In Touch 03-16-05

In Touch Daily Devotional 
by Dr. Charles Stanley

Wednesday March 16, 2005

Costly Forgiveness

Matthew 18:21-35

Our forgiveness toward others should have no limitations. God's unconditional pardon of our sin-debt destroys any excuse we might come up with for holding onto bitterness. We try to draw a line at the number of times we will accept an apology, or categorize which offenses we will forgive, but Jesus drew no lines at the cross.

We also want to hang onto resentment instead of forgiving instantly. This is not scriptural. Whenever we cling to unforgiveness - even for a short time - Satan gains a stronghold. If the Father's will is that we forgive, why do we have to think about it? We need to get our thinking done right now: decide today that you will respond to hurts and humiliation with forgiveness.

We walk in a spirit of forgiveness when we understand that God is sovereign over this universe. Nothing hurtful can touch us unless it passes through His permissive will. That is not to say God instigated or caused it; however, God allows some unpleasant situations so that He can utilize our hurt to develop character, to expose weak spots, or to drive us closer to Him.

Forgiveness is painful and costly. Jesus felt every nail, every thorn. As the forgiver, we must bear wrongdoing without retaliation. But as believers, we trust Jesus Christ to take that pressure off us. We can rely on the Lord to provide both wisdom and the strength take God-pleasing action. When we forgive, we need to approach our offender with the intent of reconciliation, doing whatever God directs to get our relationship right. Jesus did that for us.

Be sure to tell your teen about Teen Connection - the official teen outreach of In Touch Ministries. This cutting-edge web site is filled with practical content, including articles, interviews, a study guide, and devotionals, for teenagers of all spiritual maturity levels. The featured interview for March is best-selling band Caedmon's Call. Check out Teen Connection today!

http://www.teen-connection.net

Are you looking to take the next step in your spiritual walk? Enroll today in the Charles Stanley Institute for Christian Living - a free, virtual one-on-one mentoring program with Dr. Charles Stanley. Register online today at www.charlesstanleyinstitute.com.