Forgiven People Forgive People
“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)
Hey friends,
Let’s sit in this for a moment.
Peter thought he was being generous when he asked Jesus how many times he should forgive someone. Surely seven times was enough, right? Yet Jesus responded with something that must have stopped Peter in his tracks. Forgiveness wasn’t meant to be counted. It was meant to become part of who we are.
Friend, if we’re honest, most of us love receiving forgiveness far more than extending it.
We come boldly before the Lord asking Him to forgive our failures, our mistakes, our poor choices, our bad attitudes, and our repeated sins. We rejoice that His mercies are new every morning. We cling to the promise that His grace is sufficient.
Yet sometimes we hold tightly to the debts of others.
Friend, how often do we keep replaying the offense? How often do we rehearse the conversation, revisit the wound, and keep beating the same dead horse? We may not say it out loud, but deep down we feel like they owe us.
They owe us an apology.
They owe us an explanation.
They owe us acknowledgment.
They owe us justice.
But in Matthew 18, Jesus tells the story of a servant who was forgiven an enormous debt he could never repay. Instead of extending that same mercy to someone who owed him far less, he demanded payment.
The point is hard to miss.
We have been forgiven far more than we will ever be asked to forgive.
Friend, that doesn’t minimize the hurt. Some wounds run deep. Some betrayals leave scars. Some people never apologize. Some never acknowledge the damage they’ve caused.
But neither did everyone who nailed Jesus to the cross.
Jesus died for sinners who would reject Him.
He died for people who would mock Him.
He died for people who would never choose Him.
And while hanging on that cross, He still chose forgiveness.
Friend, forgiveness is not saying what happened was okay. Forgiveness is not pretending the wound didn’t hurt. Forgiveness is not removing healthy boundaries.
Forgiveness is releasing the debt into God’s hands.
It’s trusting that God is a far better judge than we could ever be.
It’s choosing freedom over bitterness.
The truth is that unforgiveness often hurts the one carrying it more than the one who caused it. Bitterness can quietly take root in our hearts, stealing our peace, our joy, and our intimacy with the Lord.
Friend, Jesus did not set you free so you could continue dragging chains from your past.
Maybe today the Holy Spirit has brought a face or a name to your mind. Maybe there is someone you’ve struggled to forgive. Maybe you’ve been carrying that hurt for years.
Bring it to Jesus.
Not because they deserve it.
Not because they earned it.
But because you have been shown extraordinary mercy.
Friend, the cross settled your debt. Let the cross teach you how to release theirs.
Forgiven people forgive people.
And when we do, we discover that forgiveness isn’t just a gift we give someone else.
It’s often the gift that finally sets us free.
Prayer:
Father, thank You for forgiving a debt I could never repay. Search my heart and reveal any bitterness, offense, or unforgiveness that I have been holding onto. Give me the strength to forgive as You have forgiven me. Help me trust You with justice and walk in the freedom that only You can give. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Tracy Kelley is a follower of Jesus, mother, grandmother, author and speaker, living in Sulphur Springs, TX. She is the author of the book Living Loved, Learning to Live in the Fullness of Gods Love, where she shares encouragement from her daily journey and how God has shown His love to her through various trials. You can buy her book, find events, book her for your event, and follow her by going to her Facebook page, where you will always be greeted as friend! You can purchase her book at Good News Book Store in Sulphur Springs, TX; online at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and most other major retailers.
