On Forgiveness: 2. How to be Forgiven

I can’t begin to describe how wonderful it is, after being weighed down by guilt for many years, to be assured that God has forgiven me.  Yes, ME!!!  My eyes fill with tears when I just think about it.  I SO don’t deserve it!  But his forgiveness is mine to cherish.

For you and me there is nothing more important than this.  How do we experience God’s forgiveness?  Well, in order to explain this, I am going to recount what Jesus taught about prayer.  What some call the Lord’s Prayer…

Pray then like this:

“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.

 Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
 Give us this day our daily bread,
 and forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
 And lead us not into temptation,
    but deliver us from evil.

For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Matthew 6:9-15 (ESV)

I’m going to keep this very simple.  In order to receive forgiveness from God we have to do the following things:

1. Realise that we have sinned seriously against God.
2. Confess to God that we have sinned, turn from them and ask his forgiveness
3. Forgive everyone who has ever sinned against us

It’s the third one that doesn’t get mentioned very much when someone explains how to be in a right place with God.

Do you want God to forgive you for the wrong things you have done?  Then forgive others for the wrong things they have done to you.

Some people are now going to say things like this:

• Are you serious?  After all the abuse I received from my father?
• Are you serious?  I can’t forgive my wife for cheating on me like that!
• Are you serious?  I can never forgive that man who destroyed my daughter’s life.

The list can be endless.  I will discuss further what forgiveness involves in time, but I want to spell out once again.  It may be a real battle.  It may be the hardest thing you have ever done!  It may be a struggle you will need to take time over…

Do you want God to forgive you for the wrong things you have done?  Then forgive others for the wrong things they have done to you.