The Jesus Model Of Forgiveness | AS BOLD AS LIONS DEVOTIONAL | August 11, 2023

The Jesus Model Of Forgiveness | AS BOLD AS LIONS DEVOTIONAL | August 11, 2023

When Jesus stood up, He said to her, “Woman, where are they?  Has no one condemned you?”  “No one, Lord,” she answered.  “Neither do I condemn you,” said Jesus.  “Go, and from now on do not sin any more.”  John 8:10,11 

One of the hardest parts about loving like Jesus is modeling forgiveness like He does.  In John 8, we have the account of the woman caught in adultery.  Her accusers bring her before Jesus, not only wanting to condemn her but also to trap Him.  As so often happens, the script is flipped and everyone must take into account their own sin.  Jesus’ words “The one without sin among you should be the first to throw a stone at her,” are words that cut to the heart.  Everyone realizes they are not without sin; they all deserve their own punishment. 

We forgive because we have been forgiven ourselves.  We forgive much because we have been forgiven of much.  And we forgive repeatedly because we must be forgiven repeatedly.  This point alone is worth its own emphasis — the concept of forgiveness is a major tenet of our faith.  The takeaway for you and I is simply to say if we are in Christ, we must show His love by forgiving one another. That can be a hard pill to swallow because forgiveness means letting go of something; even a deep pain or hurt inflicted by someone else.  But Jesus forgave up to the point of His death and we must be willing to do the same. 

Question for today: Is there an act of forgiveness I’ve been refusing to do because it is personally very hard? How do I come into agreement with what Christ says about forgiving others?

Pray: Lord help us extend forgiveness and receive it even when it is hard. You have shown us the example we must follow.

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