FORGIVE

By Rick Mathes

Colossians 3:13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.

Almost everyone I have met who profess Christianity just doesn’t quite understand the fullness of our Lord’s forgiveness. They drag around anchors of guilt and shame when they should be shouting Hallelujah at the top of their lungs.

First of all, a strong indication of your salvation is the guilt of sinning. Satan would not convict you of sin would he? Then conviction and shame of sinning but be because the Holy Spirit is in you doing your dirty spiritual laundry. With this in mind, let’ also include that confessing your sin is usually because you got caught. True forgiveness is needed for the health of your soul and it is a private moment you take with the Lord when you ask for it. It should be just you and our Lord because He is the only one that can forgive you. You don’t need a confessional or a priest.

So it starts with the Holy Spirit targeting one of your sins and giving you an overwhelming guilt for having committed it and an unavoidable calling to repent and never do that shameful act again, ever.

Now you put your face in the mud, the blood and the tears at the foot of the cross and beg His forgiveness. This conversion and act of repentance alone is unquestionable proof of your salvation. You have done as you should and in fact you could do none other but humbly submit to Him.

Jesus, of course, will forgive your genuine, heart-felt request. He gave His life on the cross for you. Your sin nailed Him to the bloody timbers. No human priest, rabbi, or imam can clear your record but Jesus and Jesus alone.

Now here is the part most don’t do: receive the forgiveness. It sounds so simple but hardly anyone does. Most people say they have died to Christ and then drag around the putrid and decaying old self around. If you have guilt, you have unconfessed sin, period.

Lastly, the process is complete when you become a forgiver. What can man do to you that you can’t forgive considering what the Lord has forgiven you of? Remember that when someone sins against you they have sinned against Jesus. Oure Father will settle the account not you.