Daily Verse: Psalm 103:12

As far as the east if from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

 

When we are wronged in some manner by another, do we distance the “offending party” in the same manner as mentioned above? When the person has repented, seeking our forgiveness, do we separate the person from the sin? Or do we hold the person to the fire for a period long enough until we are satisfied…until we feel justified to let them up? Forgiving someone of a mistake they committed is certainly NOT an easy task. At times it can seem downright impossible as everything inside us is pointing us it the opposite direction, telling us to hold tight to that anger that boils up inside of us. The devil seizes the opportunity to get a firm foothold in our lives and settles in for the long haul…hoping that we dig into this wound as much as possible, allowing the conflict and negativity to grow. When we sin and repent…acknowledging our mistakes and seeking true mercy from God…it is at that point that we are separated from our sin. Through faith in Christ, we are separated from our sin…washed clean. Jesus doesn’t hold onto our mistake, maintaining a grudge…he lets it go. And he doesn’t just let it go and reluctantly “tolerate” our presence…no he welcomes us back with open arms and a genuine smile…his love and affection for us is not weakened by our sin. Much of the reason we hold onto the sin of another…allowing it to soil our relationship with them…is because of selfish personal desire. We feel justified…we feel like we must hold onto it until we feel better…until we feel that we have adequately “punished” the other person. But we come to realize that by holding onto this wrong-doing…by holding onto the thing that got under our skin, hurt or feelings, or ruffled our feathers…it is actually us that are being punished….Self-inflicted punishment. But if we forgive as Christ forgives…at the moment of repentance, completely washing away the sin, not to be revisited, separating the PERSON from the ACTION…we realize the incredible freedom and release that comes through Christ. Is it easy? Heck no. Is it possible? Absolutely…when we welcome the Holy Spirit into the equation, the impossible becomes possible. So today, may we seek to truly forgive those in our lives, separating the sin from the person…as far as the east is from the west! To God be the glory!