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.
Mark 11:25-26
We all have a built-in sense of justice. When we see commercials of starving children, we feel bad because we know they don't deserve to go hungry. When we see criminals convicted and imprisoned, we feel good because we know a criminal deserves to be punished. We desire fairness, because without fairness, chaos reigns. Thank goodness God is a fair God, a "God of justice" (Isaiah 30:18). Thank goodness the devil is doomed to failure because God is "a just judge" (Psalm 7:11) who "sends forth justice to victory" (Matthew 12:20). But where do we fit into this picture? Who are we, but sinners? Why would God not destroy us, too, since He "is angry with the wicked everyday" (Psalm 7:11)? Thank goodness God is a God of forgiveness.
You see, if we deserve anything, it's death. God doesn't owe us anything. Romans 3:23 says, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." We are utterly and completely at God's mercy... but thankfully, "mercy triumphs over judgment" (James 2:13). For some reason, God forgives all those who seek His mercy -- and that reason is love. He loves you so much that He was willing to be killed in your place, that justice might be served, and that you might be forgiven. God is a God of justice because He is perfect, but He is a God of forgiveness because He is love (1 John 4:8).
Consider this: "If God so loved us, we also ought to love one another" (1 John 4:11). In fact, "if someone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? (1 John 4:20).
No doubt, forgiveness is not easy. It requires sacrificing your own sense of justice. It demands showing mercy to someone who you don't believe deserves it. But Jesus showed you mercy when you didn't deserve it, and it cost Him His life. It surely wasn't easy, it wasn't without pain, and no one even forced Him to do it -- but He did it because He loves you more than you can understand. After all, no one could ever sin against you as much as you have sinned against God -- and still, He forgave you. How, then, can you say you love God if you don't forgive those who sin against you?
Don't be fooled. If there's someone today whom you have not forgiven, your relationship with that person is not all that suffers -- your relationship with God suffers, too. This is between more than just you and the person you have not forgiven -- this is between you and God. James 2:13 says, "Judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy." Our entire hope rests in the mercy of God, and if we forfeit His mercy because we are unwilling to show mercy ourselves, we spit in the face of Jesus. We make His sacrifice of no consequence to us, and we render His love powerless in our lives.
Today, make things right. Forgive and ask forgiveness. Maybe it's picking up the phone and calling a family member. Maybe it's driving 200 miles to sit down with someone. Don't worry about how they might react, or if they will reject you. Jesus knew that many would reject His forgiveness, yet He still sacrificed His life. He knew it would be painful, but He did it anyway. Today, show the mercy that God showed you, and unleash the power of His love in your life.
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