Can We Forgive?

Can We Forgive?

Jesus is the greatest example of forgiveness. He never in his life wronged anyone. He never in His life sought to take advantage of someone else for His benefit. He always treated everyone He met with love. The worst thing Jesus ever did was expect us to life like Him. I mean come on, how am I supposed to live like Him, love like Him, and forgive like Him? It seems to me like Jesus set us up for failure.

It isn’t that hard to love someone with words...they’re just words. It isn’t that hard to live like Jesus on Sunday when everyone else I’m dealing with is trying to live for Him too...on Sunday. But even on Sunday someone is bound to say something or do something that is going to make me fail to be like Jesus. What are we supposed to do?

Then there are the other days of the week. The days we deal with the people at work, our neighbors who let their pets “use” my yard. The inconsiderate driver who pulled out in front of me to go 5 miles an hour under the speed limit. The person who tried to ruin my life because all I did was try to love them and help them but they ripped my heart out as they left my life spewing lies about my character to others causing them to leave my life as well. What does Jesus say about these people? What am I supposed to do?

The Bible says, just after Jesus gave us the model for how to pray, ““For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭14‬-‭15) Wait, so I am just supposed to forgive and if I don’t God won’t forgive me?!? Jesus is setting me up for failure! How am I supposed to do that? Then when I don’t, does that mean I can’t be or won’t be saved?

As a child of 80’s television, I will quote cousin Balki, “Don’t be ridiculous”. This isn’t about salvation, otherwise we could never be born again. And to answer another question, Yes, Jesus did set us up for failure! We can’t keep the law! We do not have the power and/or ability to forgive the way that Jesus does! So, yes, Jesus did set us up for failure. Here is the real question though...Why? Why did Jesus set us up for failure?

You see, Jesus paid for all sins for all time for all man. He did because He is the only one who could. God has forgiven all sins for all time for all man...except one. The one sin that God cannot and will not forgive is the rejection of Jesus. If you do not accept Jesus as the payment for your sins and the power over your shortcomings, God cannot forgive that sin. But if I accept what Jesus has done for me, let His risen Spirit work in me and through me to forgive those that Jesus loves and forgives, then I rest in the Grace of Christ’s Gospel. Jesus set us up for failure so we would be able to go to Him to forgive for us...He already did, we just have die to who we are and let His Spirit of forgiveness rest on us.

We may have been set up for failure in who we are, but it is only that we might know Victory in Who Christ is!
Pastor Larry Hof

Here is a song for today!
https://youtu.be/h1Lu5udXEZI