Luke 17:1 – One day Jesus said to his disciples, “There will always be temptations to sin, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting! 2 It would be better to be thrown into the sea with a millstone hung around your neck than to cause one of these little ones to fall into sin. 3 So watch yourselves!

“If another believer sins, rebuke that person; then if there is repentance, forgive. 4 Even if that person wrongs you seven times a day and each time turns again and asks forgiveness, you must forgive.” (NLT)

While we may have times when we find it difficult to understanding the Bible, this is not one of them!  Jesus is clear – when one asks for our forgiveness, forgiveness must be given.  We should, however, look at this passage carefully.  Jesus does not tell us to simply walk away when someone has done us wrong, and pretend that it never happened.  Verse three tells us to rebuke that person. Jesus gives us further direction about this in Matthew 18:15 – “If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back. 16 But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses.”

Forgiveness, even forgiving over and over again, does not mean we roll over and let people walk over us.  However, I’ve found that even when the offender admits their mistake and asks for forgiveness, offering forgiveness can be difficult!  Difficult or not, the words of Jesus are clear on this subject – when asked for forgiveness, we must forgive!  I look for the strength to forgive by remembering what Jesus has done so that I may be forgiven.  The Apostle Paul speaks of this Ephesians 4:32 – “be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you”.

Forgiveness should be a defining characteristic of a Christian.  God is love, and God forgives those who ask for forgiveness.  The Word of God tells us to imitate God!  Ephesians 5:1 – “Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children”.  

Today, and every day, let us not hold back our forgiveness to anyone who seeks it from us. 

Posted by Ramón Torres