THOUGHTS FROM MATTHEW
February, Day 13
Text: Matthew 6:14, 15
"For if you forgive men
for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive
you. But if you do
not forgive men, then your Father will not forgive your
transgressions.
(NASB)
The
character of God determines the behavior of Christians.
As an example, consider the subject and act of
forgiveness. Why do Christians
forgive? Most people
who are not Christians do not forgive.
Many who consider themselves to be Christian do a very
poor job of forgiving.
Forgiveness is certainly not a natural reaction—we
naturally seem to react to experiencing wrongful acts with desires
for justice or revenge.
Forgiveness is wonderful to receive when we are wrong but
demanding to give if we are wronged.
The problem: we only need to give forgiveness to
wrong-doers, especially when we have been treated unjustly.
Then
why would we consider being persons who practice forgiveness?
The answer begins with God.
God expressed His desire to forgive us of our injustices
that offended Him in terrible ways by
giving us His son in the form of Jesus.
Jesus rectified our offensives against God by
surrendering his pure life in death.
One of the ways we show our appreciation for what God
does for us through Jesus is by forgiving other people when they
wrong us. Thus we
forgive others because God forgave us.
Because we value what God did for us, we do for other
people what God did for us.
If
God’s character does not impact our lives so much that we are
moved to duplicate His character in the person we are, we cannot
and will not be His representatives to others.
God does not give us blessings for us to use those
blessings selfishly.
We as Christians wish, by choice, to represent God to those who
need God’s help and hope.
We are not Christians to seek to exploit God.
Suggestion for reflection: Examine your determination to develop
God’s character in your thoughts and behavior.
(Read Colossians 3:12, 13.)
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