In forgiving our sins, God did much more than speak forgiveness into our lives. He sent Jesus to die in our place, to shed his blood for our sins. That was a must. Forgiveness is always contingent on the shedding of blood. “Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22).
In that sacrifice, he removed our sins, placed them on himself, suffered the punishment for them, sent them away, and then chose to remember them no more.
How can we do that for another person? Even if we did die for someone else, would our blood be sufficient to take that person’s sin away? The answer is a resounding “no”. We can’t do for another person what Jesus Christ did for us.
We can, however, extend grace to another person based on the shed blood of Jesus. To forgive others is to extend kindness and favor to another person and to do so willingly.
Normally, we demand others to come back to us on their knees asking for mercy before we respond in kindness.
That’s not the way Christ forgave us. He took the initiative. God’s provision always precedes our need. His provision affects change in us.
In kindness, we reach out to those who have offended or wronged us, seventy times seven. We do so on the basis of Christ’s shed blood. The Holy Spirit works this measure of grace into our hearts and empowers us to choose not to count a person’s wrongs against them.
Your forgiveness of others merely reflects the forgiveness you already have in Christ.
How are you to forgive others according to the two verses below? Think about how Christ forgave you.
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).
“Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you” (Colossians 3:13).
