“Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.” – Matthew 18:22 (NKJV)
Imagine if God limited the number of times you could approach Him for forgiveness, and once that limit is exhausted, He would no longer hear your plea for forgiveness. Imagine God leaving you to bear the consequences or repercussions of whatever decisions or actions you take. Imagine the result— we would all be in Hell by now.
Did you know that as believers, we also have no limits in our ability to forgive? In our anchor verse, Jesus uses a figure, seventy times seven, to signify just how much we should forgive when wronged. As Imago Dei (made in God’s image), we can forgive others, regardless of how many times we have been wronged. The capacity to forgive endlessly is one of the intrinsic characteristics of your new identity in Christ (Matthew 6:12). Forgiveness is a fruit of your regenerated spirit.
Forgiveness demonstrates our devotion to God and His word. The first and greatest commandment is to love God with all your heart, mind and soul; and the second is to love your neighbour as yourself (Matthew 22: 37-39). Just as God did in salvation, forgiveness is a conscious decision – to put aside our feelings of hurt, anger, resentment, or desire for revenge and release our offenders. When we choose to let go of these emotions, we are displaying our commitment to obey the word of God and the teachings of Christ (Matthew 18:22, Colossians 3:13). While the memory of the hurt may be difficult to forget, we have been instructed to forgive without limit.
To forgive as we should, we must view our offence through the lens of God’s mind. In Genesis 45 and 50, we see how Joseph viewed the painful events caused by his brothers as an opportunity. While our experiences may not be identical to Joseph’s, we can learn to forgive more efficiently by adopting his perspective. When we allow God to shape our outlook on the events in our lives and what is required of us, we are empowered to do what is necessary, with the promise of a good outcome (Philippians 2:13, Romans 8:28).
Dear believer, forgiving those who have wronged you is more achievable than it seems, and importantly, there’s no limit to how often you should extend that forgiveness. As an image-bearer of God, limitless forgiveness is part of your nature. While it may be painful and sometimes difficult, you have the complete resources of Heaven to help you navigate the process.
With God’s help, you can free yourself from hurt, anger, and resentment and choose to see His ultimate purpose in your experiences.
SAY THIS: My mind is reshaped to see God’s purpose in my hurtful experiences. I heal from those pains, let go of them, and forgive my offenders. Amen!
Bible Reading Plan: Hebrews 10
“Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.” – Matthew 18:22 (NKJV)
Imagine if God limited the number of times you could approach Him for forgiveness, and once that limit is exhausted, He would no longer hear your plea for forgiveness. Imagine God leaving you to bear the consequences or repercussions of whatever decisions or actions you take. Imagine the result— we would all be in Hell by now.
Did you know that as believers, we also have no limits in our ability to forgive? In our anchor verse, Jesus uses a figure, seventy times seven, to signify just how much we should forgive when wronged. As Imago Dei (made in God’s image), we can forgive others, regardless of how many times we have been wronged. The capacity to forgive endlessly is one of the intrinsic characteristics of your new identity in Christ (Matthew 6:12). Forgiveness is a fruit of your regenerated spirit.
Forgiveness demonstrates our devotion to God and His word. The first and greatest commandment is to love God with all your heart, mind and soul; and the second is to love your neighbour as yourself (Matthew 22: 37-39). Just as God did in salvation, forgiveness is a conscious decision – to put aside our feelings of hurt, anger, resentment, or desire for revenge and release our offenders. When we choose to let go of these emotions, we are displaying our commitment to obey the word of God and the teachings of Christ (Matthew 18:22, Colossians 3:13). While the memory of the hurt may be difficult to forget, we have been instructed to forgive without limit.
To forgive as we should, we must view our offence through the lens of God’s mind. In Genesis 45 and 50, we see how Joseph viewed the painful events caused by his brothers as an opportunity. While our experiences may not be identical to Joseph’s, we can learn to forgive more efficiently by adopting his perspective. When we allow God to shape our outlook on the events in our lives and what is required of us, we are empowered to do what is necessary, with the promise of a good outcome (Philippians 2:13, Romans 8:28).
Dear believer, forgiving those who have wronged you is more achievable than it seems, and importantly, there’s no limit to how often you should extend that forgiveness. As an image-bearer of God, limitless forgiveness is part of your nature. While it may be painful and sometimes difficult, you have the complete resources of Heaven to help you navigate the process.
With God’s help, you can free yourself from hurt, anger, and resentment and choose to see His ultimate purpose in your experiences.
SAY THIS: My mind is reshaped to see God’s purpose in my hurtful experiences. I heal from those pains, let go of them, and forgive my offenders. Amen!
Bible Reading Plan: Hebrews 10