Keep On Forgiving
ICS Daily Devotions
Matthew 18:15,21-22 (NKJV) “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother… Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.
If we have been wronged or sinned against by someone, we need to follow the biblical approach in Matthew 18:15-17 in confronting them. After that, we need to forgive them. Forgiveness is a hallmark of a believer. It shows authentic church life because we worship among imperfect believers. Forgiveness is the best way to handle, restore, and resolve complex relationships.
No doubt, Peter also found it hard to forgive, so he asked Jesus how many times he should forgive someone. Jesus told him to forgive the person who had wronged or offended him seventy times seven, which means innumerably!
Reading from the opening passage to the end of Matthew chapter 18 would help us appreciate this instruction of ongoing forgiveness more because it talks about how the king, out of his grace, forgave the debtor of an impossible amount. However, the forgiven debtor failed to extend the same grace, mercy, love, and forgiveness toward someone who couldn’t repay him an insignificant amount. It reveals how God wants us to be forgiving, gracious, and kind towards those who have sinned and offended us. If we truly appreciate how God has forgiven us by His abundant grace despite our sins and inability to make ourselves right before God, we will likewise be gracious to those who have wronged or sinned against us.
We are imperfect beings living in a fallen world, so there will be innumerable opportunities for people to sin or wrong us, especially our loved ones. The secret to a lasting relationship is an ever-forgiving heart and a gracious and merciful attitude since we have understood and experienced God’s love. When we practise forgiving seventy-seven times, Christ’s image slowly forms in us.
John 21:15 (NKJV) So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs.”
Jesus demonstrated how He restored someone who had denied Him three times. He intentionally asked Peter three times to assure him that He would continue to trust him by entrusting him with caring for His sheep. Jesus did not cut Peter off the list of apostles, give him a cold shoulder, or make Peter’s life miserable. Instead, Jesus reached out to Peter, forgave Him, and restored his relationship with Peter. God expects us to do the same.
Sermon Series: What Is Seventy Times Seven Times?
