Make grace a state where you live.
| posted 1/30/2009
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Has a friend deliberately hurt you and shown no regret? Or maybe he's remorseful, but your wounds are deep? Admit it: Forgiveness is never easy. But you can make it a bit easier by recognizing that every Christian (even you) struggles with sin (7:8). Some struggles are more obvious, but we all fight to do right. The Bible says we do the evil we want to avoid; we don't do the good we aspire to. Realizing we're comrades in this battle makes it easier to show grace—underserved love—to our brother and sister soldiers.
There's a mistaken belief you have to forget in order to forgive. But only God can do that. Rather than struggle to forgive or forget the wrong, move to the state of grace. Whatever your friend did wrong, he doesn't deserve your love. He doesn't deserve your forgiveness. But quite honestly, you don't deserve God's forgiveness either; yet he loves you anyway. If you allow him to, God will work with both of you to free you from the separation sin causes. Forgiveness isn't a feeling but an action. So express God's grace through deliberately showing care to your friend.
With God to empower you, you can choose to treat your friend as forgiven, even when you don't feel like it. Then freedom comes to you both. (See also Ephesians 2:1-10; Colossians 3:12-14.)
Good Words to Remember:
God [set you free] be sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh on account of sin; he condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Romans 8:3, 4
Today's Challenge:
Are you trying to forgive and forget? If so, why not try it God's way instead?
Copyright 2003 by the author or Christianity Today International/Christian Bible Studies.
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