[Discoveries] 04-29-07 Forgiving from a position of strength

[Inspiration in Your Inbox]

/*Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just 
as in Christ God forgave you. -- Ephesians 4:32*/

In the book of Ephesians we learn who we are in Christ and what 
difference that makes in our daily lives.

One of the amazing differences that our identity in Christ makes is 
this: We are enabled to forgive.

Let me explain. I'm not a rich guy. By American standards, I'm at the 
other end of the spectrum. Thankfully, I am able to work and earn enough 
money to survive. But suppose I wasn't able to work. And suppose, by 
some incredible chance, one of you owed me $100,000, and I was relying 
on your payment of $1000 a month to sustain my family. Then you came up 
to me and said, "You know that $100,000 I owe you? So sorry, can't pay it."

Where would that leave me?

That would leave me in a very difficult position. I can take you to 
court and demand you pay the money, or I can forgive the debt. But I 
cannot forgive the debt, because I'm not able to sustain that kind of a 
loss.

But suppose Bill Gates comes along and adopts me. After the adoption is 
final, he says to me, "Dwight, my money is your money. You have access 
to my bank accounts -- use what you need any time you need it."

Now, let's look at the $100,000 debt. How hard is it now for me to 
forgive? It isn't hard at all. In fact, it's a piece of cake.

Same way with God. We have been adopted. God's grace becomes ours. 
Before we were destitute, and when someone sinned against us, we could 
not forgive because we didn't have the internal wealth to sustain the 
loss. But now, the wealth of Jesus is overflowing in our hearts. This 
usually takes an encounter with Jesus to settle this deep in our hearts 
(or maybe several encounters), but once we understand it fully, 
forgiving from our hearts is possible, and something we can do with joy.

What makes forgiving difficult? It isn't the magnitude of the offense as 
much as it is our own inability to comprehend the access we have to the 
wealth of God. But Jesus is here, and He is ready to open our eyes.

Be encouraged!
Dwight


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