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You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. (Colossians 2:13 NLT)
For the month of May, Dr. Randy Carlson is giving us, “Today’s Word for Your Life.” And as you can see from the above title, today’s word is FORGIVENESS.
Paul reveals perhaps the greatest extremes which forgiveness accomplishes in your life: from death to life. But then, God’s solution for the forgiveness of your sins was pretty extreme — the death of His Son. Paul continues: He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. (vs.14)
This kind of extreme forgiveness and extreme love is something that gets noticed. Paul tells us in Romans chapter 5: But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (vs.8)
Some of the definitions of the Greek word for demonstrate are to place together or to band together, to stand with, to show, to prove and to establish. All this is done in the open, and is not only there for all to see, but God is standing with it.
One more verse revealing the extremes that God has done for our salvation:
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. (Ephesians 1:8 NAS)
The definitions for the word lavished in Greek are to be over and above, to abound, to overflow, to excel and exceed. The redemption and forgiveness we have, is according to the riches of His grace, which is abundant and overflowing; and could only be lavished.
As I said above, that kind of love, that kind of forgiveness gets noticed. And that kind of love, that kind of forgiveness will get you noticed. And there’s the catch. Because we are forgiven, we must forgive. One reason for us to be forgiving is because it models how God is forgiving.
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. (Ephesians 4:32 NAS)
Another reason to forgive, is because we are changed by it.
If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins. (Matthew 6:14-15 NLT)
Today’s One Thing
Forgiveness not only reveals God, it glorifies God. It also reveals our new nature. Is there someone you need to forgive? Think about it. Pray about it. When God shows you who that is, then forgive them. And then, you will be like Jesus, and they may just see Jesus.
Going Deeper
Watch Dr. Randy Carlson’s Intentional Living Minute on FORGIVENESS. You can even get them in your email when you go to TheIntentionalLife.com/minute.