Matthew 6: 14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Colossians 3: 12-14 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
God tells us to forgive one another as we are forgiven. If we do not forgive, we will not received forgiveness. Pretty simple in concept. Harder to live out.
The fact is, I will say again. I forgive. Truly and sincerely: I forgive.
There are those who insist that I 'shut up" and "move on", I say this: I will not forget. People learn from their mistakes, forgetting them would be detrimental. I will not claim to have read the entire Bible, but I have read a lot. Many books and sections more than once. I have yet to come across the verse that says "Forgive and Forget" or "Forgive and let your abuser be free to continue sin against you and/or others". If someone can point these passages out to me, I would appreciate the guidance. Again, living it out would be difficult.
I have tried hard to keep love in my heart for others, even those who have hurt me. I have quietly watched as one heresy is replaced with another. I have great sadness in my heart for those who are led astray. I pray:
Ephesians 1: 17-19 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might
My ultimate goal in this life is to turn my focus to God and keep it there. I will continue to praise and honor my God. My hope is to be steadfast in my faith, one day standing in the kingdom of Heaven, forgiven for all. The warmth and love of Jesus in my heart.
Matthew 24: 9-14 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. 10 And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
May you have peace and joy this holiday season, knowing that we celebrate the birth of Jesus our Savior and Lord. I serve Jesus, the Lord, most high King not of this world, but of the next. He who came to bear witness to the truth, that all may be saved, not by works or words, but by belief in Him.
Jen
