Day 26 Lent Devotion

“For if you forgive men their trespasses,

your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

But if you do not forgive men their trespasses,

neither will your Father forgive yours”

Matthew 6:14-15

The first time I read Matthew 6:14-15,

I had to read it again.

My forgiveness from God is subject to my forgiving others?

No one had ever spoken of that to me before.

And as an avid reader of Christian non-fiction for years,

consuming 1-2 books per week,

I had never read anything on this passage before.

It isn’t confusing.

It is clear as a bell.

And, it isn’t written just once, friends.

“And when you stand to pray,

if you hold anything against another,

forgive it, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your trespasses as well.”

Mark 11:25

“Do not judge,

and you will not be judged.

Do not condemn,

and you will not be condemned.

Forgive, and you will be forgiven.”

Luke 6:37

“Then Peter came to Jesus and asked,

“Lord, how many times shall I forgive

my brother or sister who sins against me?

Up to seven times?”

Jesus answered,

“I tell you, not seven times,

but seventy-seven times.”

Matthew 18:21-22

Jesus used a parable to make His point.

For the full account read Matt. 18:21-25

“Then the master called the servant in.

‘You wicked servant,’ he said,

‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to.

Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’

In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured,

until he should pay back all he owed.

“This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you

unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

Matthew 18:32-35

So, if there is any grudge,

bitterness,

unforgiveness

in your heart today,

examine your heart

and ask God to help you forgive.

It is not dependent on others

to ask for forgiveness

, only on you to forgive.

“Jesus said, “Father, forgive them,

for they do not know what they are doing.”

And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.”

Luke 23:24

Watch Forgiveness https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9J6xOT3Ldw

This is more than a song, there is a testimony on the power of forgiveness to heal your heart.

“Bear with one another and forgive any complaint you may have against someone else. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” Colossians 3:13