FORGIVEN AND FORGIVING

"For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses" (Matt. 6:14, 15). God’s forgiveness is the essential ingredient for receiving salvation through Jesus Christ. Mankind is blessed because God does not care how evil or unrighteous our lives have been; He will forgive us. We may have in our past lives taken the Lord’s name in vain and committed all types of evil aimed at dishonoring God, however God holds no grudges. We ask, and He forgives us and wipes our slate clean. God returns us to a relationship with Him similar to that which Adam had before he sinned; we become sin free and holy through the blood of Jesus Christ. As the children of God, we are commanded by the Word to forgive all those who do evil and offend us. We must forgive as we have been forgiven. "Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good" (Rom. 12:19-21). It does not matter how often someone offends us or persecutes us, we must forgive them, not with our mouths only; it must be from the heart. The true witness of our forgiveness is whether we have the capacity to have the same fellowship and relationship that we had with them before the offense. We must show love through our actions rather than our words. "But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you" (Luke 6:27, 28). As you forgive and do good to all of your offenders, vengeance is in the hands of the Almighty—WAIT ON THE LORD.