Colossians 1:13-22 vs. 13,14
"God has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of His beloved Son,
in whom we have redemption,
the forgiveness of sins."

Forgiveness in the Bible is communicated using a beautiful array of words and meanings:  to cancel a debt;  to lay aside;  to cast away sins;  to cleanse;  to rescue;  to free. Each word conveys to the believer hope and freedom.

If the word forgiveness didn’t have enough meaning.   The Wycliffe Bible translators were translating the Bible into the native tongue of an obscure tribe of people in Peru. They asked the people how do they ask for pardon when someone has done something wrong.   The translators discovered that the offender goes to the person he has offended and says, "Speak to me."

When you stop and think about it "speak to me" is a very appropriate translation for forgiveness.   Usually when someone has done wrong to another they stop talking to one another.   When the person who has wronged asks the person who was wronged to speak, he or she is really saying,   "Show me we are friends by being on speaking terms once more."

Forgiveness, a spiritual blessing, a blessing which is yours and mind, by virtue of the fact that

Why is forgiveness so difficult?

I believe humanity's difficulty with forgiveness begins with our inability to feel forgiven.

Let me share this story about the owner of a Rolls Royce.

The makers of Rolls Royce take great pride in the reliability of their hand-crafted automobiles.   A particular owner while on an extended trip in France had some mechanical problems.   He called the Rolls Royce factory and asked that they send out a mechanic right away to fix the problem.

The company responded in royal fashion. They put a mechanic on a private jet with all the necessary tools and flew him over to France to make the repairs.   The owner was very wealthy so that he wasn’t at all concerned about the cost.   He would not spare any expense to assure that this Rolls Royce was properly repaired.

The Rolls was indeed repaired and he continued on his travels.   After several months he realized that he had not received a bill.   He directed his secretary to contact the Rolls Royce factory to inquire about the bill. He received a prompt reply from the Rolls Royce company.   It said, "We have no recollection or record of any Rolls Royce having ever had a breaking down or being in need of repair anywhere in France."

The story speaks loudly about how God treats us when He forgives us of sin.   It also speaks loudly about how we respond to God’s forgiveness.   We have a harder time forgiving ourselves than does God.  We become weighed down with the burden of guilt long after God has removed the burden of sin.   While we follow God’s instruction to ask for forgiveness, we often have a difficult time trusting that God has indeed forgiven us.  We have difficulty trusting what God’s Word promises,

(Psalm103:12)"God has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption,
the forgiveness of sins."

Since God has gone to such great lengths to reconcile us, why do we fail to experience His marvelous forgiveness?

We fail to experience and extend forgiveness because certain attitudes and behaviors mar our relationship with God.   For example a young man was in need of money so he asked his friend if he could borrow $200.  He assured his friend he would pay back that $200 by the end the month.   His friend agreed to lend him the money even though his own personal finances were very strapped.

The end of the month came and the friend who borrowed the $200 was unable to pay back the $200 loan.   When the man who lent the money attempted to contact his friend. His calls and message went unanswered.   It was very evident that the friend was trying to avoid him.   What he didn’t know, was that the lender was not calling to ask for his $200 back, but to tell him he didn’t have to pay him back.

The point of this story is not about being careful to whom you lend money.  The point is about the shame of one person and how that shame was ruining a friendship.

Forgiveness requires you and me to open ourselves to God’s forgiveness.  This begins by confessing our sins.

"If we confess ours sins,
God who is faithful and just
will forgive us our sins
and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)

Forgiveness requires recognizing that we have sinned.   Remember the story of the tax collector and the Pharisee praying in the temple.   The story is found in Luke 18:9-14. The tax collector prayed,

The Pharisee prayed,

and he proceeded to list a number of different sinners, including the tax collector.

Forgiveness requires recognizing the seriousness of sin.   The story of the sinful woman and Simon’s reaction in the gospel of Luke 7:36-50.   The sinful woman overcome with the grief of her sins, falls to Jesus’ feet while he is dining at Simon’s house.   She baths Jesus’ feet with her tears and wipes them with her hair.   Simon and the other Pharisees are repulsed by her actions.  Instead of seeing the extravagance of her behavior.   Jesus reprimands them for their lack of compassion and hospitality.

Forgiveness requires recognizing the cost. Forgiveness is free but Not Cheap.  Your forgiveness and mine cost Jesus His life.

When it comes to forgiving ourselves and others we must realize that no sin is greater than Christ’s sacrifice.   Failure to see this is failure to appreciate the magnitude of what God has done.   Is it possible that God just might find our unwillingness to forgive offensive?

For me the best Biblical image of forgiveness is found in the parable of the prodigal son. The father standing with open arms waiting for his repentant Son to walk into His embrace.   This is the kind of forgiveness God offers you and me.   It is the kind of forgiveness God wants you and me to offer to one another.

What is stopping you?

Enter into God’s embrace of forgiveness!

amen

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