10/29/2023
Forgiveness
In the Bible, Matthew 18:4 says, "The greatest in the Kingdom of heaven is the one who humbles himself and becomes like this child".
In verse 3, Jesus says, "I assure you that unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the Kingdom of heaven".
In verse 5, Jesus says, "And whoever welcomes in my name one such child as this, welcomes me".
In the Kingdom of Heaven, the greatest are not those with the largest buildings, the highest average Sunday attendance, and the biggest budgets. Rather, it is those who have the heart of a three-year-old: trusting, forgiving, and unconditionally loving. These are the ones who will be the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven, not those who act like three-year-olds: selfish, angry, and distrustful.
Forgiveness is a powerful force that got us into the kingdom of God. As the Bible says in Matthew 6:15, "If you don't forgive neither will your father in heaven forgive you.” From God's perspective, there is only one force of forgiveness. It is not two or three forces, but one. When we forgive others, we are also opening ourselves up to God's forgiveness. If we resist forgiveness, we are resisting God's forgiveness and all forgiveness. Forgiveness is a powerful force that can bring us closer to God.
People who say they could never forgive someone are living in unforgiveness themselves. They cannot receive forgiveness because they have resisted it. So God can try all day to give it to them, but they will not be able to accept it. They cannot get out of guilt because they will not allow God's forgiveness to wash it away. This is because they will not forgive others. They have resisted the force of forgiveness, and God cannot give it to them if they will not give it to someone else.
In other words, forgiveness is a two-way street. If you want to be forgiven, you must first forgive others. This is not always easy, but it is necessary for your healing and well-being.
