Forgiveness

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE

FORGIVENESS

Luke 17:3-4

"If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. 4 If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him." 

NIV

Which one of us can cast that first stone? Sure we have an obligation to bring to the attention of our fellow believer that sin which they are committing. But how do we do that without being judgmental? In addition, Jesus has also taught that we should take that log out of our eye before we start looking for that speck in another’s eye. So what does he mean here? In the context here and as it is recorded in other Gospels, Jesus is talking about if a brother does something wrong against us. We are not to go about looking for sins in others, but if a fellow believer either does or says something which is injurious to us, we should inform him as to how that injured us. If then that person understands the error they have made, and asks us to forgive them, we have the obligation to forgive. Our forgiveness should be as God forgives us, forever. It does not matter if that person does it again and repents asking us to forgive them, we need to forgive them. This requires not keeping any record of wrong, which is one of the criteria of love. When we forgive we have to forgive. How would we feel if when we sin against God, he says, well that is one more strike against you, so many strikes and you are out? This is what we do to others when we keep a record of their wrong. Forgiveness means no record, not bringing it back up, period. Love always hopes for the best in that person, love always trusts in that person. Forgiveness is unconditional when asked for. This also applies to when we offend another. We need to be humble enough to ask for forgiveness. Pride will always come before the fall, and so when we offend another believer, especially if they come to us and point out how we offended them, we need to see our offense and ask them to forgive us and we need to be humble in our asking. We should not try to defend either our actions or words of offense, but merely ask humbly for forgiveness. Any excuse would be an attempt to justify our sin. This is all about mutual respect, understanding we are all sinners saved by grace. We should live a life of forgiveness.