as Saviour, please go to www.clevelandbaptist.org, click “Helpful Links,” then “How Do I Go to Heaven?”
Brian Miller 6/11/2021
Cleveland Baptist Church 4431 Tiedeman Road, Brooklyn, Ohio 44144 216/671-2822