kirk-koster

Forgive and Forget - Sunday Devotion - (9-30-07)

I will start this off with a Bible verse.

The one most famous verse in the Bible.

John 3:16 - For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten son, That whosever believs in Him, shall not perish, but have everlasting life.

He forgave us of our sins. It didn't matter what we had done, what we do. He will always forgive us. He knows when you are sincere in asking for forgiveness, that you will get it. He will forgive you if whatever it was you did. Don't think you are too bad of a person to be saved from this earthly sin and desire. Because you are not. God loves you. No matter what. You could say you HATED Him, but he would just tell you he loves you. Because he does. Isn't that awesome?! HE is awesome!

God tells us also though, forgive others. Mathew 6:14-15 - For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

So, you have to think about that. You need to forgive those people who have done you wrong. No matter what they did. You can say, "I can't forgive them for what they have done." But if you say you love God. Or you want a relationship with Him, then you have to forgive them of what it was so bad that they have done. Only then can you really persue your relationship with God, and he forgive you. It may be hard. There may be many people that have done many things wrong to you. But you have to build up, be the better person and forgive them. Please understand. I want to see you in Heaven. And guess what? God does too.

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" Phillippians 4:13

Jesus talks about a man who comes to his king, and owes him much money. and he pleads and desires his king to forgive him, and he will pay his debt. But his king forgives him of all his debt. but then that same man goes to another fellow servant, and tells him to pay the debt to him that his fellow servant owes him. And he beats him, and holds him by the throat, and sends him to prison. But some other fellow servants tell the king about this, and the king summons him, he goes before his king again and the king says, "O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desired me. Should you not also have had compassion on thy fellow servant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth [angry with him] and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was owed to him [king]."

"So also shall my heavenly father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not everyone his brother their trespasses."

That story is all in Mathew 18:21-35.

Now, I have something a little extra for you.

James 5:9 Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: Behold, the judge standeth before the door.

Telling you right there, holding a grudge is the same thing. Don't hold grudeges on people, and forgive them of what they have done. Because God will forgive you as well.

So basically what I am saying is. Don't be dumb. Don't throw your eternal life away because someone did something to you, and you just can't forgive them. You CAN forgive them. And if you choose, you can forget as well. Forgive and forget. Do your best. Because then also will God.

And Jesus loves you!

God Bless!