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Hello folks. Today, we will be doing an analysis on forgiveness, something we must try to do, regardless of circumstances.
Date | May 11, 2024 | Forgiveness |
Verse | Matthew 6:14-15: "For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." Ephesians 4:31-32: "Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." Colossians 3:12-13: "Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." Luke 17:3-4: "So watch yourselves.“If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.”" All verses in NIV. |
Explanation | These four passages from Matthew, Ephesians, Colossians, and Luke all emphasize the importance of forgiveness in our relationships with others and with God. Forgiveness is a key aspect of living a Christian life and maintaining healthy relationships. In Matthew 6:14-15, Jesus teaches that if we forgive others, we will be forgiven by God. This passage emphasizes the connection between our ability to forgive others and God's willingness to forgive us. It also implies that holding a grudge or refusing to forgive can hinder our relationship with God.Ephesians 4:31-32 and Colossians 3:12-13 both encourage forgiveness as a means of maintaining unity and love within the Christian community. Forgiveness is a form of compassion and kindness, and it allows us to let go of bitterness and anger. By following Christ's example of forgiveness, we can create a more harmonious and loving community. Luke 17:3-4 provides practical advice on how to forgive others. It emphasizes the importance of addressing conflict directly and giving others the opportunity to repent. Even if someone sins against us multiple times, we are still called to forgive them. This passage suggests that forgiveness is not a one-time event, but an ongoing process that requires patience and perseverance. |
Societal Relevance | When encountering family, friends, or strangers in the modern world, these passages call us to extend forgiveness even when it feels difficult or impossible. Some tips for practicing forgiveness include:
Forgiveness can be difficult for many Christians to follow, myself included. Sometimes it takes an entire decade to forgive, such as when a man wore a shirt which made my blood boil, about 12 years ago. In 2012, my parents and I had a layover in Iceland en-route to the European mainland, so we went to the Blue Lagoon, long before all the Instagram influencers made the admissions price balloon in the late-2010s. At the lagoon, there were a lot of tourists. One tourist had on a black shirt with white English text that said something along the lines of "[censored] Christianity". He never approached us, but I was people watching and saw him >50 ft (20 m) away. That made my blood boil, and I asked my parents why anyone would wear a shirt like that. My parents said that some folks may not understand the gravity of that phrase, especially a small subset of irreligious people. Recently, I prayed and forgave this stranger in my prayers a few months ago in the autumn of 2023, that he may be forgiven by myself and God, and that hopefully he seeks Christ. Back in April 2021 at age 21, my parents wanted to see if it was possible for me to move out, with a classmate named John Doe from a vocational program for folks with disabilities. John was a good guy, but he had a bit of temper issues. He has broken his phone a few times during 2020 and 2021, as well as a laptop that belonged to the vocational program. But, at the time, my parents and I thought John would make a good roommate. John was particular about certain things, such as having the thermostat temperature at 72F or below. In July 2021, he and I had a thermostat disagreement as we were going to be out of the apartment for a few days to visit our respective parents, so I thought we could set the temp to 78 degrees when we were away. He hit me, as I was programming the temperature to 78F. That is when the roommate situation came to a boil, and I moved back home with my parents at the end of July 2021. Fast forward to July 2022, and the vocational program alumni had plans to go on a camping trip to a nearby park in my city. I prayed to God, to help me forgive John for his actions. During the ride to the camping trip, I forgave John. He and I shortly afterwards began discussing computer systems from the late-20th century such as the TurboGrafx-16, as we both like technology, though John prefers the video game side aspect to it, while I prefer the scientific aspect to tech, but our interests overlap. In summary, we both became friends and forgave each other of our mistakes, and my year-long grudge was no more. |
