A few weeks ago on this blog we gave thanks for God’s mercy shown to us. Today follows on from that theme as we consider God’s forgiveness.
Forgiving someone can be hard!
You may well have been told at some point in your life to ‘forgive and move on’. You may well have experienced the difficulty of trying to do that with someone who has wronged you.
A model of forgiveness
In celebrating the Lord’s Supper together in church we often hear these words…
“This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”
These are Jesus’ words to his disciples as he dines with them for the last time before going to the cross.
The concept is simple yet profound. Jesus’ blood is poured out so that we can be forgiven. This model of forgiveness through a blood sacrifice had been given to the Israelite's in the form of the sacrificial system seen in Leviticus.
The promise that comes with Christ fulfilling the sacrificial system is that repenting of our sins, trusting in Jesus’ sacrifice and believing in him mean that we are forgiven of all our sins.
I don’t know about you but my sins would amount to quite a few libraries! God didn't have to forgive me. My rebellion against him deserves judgement. But through Christ I have been forgiven.
You may know for yourselves the joy of being forgiven for all the things you have done in your life?
You may have yet to reach the point where you have asked for Jesus for forgiveness?
A call to forgive
For those who have received this forgiveness through Christ the New Testament invites us to reflect the forgiveness we have experienced to those around us.
Writing to the church in Colossae Paul encourages the believers there to…
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” (Colossians 3:12-13)
You see the challenge?
Receiving forgiveness through Christ means we are now called to behave in the same way towards others in the church.
The church is a beautiful picture of what God’s kingdom is like. Full of different ages, faces, experiences and characters.
It can also be one of the easiest places to be hurt and to forgive.
We may have been severely wronged and hurt.
We may find it difficult to see a particular person.
Yet we are encouraged to show the same forgiveness that we have experienced through Christ.
It’s a hard calling.
It may involve a lot of prayer.
Yet forgiveness is something God’s Word calls us to experience for ourselves and to model to others.