Forgiving One Another
Brother Neff’s Collections
Originally Published November 10, 2014
August 31, 2024
Lu 6:37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:
Eph 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
Jesus commands His followers to be forgiving in their dealings with others, especially those of the household of faith (Gal 6:10). This is not easy to do, this is not natural. When someone offends us, by nature we want to strike back, hurt them, and defend ourselves. But if we are saved, we are not to conduct ourselves like the natural man. We are commanded of God to be forgiving and to remember how much God has forgiven us.
The word "forgiving" means to be gracious to a person, to pardon him/her for some wrong done. Note that the person has done wrong; he has hurt and caused us pain. But the command is to still forgive him. This is when we need to seek the Lord and ask Him to give us the grace to forgive that person.
Remember the words of Christ on the cross. He had come to save sinners—to stand as the Mediator between God and sinful man. Even when He was on the cross, He prayed for those who stood below crucifying Him.
Is there someone who has wronged you or offended you? Go to that person and offer forgiveness. Perhaps that will restore the friendship that has been lost. It could even cause that person to examine their own heart. This is what the Bible calls being tenderhearted. It means to show compassion and mercy even to those who have offended you.
Thought—Forgiveness breaks down barriers, between God and man, as well as, between man and man.
