Good morning people who forgive fully

(By Graeme Cann)

Today we move on to consider The Freedom to Forgive Others.

We finished yesterdays thought with Paul’s solution to bitterness and resentment.

Ephesians 4:32 Be kind to one another, tender hearted, FORGIVING ONE ANOTHER EVEN AS GOD IN CHRIST HAS FORGIVEN YOU.

However this raises a huge question. “How do we go about forgiving others as God has forgiven us?”

The Hebrew word most often translated into our English word forgive in the Old Testament is Salach, which literally means put away or put off or set free. The Greek word most commonly translated into our English word forgive in the New Testament is Apheimi, which means exactly the same as Salach; set free!

When Jesus taught about forgiveness in the Lord’s Prayer, literally, this is what He said. “Set us free from the obligation to suffer YOUR judgement for OUR sins against You, as we have set free from the obligation to suffer OUR judgement for THEIR sins, those who have sinned against us.”

When we understand that even God could only forgive us for our sins against Him, because of the death and resurrection of Jesus, we realise that we can also forgive others their sins against us on the very same basis, so setting ourselves free from the destructiveness of bitterness and resentment.

What a glorious Freedom! Do you experience it?

(Today’s BIY written by Graeme Cann)