March 17, 2014
FORGIVE OTHERS, AS CHRIST FOR FORGIVES YOU!!
“Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Colossians 3:13 (NIV)
My friends by possessing the attitude of forgiveness, you will also embrace the characteristic of love, peace, joy, hope, and gratitude. Forgiveness is the greatest gift to give. 
You can receive it, or you can give it. It doesn’t mean that you deny the other person’s responsibility, and it doesn’t minimize or justify the wrong.
Forgiveness brings about a peace of mind that allows you to go on with life, in the loving arms of God. Christ tells us in Matthew 6:14-15 (KJV) “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Stop and consider your salvation, are you willing to give up Eternal Life because you are unwilling to forgive. When we accept Jesus and His forgiveness towards us. We also must forgive others. Peter had came to Christ with the question, “How oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times” Matt. 18:22 (NIV)
That statement lets me know that we are never to become tired of forgiving. As Christ hung on that cruel cross nothing that day was about Him. It was all about our Salvation, and the saving of Humanity from the clutches of Satan and the forces of evil. Luke 23:34 (KJV) says it best when Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”
Even the centurions who were part of his crucifixion were included in the saving power of Christ grace, love and mercy. Even as he was about to give up his life, His only 
thoughts were the plan of salvation, and man’s redemption. In Luke 23:47 (KJV) it tells us when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying.“Certainly this was a righteous Man!”
The unimaginable power of forgiveness that day on Calvary. “The hope of violence is overcome by peace, hatred is conquered by the love of the Master. Even under the greatest pressure while enduring the most gruesome and humiliating pain. Our Savior responded to Hatred with love, mercy and forgiveness.”
My friends Christ tells us to “Love our enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” forgiveness is a choice that we make through a decision of our own will, motivated only by being obedient to God and his commission to follow Him even to the cross “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” Matt. 16:24 (NIV)
Friends you cannot bear your cross if you have unforgivness in your heart towards another. Paul tells us: “Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” Phil. 2:1-5 (NKJV)
“He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies.” (Martin Luther King, Jr.)
At the very heart of Christ ministry was a simple concept and that is to love one another as we love one’s self. My friends As children of God. Time and again, the Bible reinforces the simple words of Christ Himself “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” Matt. 5:44 (KJV)
So my friends today. Stay focused, remain faithful, love one another and endure till the end and never forget to STUDY&PRAY
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