Listen to the Expert!
Matthew 6:14-15 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: (15) But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
If you were looking to improve some aspect of your life; whether it be part of your career or a hobby, who would you look to for advise and and mentorship? Would you ask the novice or the experienced? Would you ask the expert or amateur? If you wanted to improve your basketball skills would you ask for pointers from a guy that couldn’t make the junior high team or would you study the habits and techniques of an All American?
The answer to those questions are almost silly. They are silly because they are painfully obvious! But somehow when it comes to important religious and spiritual matters, more times than not, we find people seeking advise from…well, those that couldn’t make the junior high team! Worldly "experts" will NEVER understand the mind of God!
Psalms 1:1-2 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. (2) But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
Too often, we give as much credence in spiritual matters to those in the world as we do the true experts. Who is the real expert in this field of forgiveness? The one and only Jesus. What makes Jesus the one and only expert when it comes to Forgiveness?
1. Because He is the Author and Finisher of our Faith. (Heb. 12:2)
2. Because He set THE Example. (Luke 23:34)
3. Because He Paid the Ultimate Price to Forgive Us. (Eph. 1:7)
So what does the Expert say? Forgive others! This is part of Christianity that is not always easy. It is not fun. Sometimes it even feels like there is no benefit to us. But we MUST learn to forgive others! As the Expert, Jesus has 'been there and done that'. He does not ask us to do something that he was not willing to do himself. He bore the sins of the entire world… with NO benefit to himself. He did it for us!
In telling us that we must be willing to forgive others, he puts on a caveat.
Matthew 6:15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Forgiveness, on our part, is not Optional! In fact, Jesus states that our forgiveness, that we receive from God, is conditional upon our willingness to forgive others. In the context of the statement, Jesus is not threatening us. He is not trying to leverage us. He is appealing to what kind of people he wants us to be. He wants us to be God like!
Does it really make any sense for God to bring into the fold a mass of people, by forgiving them of their sins, only for them to ultimately be hate filled and full of grudges? How influential is a person going to be representing Jesus that is angry and vengeful. Or does it make more sense that if God is SO willing to send his only Son to die on the cross for the SOLE purpose of forgiving OUR sins, that he wants his followers to have the same kind, compassionate, and loving spirit that God has.
Becoming an expert isn’t easy. And it won’t come by doing easy stuff. But if we want to walk and talk and look like the Savior, Forgiveness is one area that we will have to learn to Master.
Reflecting the SON,
Dennis Hogan
Questions, comments or further explanation? Contact me at: dennis.hogan@icloud.com
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