FORGIVE FROM YOUR HEART

Forgiveness Needed-And Shown to Us

You are imperfect, as yo know all too well. If asked, you would even admit it, perhaps recalling the words found at 1 John 1:8: "If we make the statement: 'We have not sin,' we are misleading ourselves and the truth is not in us." (Romans 3:23; 5:12) With some, sinfulness may have been manifested by gross, shocking sins. But even if you are not knowing guilty of such, there certainly are many times and ways in which you have fallen short of God's standards-you sinned. Is that not so?

Hence, your situation might correspond to the apostle Paul's description: "Though you were dead in your trespasses and in the uncircumcised state of your flesh, God made you alive together with him [Jesus]. He kindly forgave us all our trespasses." (Colossians 2:13; Ephesians 2:1-3) Note the phrase "forgave all our trespasses." That covers a lot. Each of us has good reason to plead as did David: "For your name's sake, O Jehovah, you must even forgive my error for it is considerable." -Psalm 25:11.

How can you -or any of us-receive forgiveness? A key is that Jehovah God is inclined to forgive. That is characteristic of his personality. (Exodus 34:6, 7; Psalm86:5) Understandably, God expects us to turn to him in prayer and ask his pardon,ask that he forgive us. ( 2 Chronicles 6:21; Psalm 103:3,n10, 14) And he has arranged a legal basis for extending such forgiveness-Jesus' ransom sacrifice. -Romans 3:24; 1 Peter 1:18, 19; 1 John 4:9, 14.

You should see in God's willingness to forgive a pattern as to how you ought to treat other humans. Paul focused on this writing: "Become kind to one another, tenderly compassionate, freely forgiving one anther just as God also by Christ freely forgave you." (Ephesians 4:32) There is not doubt that Paul's point involves our learning from God's example, for the next verse continues: "Therefore, become imitators of God as beloved children." (Ephesians 5:1) Do you see the link? Jehovah God forgave you , so-Paul forcefully reasons-you need to imitate Him and be "tenderly compassionate, freely forgiving" of others. But ask yourself, 'Am I working in that direction, really striving to imitate God in being forgiving.

Next time: We Need to Work at Being Forgiving

Watchtower, 1999