Recently, our son, David, preached a message from the Gospel of Luke. One thing he mentioned really stuck with me. He said believers should live in a “Perpetual State of Forgiveness.” It is not to forgive and move on, but to continue forgiving time after time. That has made me meditate on this thought. Have you ever considered that we are to live in an attitude of continuous forgiveness? Forgiving others has to become our way of life, challenging but essential.
Forgiveness without limits
The instruction is for Peter to forgive not seven times but seventy times seven times, which essentially means unlimited forgiveness. Jesus told Peter that even if the offense was personal and repeated seven times in one day, Peter was to forgive him. He offends, says he is sorry, and does the same thing seven more times on the same day; forgive him.
The apostles had only one answer—well; you need to increase our faith. It is going to be hard to do that. It is one thing to forgive something that happens once and is an accident, but seven times in one day, come on. That is limitless forgiveness, but we, as believers, are to live that way.
In Matthew 18:21-22, Jesus instructs Peter to forgive “not seven times, but seventy-seven times,” essentially teaching limitless forgiveness.
Our forgiveness reflects God’s mercy and forgiveness towards us.
Jesus shared a story about a person who received completely undeserved forgiveness for a debt that could never have been paid in a million years. The story then relates that the forgiven should show that same mercy and forgiveness towards those who owe him.
Why would we not share such great forgiveness with others? Why would we be selfish and self-centered to want for ourselves and not share with others? In Jesus’ eyes, the forgiven who wouldn’t forgive others of their debts reflected or tried to place a very negative value on what Jesus did for us on the cross. All believers are responsible for forgiving others, just as they have been forgiven.
There is a fantastic link between our forgiveness toward others and our enjoying the forgiveness God has given us. There is a cycle of mercy.
When we harbor unforgiveness and bitterness, we imprison ourselves and carry burdens too heavy. The weight of unforgiveness is a burden we impose on ourselves. When we forgive others, we find peace and spiritual freedom, relieving ourselves from this self-imposed burden.
We are even to forgive those who persecute and torment us, as Jesus did while He was dying on the cross.
How do we live in perpetual forgiveness?
We must constantly watch our attitudes
We must practice forgiveness over and over
Release all grudges
Let go of the right to retaliate
Choose to love over being resentful
As recipients of grace, we give grace
Never forget all God has done for you