Today's Verse: Colossians 3:13

Today's message is an important but very challenging message to obey. How can I forgive someone who has grievously sinned against me? Maybe the better question may be: How can I not forgive a brother or sister for whom Christ died (Romans 14:15; 1 Corinthians 8:11), when I know what Jesus did to forgive me? In addition to our verse today, the Holy Spirit emphasized this principle several times in the New Testament Scriptures:

"For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." (Matthew 6:14-15)

"And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins." (Mark 11:25)

Jesus powerfully dramatized the importance of this principle in the "Parable of the Unmerciful Servant" (Matthew 18:21-35). But how do we live into this principle? Many of us have people who have sinned horribly against us! Part of the answer lies in recognizing what Jesus has done to forgive us and recognizing the grace we have received. In addition, we tap into the power of the Holy Spirit that we focused upon several days ago (Ephesians 1:17-20, 3:14-21), and ask for the Spirit to produce godly fruit in us (Galatians 5:22-23). Finally, we trust that while we may not have it in us to forgive on our own, with God, all things are possible (Matthew 19:25-26).