Forgiveness is so important for the believer in Jesus Christ. When someone mistreats us or sins against us, we have the hardest time forgiving him, let alone forgetting as God does (1). “He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins” (I John 1:9b). Then, why should we not forgive others? “Freely ye have received, freely give” (Matthew 10:8b). God has poured so much grace and mercy on us, so we too need to show grace and mercy to others.
Satan tries so persistently to remind us of past differences we had with others, but we must be firm and choose with our will to forgive. There is nothing involved but our will. He tries to stop us because when we do not forgive, we can never advance in the Kingdom. We need to develop a forgiveness that instantly forgets. “For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more” (Jeremiah 31:34b). This takes more than a half-hearted following of Christ, but it takes the power of God – the mystery of Christ in us.
God wants to teach us how to live and think with the Lord. Only then will our conversation be godly. “For our conversation is in heaven” (Philippians 3:20a). We will live in a state of repentance for ourselves and others because we will be thinking with God in His mercy and grace.
