Forgiveness (2)

Ephesians 4:32-5:2:

And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

Last meditation I focused on what forgiveness is and what it involves. I also mentioned how hard it is to put that all into practice. So this meditation will expand on how we find the strength, ability, power and incentive to forgive.

Forgiveness (1)

Matthew 6:12, 14, 15:

¹² “And forgive us our debts,

As we forgive our debtors.

¹⁴ For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵ But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

That's how important forgiveness is. Our entire salvation rests on whether we forgive our neighbour. Being unforgiving means not being forgiven by God and ultimately losing heaven. An unforgiving spirit is proof of never having been indwelt by the Holy Spirit.

Aliens and Glory

1 Peter 2:11-12:

¹¹ Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, ¹² having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.

The primary goal of man on this earth is to glorify God (1 Cor 6:20; 10:31). In our words, thoughts and actions we are to magnify God's glory and cause others to glorify Him. That determines how successful our lives have been.