As the Lord Forgives

Colossians 3:13-15 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.
 
YOU see that, don’t you? “Even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.”
    How timely and truly God’s Word works. As I write this, I had been thinking of someone who made me very angry some time ago. You know what that’s like, don’t you? Out of nowhere comes this memory of someone’s attitude, words or actions against you. You feel your pulse rising, and your mind considering what you really wanted to say or do.
    But wait a minute. Do those thoughts really come out of nowhere? In reality they come out of an unforgiving heart, don’t they? My second thought was, “Let it go. Forgive him.” But I didn’t. My heart has too much unforgiveness to feel forgiveness. So what do I do?
    Ah – the answer is here in this Scripture: Bear with the man and realize I’m a sinner, too. Put on love and consider how in his love, Jesus died for me when he could easily have held judgment and righteous anger in his Heart against me. I need to forgive the man as the Lord forgave me.
    Without Jesus’ love in my heart, I have no capacity to forgive unless. Oh, Jesus’ love is the love that brought him to serve the world. Jesus’ love is the love that confronted the devil, the legalists and the sinners. Jesus’ love is the love that healed disease, healed sin and healed death. Jesus’ love is, “Greater love has no one than this, that He lay down his life for His friends”. (John 15:13)
    Jesus’ love forgives.
 
Life Thought: Time to forgive, isn’t it?