Sunday 19th March 2017 MERCY FORGIVES

“Forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.”  Matthew 6:12 (New Living Translation) In His great mercy, God forgives us freely, immediately and completely, without any conditions. His forgiveness lasts forever, not just for this lifetime.

Because of His great mercy, we‘re to forgive others as completely and unconditionally as God in Christ has forgiven us (Ephesians 4:32). However, we’re not called to forget evil that has been done to us. Instead we're to use wisdom regarding those who hurt us. We don’t automatically trust them again. Trust must be rebuilt.

Finally, forgiving others means we release them to God. He is the only one who’s qualified to judge other people, because He knows their hearts, as He knows ours. Regardless of what we have done, Jesus gave His life for each one of us. God’s mercy triumphs over judgment (James 2:13).