Forgiving Trespasses
Jesus, and the Holy Bible in general, speaks to forgiveness quiet often. Must be more to it than we give it credit. Most people, especially today it seems, don’t realize they have done anything wrong so how could they possibly have need to understand how forgiveness works?
Making amends can be a chore. When I first learned of this concept it was difficult to come face-to-face with people that I had mistreated in a variety of ways. Having to look someone in the eye and tell them how you abused their trust, disrespected their property or misled them in some way was terrifying. After the first 2-3 it became a little easier and what I was doing became a little clearer with each person I sat down with to discuss the past.
Breaking away from the past and asking forgiveness is not about the other person, it is about making our lives straight before God. We are in fact asking God for the forgiveness we offer another person each time we offer that forgiveness. I’m not sure if this makes the act of making amends easier or more of a challenge! When we seek to forgive in earnest and bury those ways of approaching people and situations lives change. The love of Jesus Christ begins to fill us with the power and mystery of the Holy Spirit and we see other people in a completely different light. It doesn’t make the struggle with the enemy any easier, if anything, the enemy is emboldened and comes at us in a variety of ways we never thought of before making our need for Jesus ever stronger.
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Mark 11 NKJV
20 Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.
21 And Peter, remembering, said to Him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.”
22 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God.
23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.
24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
25 “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.
26 But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”
