The Key to Forgiveness
Do You find it difficult to forgive others who have hurt or
offended you? Or loved ones who have disappointed you? Do you need forgiveness for
yourself? These are important questions that many of us have struggled with.
There are no easy answers, but we can find the answers in the Bible if we look
for them. The Bible holds the key to forgiveness.
The first key to forgiveness is what Jesus said. He told us
that we must forgive others in order for God to forgive us. We find this
recorded in the Gospel of Matthew:
“For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your
heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their
sins, your Father will not forgive your sins” (Matthew 6:14-15).
The second key is found in the Book of Luke. It has to do
with how we view other people. We all have the human tendency to judge others
by their appearance or the way they speak. First impressions are important, but
they are not always correct. Ask yourself this question: Do I want others to judge
me before they get to know me? I know I don’t.
Jesus put it this way: “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).
The third key is prayer. No matter how much I have tried, I
have never been able to completely forgive others or myself without praying
about it. Prayer softens the heart and connects me to the source of
forgiveness, our Father in heaven. Prayer not only enables me to forgive
others, but just as importantly helps me to forgive myself, and sometimes that
is the most difficult. Jesus taught us the best way to pray. It is found in Matthew
6:9-13, and we call it The Lord’s Prayer:
“Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy
kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day
our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who
trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever, amen.”
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