Ephesians 1:7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.

What is forgiveness?

Forgiveness is a decision to let go of resentment for an action someone committed against you to your detriment. We, especially men, have a hard time letting go of wrongs someone has committed against us. Our pride steps in and we listen to that little voice inside our minds that tell us we have to get payback. Proverbs 16:18 tells us that pride goes before destruction. So, to let our pride come into play and not forgive will lead us into a destructive path.

” A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you.” C.S. Lewis. When we look down on people, we devalue them. Then pride says, “How can someone less than do this to me?” If we keep looking down, we can’t see what Jesus has done for us. We also can’t see the stone falling from the sky to drop on us.

Why should we forgive?

Colossians 1:13-14 “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.” Forgiveness was the plan of God before the beginning of the world. He knew in His omnipotence that man was flawed. He created us with a purpose to have Him help us in our walk. Should we not emulate Him?

This plan of forgiveness was God showing that He was all in on us. His Son, perfect and sinless, who came to this earth to save us by giving all of Himself to be our propitiation. In other words, He put Himself in the position to pay the penalty for all sins, for all times. Is not this enough to make us stop looking down on our fellow man? We should blame the sin, not the sinner. We were created in His image.

How do you receive His forgiveness?

Mark 2:17 When Jesus heard, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick, I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” The first step in the process is to be humble and know that we need a savior. Pride tells us that we can do anything ourselves. We can work our way to heaven. We are good enough.

This is the biggest lie that you will ever hear! We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We can’t work our way out of a bottomless pit; we can only keep falling. Jesus is the One who reaches down with a hand of grace to lift us out of the mire. He offers His gift freely to those willing to be humble. And that is the question. Will you be humble enough to accept His forgiveness?