Matthew 18:21-22 NLT
Then Peter came to Him and asked, "Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?" [22] "No, not seven times," Jesus replied, "but seventy times seven!
When Peter came to Jesus with that question do you think he had someone in mind - someone who was always offending and annoying him?
Had he totalled up the number of times he'd had to forgive that person?
Was he looking for an excuse to finally have done with them?
We all have people in our lives with whom we have crossed swords and maybe still feel sore at.
Hearing their name in the same sentence as something good causes our inner "hackles" to rise.
Forgiveness is the bridge which Jesus built in His own body on the Cross - the only bridge that we can use to come close to a Holy God and obtain eternal life.
When I refuse to forgive I literally blow up that bridge and lose my access to Jesus.
Nothing, no offence, no person is worth sacrificing that precious relationship with Jesus.
So I have to come to the Cross where all sin and offence was dealt with and put it across the gap in my "forgiveness bridge" and get over it - whatever the cause - however deep the wound.
It is a constant ongoing challenge to keep the forgiveness bridge in tact throughout our Christian lives. The daily or even moment by moment upkeep is vital in our walk with Jesus.
Do I need to repair my forgiveness bridge today and keep it clear for someone to use?
Matthew 18:32-35 NLT
Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, 'You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. [33] Shouldn't you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?' [34] Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt. [35] "That's what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart."
A great big SELAH!
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