One Thing We All Need

Even in the short time since launching A Bridge Unbroken and writing the companion Bible study, The Fragrance of Crushed Violets: Forgiving the Inexcusable, I’ve been confronted with situations that require me to forgive and to let go of the resulting hurt and anger.

It seems I’ve been confronted with the need to be forgiving so much here of late that I’ve practically become an expert! (Just kidding about the expert part. Trust me, I’ve still got a long way to go.) Here are a few points that have helped me in my quest to forgive. Hope you all find them beneficial as well.

One Thing We All Need: Forgiveness

"God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
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The above verse from Romans 5:8 is very clear about three things. God loves us, we’re all sinners, and Christ died for us. The remarkable thing is that while we were at our absolute worst, Christ forgave us as He died on the cross. We’re all sinners in need of forgiveness.

When I remember my own sinful state and consider what all I’ve been forgiven, it helps me forgive my fellow man. Max Lucado puts it this way: “You will never forgive anyone more than God has already forgiven you.”

Puts it all in perspective, doesn’t it?

Not An Option Or A Suggestion

“But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.” ~Matthew 6:15

The teachings of Jesus are pretty straightforward, aren’t they? This has always been one of those verses that makes me do a double take. For followers of Christ, forgiving others isn’t an option or a suggestion. We can’t hold out our hands for God’s forgiveness and then cross our arms across our chests and deny the same forgiveness to others.

Transformed Into His Image

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.

~2 Corinthians 3:18

I’ve heard it said that we’re most like Christ when we love someone who is difficult to love. But since forgiveness is motivated by love, I would even go one step further and say that we’re most like Christ when we forgive someone who is difficult to forgive. One thought along this line that helps me when I need to forgive others is that doing so is a perfect picture to the world (and to the person we’re forgiving) of what Christ has done for us on the cross–forgiving us at our worst.

NOTE: If you’re here as part of the Scavenger Hunt (Clue #3) for the Launch Party of A BRIDGE UNBROKEN, write down all the red letters in order to reveal one of my favorite quotes about forgiveness (and how I came up with the title for the new mini Bible study I wrote to go along with the latest Miller‘s Creek novel). It will also reveal the name of the famous American author who wrote the quote.

 

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