Bible Reading: Matthew 18:21, 22
In verses 21 and 22 of today’s Bible reading Peter asked Jesus,“Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?”
Peter expected a limit on forgiveness, but Jesus answered saying, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”
Why is it so important that we forgive others?
The Bible gives us many reasons. Here are five:
1. Forgiving others is our responsibility. God told us to forgive. (Matthew 18:23-35)
2. Forgiving others allows God to forgive us. God won’t forgive us if we don’t forgive others. God also can’t refuse to forgive us if we forgive others and then ask him for his forgiveness. (Luke 6:37)
3. Forgiving others shows them that we really are followers of Jesus. Forgiving an undeserving person will get the attention of those around us since the very act of forgiving goes against natural human response. (Matthew 5:38-48)
4. Forgiving someone shows that we are refusing to sin by not forgiving him. By deliberately choosing to forgive even when it is hard to do we are choosing not to give in to our natural inclination to be bitter and hold a grudge. (Romans 12:17-21)
5. Forgiving others brings inner peace. We can move on and put the incident behind us. We can also put our own past wrongs behind us and live with a clear conscience knowing that God has forgiven us. (Mark 11:25, 26)
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32
Prayer: Heavenly Father, give me the courage to forgive. In Jesus’ name. Amen.