Tag Archives: Forgiveness

Generous in Mercy

I’ve been thinking a lot about mercy lately, and I feel like it’s something that God is telling me to pay attention to. I’ve been convicted of the ways I am often not very forgiving, and I’ve felt that He wants to grow me in this area.

On the one hand, I have always felt merciful to a fault, frequently making excuses for others’ behavior and unwilling to stand up for myself. But, after those friendships have either reconciled or ended, these hurts often find their way back into my mind, leaving me feeling a little bitter.

Of course, it’s important to set boundaries at times, and there are relationships in which you can forgive yet still put distance between yourself and the other person. But I do have to wonder if I’ve actually forgiven all those who have hurt me, or if I’ve just momentarily forgotten about their actions.

Many times I’ve let things slide simply because I fear the consequences of addressing an issue. On the outside this may resemble mercy. However, I’ve begun to wonder if my unwillingness to hold others accountable for their wrongs against me is less about showing mercy towards them, and more about my own weakness in simply fearing conflict.

So, I’ve been asking God to show me what biblical mercy looks like. Any solution I come up with on my own will only be a flawed, broken sort of mercy – I want the mercy that fills the character of God.

When I look at the picture of forgiveness as demonstrated by God, it definitely seems as though what I’ve been doing falls short. He forgives us so wholeheartedly that He crossed over heaven and earth, life and death, to be reconciled to us.

And it’s not as though He made excuses for our sin, pretending it wasn’t that bad – He recognized the depravity of our sin in ways that we can’t even fathom, and He still chose to make a way for our salvation. Who am I then to hold bitterness towards someone for some insignificant slight, some careless word?

I will never know the weight of the pain that Jesus carried; yet in even the minor hurts that I experience in life, I have access through Him to the power of God helping me to forgive. I cannot have mercy towards others in this radical, self-sacrificial way without the help of the One who did it first. So I must be honest with God, asking Him to overcome my weaknesses and to give me the ability – and the desire – to forgive. I will be abundantly supplied by God to do what He has called me to do, to show mercy.

When thinking about forgiveness, I’m reminded of Ephesians 4:26-32. We are told to “be angry and yet do not sin”. So, there is clearly a space for Christians to be angry and hurt by others’ actions, yet to be so in a godly way.

Our emotions should never give way to bitterness or malice, but should instead be used to recognize the depth of our hurts so that we can hand them over to God in conscious forgiveness. Aware of the unfair rejection we’ve withstood at the hands of others, we can better understand the magnitude of our sin against God – and the magnitude of His mercy towards us.

Mercy is so necessary, not only so that we can maintain healthy relationships, but because we cannot risk allowing our anger to “give the devil an opportunity” or to “grieve the Holy Spirit of God”. It’s clear that there are some very serious consequences resulting from our grudges. By holding bitterness in our hearts, we push God’s will out of the way and give sin a chance to break our relationships even more than they’ve already been broken.

So, when we are wronged, we must remember to view others through God’s eyes – as broken, sinful people in need of mercy – and to leave our bitterness behind, choosing instead to edify and give grace to one another. We must forgive each other as Christ forgave us – sacrificially, wholly, lovingly.

Tim Keller wrote in one of my favorite books, A Prodigal God, about how God’s redemption plan was not dependent on our feelings of remorse or repentance – Jesus chose to die on the cross for us while we were still sinners, knowing that we may choose to accept Him or not. And in the midst of His crucifixion, He asked God to forgive those who mocked Him. In the same way we must be willing to forgive others even when they show no remorse for the way they’ve treated us.

Keller also wrote about how we often find it easy to forgive others who we feel are on our level of “goodness” because we can relate to them and to the mistakes they’ve made, as we’ve probably done the same. But we struggle to give grace to those who commit sins we think we would never do. In a way, we feel that we are above forgiving them.

But we must remember that we are not above any sin, and that while we may not have done whatever it is that’s been done to us, our pride makes us guilty still. And any sin, whether an action or a prideful feeling, separates us from right relationship with others and with God. So we must ask ourselves, is it worth it? Is it worth creating a distance between ourselves and God simply to hold on to a grudge?

As I’ve prayed over these things, I’ve come to the knowledge that I don’t want a mercy that is born out of weakness – my unwillingness to be vulnerable, my aversion to conflict, my desire to please. I want a mercy that is born out of power – the power found in the Holy Spirit. This power comes from the security and salvation I have found in God and from the recognition that I have all things in Christ, which means I have everything to give and nothing to lose.

Because God is generous in mercy towards me, I can be generous in mercy towards others. I pray that God will help me to do so, to overcome my weakness and to give me the ability and desire to forgive.

Lord, please help me to forgive wholeheartedly, unreservedly, not needing anything in return. To forgive only by the strength You give me, not by my temporary feelings and human abilities. Do a work in me and help me to forgive, just as You continually forgive me.

Related Scripture

Ephesians 4:26-32

“Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity…Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”

1 Peter 2:21-23

“For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;”

James 1:20

“For the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.”

Luke 6:36-37

“Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned.”

1 John 4:11

“Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another”

Matthew 5:7

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy”

Repentance

“Behold, the Lord’s hand is not so short that it cannot save…But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God…” (Isaiah 59:1-2)

God is the essence of holiness – He cannot approve of sin nor allow it into His presence. When we were dead in our sin, before salvation, we were by necessity separated from God. That’s why He chose to die in our place – so that we could be washed clean and made pure. And when we become saved, He makes us able to stand in His presence blameless with great joy (Jude 1:24-25).

But, there are going to be times when we fall short and do wrong, in spite of our saved state. Which is why repentance is so important. When we allow ourselves to live in sin, we begin to build up a wall between ourselves and God – not a permanent, eternal wall (that has been taken care of once and for all) – but a manmade structure. We disallow ourselves from walking in right relationship with Him because we know that we are doing what He hates. But the amazing thing is that in spite of our shortcomings God is still willing to hear our prayers of repentance, and to renew us and strengthen us by His power.

I know that I often struggle with accepting forgiveness from God; I can feel like my sin is just too big. And I think I am not alone in this. But when we hold back because we just can’t believe that God would forgive that sin, we are inadvertently minimizing who He is. Do we really think that He who went so far as to suffer and die for us will be inhibited by whatever mess is in our lives right now? Let’s not equate Him to sinful humans who are fickle in their forgiveness. He is an unchanging God, and He stands by what He says. So when He tells us that He will forgive us if only we repent, He means it! And once He’s forgiven our sin, He remembers it no longer (Hebrews 10:17). He doesn’t hold it over our heads, but casts it away as if it never happened. Let’s rejoice in that and bring our repentance to Him with gladness.

While our sin is often too great for us, it can never be too great for God. Even when we don’t know how to pray, when we are overwhelmed with our failures, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us (Romans 8:26). God has made Himself so accessible – we have no work to do except give ourselves to Him. Because of His great love for us, we have access to deep forgiveness and freedom. Repentance is a privilege, and we should welcome it as such.

Related Scripture

1 John 1:9

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Romans 8:1

“Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”

Psalm 32:1-5

“How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered! How blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit! When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I did not hide; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord’, and You forgave the guilt of my sin.”

Jude 1:24-25

“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”

Romans 8:26

“In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.”

Hebrews 10:17

“for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more”

Romans 4:7-8

“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven, and whose sins have been covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account”

Isaiah 30:18

“Therefore the Lord longs to be gracious to you, and therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; how blessed are all those who long for Him.”

1 John 2:1-2

“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you do not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.”

Psalm 103:8, 12

“The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in mercy…As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our wrongdoings from us.”

2 Corinthians 7:10

“For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.”

Where Are We?

If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him. (John 12:26)

When I read this verse, it often makes me wonder if I’m where I’m supposed to be. Jesus says that whoever serves Him must be where He is. Am I where Jesus is? Or am I somewhere else, living out my own desires?

So, I’d like to start this post by asking, Where are we, the believers?

Are we caught up in the middle of strife with those around us, forgetting that our struggle is not against flesh and blood? Are our days filled with anger, division, bitterness? Do we feel so exhausted and burnt out by our frustration with the ways others let us down?

Or maybe we’re living a life centered solely on the here and now. Are we so focused on our earthly comforts and pursuits that we forget to love others well? Do we remember that our kingdom is not of this world, that the things of this earth are but small and temporary?

Are we simply trying to make it through life unscathed? Are we concentrated on avoiding the things that are outside of our comfort zone, to the point that we leave no room to let God work in our lives?

Or are we stuck in a place of insecurity, constantly striving to prove our worth to those around us? Are we spending all of our energy simply trying to stay on top of our responsibilities, our plans, our hopes for the future, yet still falling behind?

Or are we somewhere else? Somewhere that was well-intended, but that ultimately has pulled us further from God’s will?

I have certainly found myself in each of these places, found myself losing sight of Who I serve. In John 12:26, Jesus says, “where I am, there My servant will be also”. So, this leads us to ask not only where are we? But where should we be? Jesus wants us to be where He is, but what does that mean?

Looking throughout Scripture, I’ve pinpointed just a few of the places where we see Jesus consistently place Himself.

We see Him caring for the less fortunate, extending His promise of rest and peace to the poor and the oppressed, the widows and the orphans. We see Him offering grace to those that society and religion had rejected. He tells the woman caught in adultery to Go, and sin no more and the thief on the cross Today you will be with Me in Paradise. He dines with the sinners, unashamed of the love He has for them.

We see Him serving those around Him in deep humility and grace. As the Son of God, Jesus had every right to wield His power and authority over His disciples. And yet, He humbled Himself and took a position of servanthood towards them all, washing their feet and dying for them. This great sacrifice is extended toward the rest of humanity as well; He is patient with us and offers us so much love, despite our unworthiness.

We see Him showing powerful forgiveness. In the midst of His crucifixion, He prayed for His accusers – Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. And His work doesn’t end with grace. Over and over He calls His followers towards holiness – a holiness that is empowered by the forgiveness we’ve received in Him. He does not condone our sin, but instead guides us into a higher calling.

We also see Jesus spending time in the presence of God. Throughout the Gospels He consistently makes time to be alone with God, to pray and seek His will. And His constant focus is on carrying out this will; it is not pulled away by others’ misperceptions or demands, the temptations of Satan, or the agony of the cross. He doesn’t shy away from the truth, but preaches the word of God with boldness, unapologetically drawing attention to the message of the kingdom. We see Him in perfect obedience to the Father, willing to lay down His very life for the world while we were yet sinners.

So, let’s ask ourselves again, Where should we be?

We must be where the Lord was, caring for those in need as the hands and feet of Christ. We must show mercy and grace to those who are lost and wrestling with sin. We must be willing to love others with a servant’s heart – not putting our own desires above theirs, but seeking their welfare, bearing their burdens. We must forgive one another and encourage each other to live lives of holiness, empowered by God’s grace. And most of all we must spend intentional, prayerful time with God, seeking His will. We must not be carried away by the expectations of those around us, but must step confidently and obediently into the plans that God has set for us.

At the end of John 12:26, Jesus says that whoever follows and serves Him in this way will be honored by the Father. So let’s be faithful to God’s call, intentionally placing ourselves where we know that our Savior is.

Related Scripture

John 17:24

“Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.”

Luke 12:34

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”

Matthew 7:16-20

“You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits.”

John 13:35

“By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”