It's time to forgive!

Most people will have some kind of reaction when they read the words “It’s time to forgive.”

Some of you might say, “It’s easy for you to say that - you don’t understand. You have no idea what they did!”

Others may think, “They hurt me so badly; I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to forgive them.”

Some might feel annoyed, holding onto unforgiveness as though it gives you a sense of power or control over the person who has wronged you.

Then there are those who say, “I’ve forgiven them,” but still find themselves overwhelmed by strong emotions or reactions when they think about that person or hear their words.

Perhaps you’ve been hurt by the end of a relationship. If you haven’t truly forgiven, it might show up in subtle ways. You might post photos of yourself appearing to be blissfully happy, your profile picture sends a messages that you have healed and life is good, hoping that person will see your pictures and "get the message". Perhaps you share posts on social media to give the impression you’ve “moved on” and no longer need them in your life. These actions are always aimed at hurting the other person in some way.

Some people take more overt actions, like blocking phone numbers or social media accounts to avoid any chance of communication. Others might go out of their way to “get back at” the person who wronged them - or vice versa - through petty, obvious, or immature gestures.

We’ve all been wronged. It hurts. It’s embarrassing. It’s infuriating. It’s demeaning. It just hurts.

But we’ve also all wronged someone else.

I think about Jesus: suffering, hurting, tortured, beaten, humiliated, falsely accused, and dying on the cross. He was innocent, sinless, and blameless - the Son of God. Yet, even in that moment, He said: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

There is no greater example than the Son of God, Jesus Christ, asking His Father to forgive those who killed Him in the most brutal way.

Another powerful example is Stephen. He was one of the disciples deeply committed to Jesus and determined to share the Gospel with others. The Bible tells us he was “full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people” (Acts 6:8). Yet, he was falsely accused of blasphemy. In fact, Scripture records: “They secretly induced men to say, ‘We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.’” False witnesses were also brought against him.

Stephen was summoned before the council and asked whether the accusations were true. He became the first martyr of the early church after Jesus ascended to heaven. He spoke the truth and refused to deny Christ, even though he knew this would cost him his life. And it did. He was stoned to death.

Before he died, they dragged him out of the city and stoned him - a man who had committed no crime. What do you think his final words should have been before he died?

There was a time in my life when I wanted the persons who wronged me to fully understand my side of the story, and I would go to great lengths to make them see it.

There was a time in my life when I would have said and done things simply because I believed I was right, and the other person was wrong.

There was a time in my life when being wronged would have left me feeling depressed, lonely, and, of course, like the victim.

There was also a time in my life when I said and did things that hurt others, because I was hurting.

In those moments, I failed to reflect Christ's love for me; my behaviour was far from Christlike, mirroring how distant I was from Him.  I wouldn’t walk away without saying what was on my heart, making sure everyone understood I was hurt. It was all about me and my pain. I was selfish. I carried unforgiveness in my heart for a very long time.  Scripture tells us that a tree is known by its fruit… Safe to say, my fruit wasn’t all that good!

But our Creator, God, has shown me immeasurable grace and love through His Son, Jesus. The One who took upon Himself my hurt, my rejection, my every sin - every burden I have carried and will ever bear. He died on the cross for all of my pain so that I could be free. Free to forgive without leaving a backdoor or window open for unforgiveness to become my master.

The more we grow in God, the less we want to sin, and the less we want to carry the sentence of unforgiveness we place on ourselves.

What did Stephen say before he died? After being wrongfully accused of a crime he didn’t commit? After being stoned as punishment for something he hadn’t done?

His very last words were: “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.”

Don’t continue clinging to unforgiveness - it makes you a prisoner of your own pain. Unforgiveness doesn’t punish the other person for what they’ve done, nor does it excuse or make right their wrongs. But it does free you from being enslaved to bitterness and hurt.

We often recite the Lord’s Prayer without fully grasping the powerful teaching Jesus gave when He said, “This is how you should pray.” Matthew 6:12 - “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” God calls us to forgive, and He also longs to forgive us. Unforgiveness is a sin, meaning it creates a barrier between you and God – sin is a refusal to depend on Him. Often, unforgiveness becomes an obstacle to healing. When we refuse to forgive someone, when we vow never to forgive them for what they’ve done, we are essentially telling God that we don’t want His forgiveness either. In doing so, we choose to harbour bitterness and remain enslaved to unforgiveness rather than surrendering it all to Him.

Perhaps you struggle to forgive yourself. Perhaps you find it hard to forgive someone else.

Forgive those who have wronged you, unconditionally. Forgiveness cannot be dependent on whether the person who has wronged you has changed, has apologised, or is doing what you want them to do.

The Lord said vengeance is His, not ours (Romans 12:19).

It’s time to forgive. Turn to God with everything: your pain, your beliefs, your habits, your sinful behaviour, your wrong decisions, the harsh words you’ve spoken, your addiction, your pretence, your self-reliance, your stubbornness, your depression, your feelings of rejection and abandonment.

Jesus shed His blood and died on the cross for you and all your hurt so that you can live free from it - a life cleansed from all unrighteousness. A life justified.

It’s time for you to forgive those who have wronged you.

Temple - Jeremy Riddle

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUPaskRXnzgE