DIG for Wednesday the 11th of May…..do I need to forgive in order to be forgiven….Ephesians 4 v 32

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus seems to say that we need to forgive others or God will not forgive us (Matthew 6 v 13 and 14).

Yet in Ephesians 4 v 32 we read that we can forgive others because of the forgiveness we have received from God.

So who is supposed to forgive first, God or man; both cannot be true.

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus also tells us to pluck our eye out and cut our right hand off if we are to about to ‘offend’.

This ‘advice’ is never taken literally; it is know to be a picture or allegory.

This is true for what He says about forgiveness in this passage; He is showing us it is impossible to be forgiven in our own strength and that we need a Saviour.

Also this was spoken pre-cross, under the Old Covenant, so we are to look to the New Covenant Scriptures if there appears to be a contradiction.

Under the New Covenant we have already been forgiven for all sin, in fact all men have been forgiven for all sin for all time (Hebrews 10 v 12 to 14).

This forgiveness has already come through the shed blood of Jesus (Ephesians 1 v 7 and Colossians 1 v 14).

So God has forgiven us for all sin, and through this revelation of this we can forgive others.

God forgave us first; that is the truth.

You do not need to forgive others in order to be forgiven; although forgiving other people is highly recommended!

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord that through the shed blood of Jesus I have already been forgiven”.

Ephesians 4 v 32…..And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you

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DIG for Thursday the 21st of April…..classic picture of forgiveness…..Luke 15 v 22 and 23

The account of the return of the prodigal son to his father is one of the best pictures on forgiveness that we have in Scripture.

In this account the son comes to his senses and decides to return home to his father.

At the same time he works out what he is going to say (Luke 15 v 18).

As we saw yesterday his father greeted him in a loving way (Luke 15 v 20).

The son then tried to say sorry and ask for forgiveness, but the father ignores him and instead just says, “let’s start the party’ (Luke 15 v 21 to 23).

This happened as the father had already forgiven his son, and just wanted him to return.

This is a picture of our Heavenly Father and how He has already forgiven us.

Every man has already been forgiven and reconciled through the shed blood of Jesus (Ephesians 1 v 7 and Colossians 1 v 14).

Now, this means not everyone has been save, but everyone has been forgiven.

Every man needs to make his own choice and come to the Lord to receive salvation.

As we come to God He wants to celebrate, He does not want to hear us asking for forgiveness.

It is silly to ask for forgiveness as we have already received this; I would suggest that you thank Him for forgiveness, but do not ask for it.

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord that I have been forgiven for all sin (past, present and future) through the shed blood of Jesus”.

Luke 15 v 22 and 23…..But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry

DIG for Thursday the 24th of July…..reminded about the flow of forgiveness again…..Colossians 3 v 13

Forgiveness is a recurring theme in my DIGs; this is because it is a recurring theme in my daily readings and in my thoughts.

It is a recurring theme as it is one of the most important truths to be understood by a believer.

Many people quote Matthew 6 saying that God will forgive us if we forgive others; they say our forgiveness is conditional.

This is a picture of Jesus raising the bar of the law, it is pre-cross, and it was never meant to be taken literally.

This verse in Colossians shows us the flow of forgiveness for a believer who is living post-cross, living in the time of new covenant grace.

We can forgive others (and we should) because we have been forgiven first.

We can forgive (future tense) because Jesus forgave us (past tense).

We have been forgiven already because of the shed blood of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1 v 7 and Colossians 1 v 13).

I say that our forgiveness is unconditional, absolute and complete.

Jesus paid the price for all our sin on the cross and actually paid for the sin of everyone in the world (1 John 2 v 2).

Forgiveness flowed from the cross; Jesus forgave us first.

We were not even alive when we were forgiven, so how could it be conditional on something that we could do?

My friends, we do not need to ask for forgiveness; yes we must thank Him for it and thank Him every single day.

Forgiveness is a state of being that we can live in because of our faith and trust in Jesus and His finished work.

It is a state of being to enjoy and celebrate.

It is a state of being that, once understood, will allow you to love a more holy life and a life with less sin.

This is a truth that will set you free from sin not free to sin.

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord that I live in a state of forgiveness thanks to the finished work of Jesus Christ”.

Colossians 3 v 13…..Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye

DIG for Wednesday the 5th of January…..so what is the correct and Biblical flow of forgiveness…..Ephesians 4 v 32

If you do not forgive others God will not forgive you!

If there is any unforgiveness in your life God will not bless you or have fellowship with you!

Two statements that I was told as a younger Christian; two statements that believers are still being told today; two statements that are not true.

Forgiveness is not dependant upon your performance, you have been forgiven because of the finished work of Jesus Christ through the shedding of His blood (Ephesians 1 v 7 and Colossians 1 v 14).

The Word clearly says that there is no forgiveness or remission for sins without the shedding of blood, so if you think you need to do something to be forgiven you should be shedding your blood instead of asking for forgiveness or forgiving others.

Jesus has paid the price or been the propitiation for all our sins in order that we might be forgiven (1 John 2 v 2).

Indeed we can only forgive once we realise how much we have been forgiven, so forgiveness must first come from God (Ephesians 4 v 32).

Hath is in the past tense, we forgive others because He has forgiven us.

If you listen to religion you would think we have to forgive first in order for God to forgive us; you would also think that we have to ask, beg and plead with God for forgiveness.

The thief on the cross did not ask for or plead for forgiveness prior to Jesus saying he would be with Him in paradise that day (Luke 23 v 42 and 43).

The woman taken in the act of adultery did not ask or beg for forgiveness prior to Jesus saying He did not condemn her (John 8 v 10 and 11).

Let me ask you another question; can you point to a section of scripture where Jesus asked a person to forgive someone else or ask Him for forgiveness prior to healing, making whole or setting that person free?

Forgiveness first came from the Lord, it poured out from the cross; as His blood was shed forgiveness was given.

But what about Matthew 6 v 14 and 15 where we are clearly told that we have to forgive others before God will forgive us? Answer that one Vic you may now be screaming into your computer screen!

Easy, that was old covenant and we live under the new covenant.

In this section of Scripture Jesus is “raising the bar” of the law, showing how impossible it is to fulfil the law and saying that all men need a Saviour.

This is also the same section where Jesus tells us to pluck out our eye or cut off our hand if need be, but I’ve never met anyone who has taken that literally!

Jesus is saying it is impossible to fulfil the law (never look at another in lust, never take what is not yours, forgive every single person that has ever wronged you), so we need a Saviour.

Through His finished work we have been forgiven; the flow of forgiveness started with the Lord and we forgive as He forgave us (Ephesians 4 v 32).

Never let religion tell you that unforgiveness in your life is causing God to remove fellowship from you or stop His flow of blessings (you may need to forgive another but it is not for those reasons).

Never let religion tell you that you should be asking, begging or pleading with God for forgiveness.

But what about 1 John 1 v 9 you ask?

Well, maybe I’ll answer that one tomorrow!

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord that I have complete, absolute and unconditional forgiveness because of the shed blood of Jesus Christ and His finished work”.

Ephesians 4 v 32…..And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you