70 x 7= Forgiveness

March 2nd, 2011 - Written by Chase Sutton

 

Then Peter came to him and asked, "Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?" "No, not seven times," Jesus replied, "but seventy times seven!"- Matthew 18:21-22 (NLT)

 

Blows and wounds they shatter so deeply.
Not with a fist, but with speech-
See-
They play in the mind so repeatedly-
Like music that skips on a CD.
Four hundred and ninety times beat-
Yet Jesus says turn the other cheek-
Please...
All these times done wrong-
Rather sit here and sing that same ole sad song.
So forgive, nah-
It's better to let it be-
Forgetting that God said no weapon formed against me...
Allowing the enemy to have complete control-
Over the heart, the body, the mind, and the soul.

 

Oh, but God was hurt when we did what we did-
Sinned... backslid...lived life like a heathen-
Yet forgiven.
Whipped, body bloody and beaten-
We're forgiven.
Hung on a tree-
He paid the ultimate fee-
We're forgiven.
On the third day risen-
No longer in prison-
Our sins are forgiven.

 

It usually only takes a few times of being done wrong until we are fed-up with a person to the point where we don't forgive them. Yet, God is calling us to put on His characteristic of forgiveness even if someone wrongs us 490 times in one day. And when that day is over and a new one begins, the 490 times to forgive starts over again. Therefore, just as the Bible tells us to repent quickly, we should forgive quickly as well. When we don't forgive we release the things that are supposed to be in God's control over to the devil and to the person who wronged us. Thus, allowing the roots of anger, bitterness and other evil things to be planted inside us. Think about the passion that Jesus had for us when He went to the cross. He did not stop and say 'I hate these people and I will never forgive them', instead, when they beat Him until He was unrecognizable, He said, "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do." Forgiving someone does not mean that we have to be the person's best friend, or even associate ourselves with them, but it does mean that we have to release the hurt we feel to God and allow Him to bring healing.

 

 

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