Soldier's Orders: Forgiveness

Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”

Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven…” *

Matthew 18:21-22 (NKJV)*

If we call ourselves “Christians”, forgiveness isn’t optional or conditional. It doesn’t depend on the degree of harm. It doesn’t require the culprit’s request– or his acknowledgment of wrongdoing.

God gives us an absolute COMMANDMENT, and we disobey at our own peril. 

  • “Everyone says forgiveness is a lovely idea, until they have something to forgive.” (C.S. Lewis)

  • “You are nothing better than deceitful hypocrites, if you harbor in your minds a single unforgiving thought... You cannot be saved unless you are forgiving. If we do not choose to forgive, we choose to be damned.” (Charles Spurgeon)

  • “I firmly believe a great many prayers are not answered, because we are not willing to forgive someone.” (D.L. Moody)

  • “He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love.” (Martin Luther King)

  • “Peace is the consequence of forgiveness, God's removal of that which obscures His Face and so breaks union with Him.” (Charles Brent)

  • “Forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart.” (Corrie Ten Boom)**

  • “We win by tenderness. We conquer by forgiveness.” (Frederick W. Robertson)

  • “When boiled down to its essence, unforgiveness is hatred.” (John R. Rice)

  • “Forgiveness is not that stripe which says, 'I will forgive, but not forget.' It is not to bury the hatchet with the handle sticking out of the ground, so you can grasp it the minute you want it.” (D.L. Moody)

  • “To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.” (C.S. Lewis)***

Actors, Models, and Talent for Christ:

You stand in the front line of God's army. With the Armor of God (DO put it on),**** then you agree with this famous quote: 

'The best offense is a good defense' (Jack Dempsey, prize fighter, and Vince Lombardi, Packers coach). God is your Defender and Avenger.

Even so, your offensive weapon is 'The Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God' (Ephesians 6:17). 

Consider forgiveness its inner edge. While the outer edge pushes back Satan…

The inner edge (polished by forgiveness) slices away our own “cancerous” cells: resentment, grudges, and angry feelings. It defangs the hounds of hell– and gives us the peace, health, and freedom to move forward.

Soldier's Orders: Forgiveness (Part 37)

NOTE: God is my Ghostwriter. If what I write is good, it’s from God. You may see notes to 'Actors, Models & Talent for Christ.' If you think you're not in show business, think again. Shakespeare said, 'All the world's a stage and all its men and women merely players.’ Mostly true. But you're not merely players. You are messengers and ambassadors for the King of kings.

* The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant: Matthew 18:21-35 NKJV - The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant - Bible Gateway

** Corrie Tin Boom (a Christian) was a Nazi concentration camp survivor. After World War II, she traveled extensively in Germany and throughout the world. Read her amazing book, or watch the movie by the same name (free on YouTube). Both are called 'The Hiding Place.'

*** Christian quotes on forgiveness (all quotes are found in this section, along with others): http://christian-quotes.ochristian.com/christian-quotes_ochristian.cgi?query=forgive&action=Search&x=0&y=0

**** The Armor of God: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+6%3A10-18&version=NKJV

Carey Arban