The band mewithoutYou has a creative song entitled
Bullet to Binary Pt. II. In it they sing, “so why not, let’s forgive everyone, everywhere, everything, all the time.” Before this are the lyrics, “We all know we’re gonna reap what we sow.” This is simple cause and effect. Because we will reap what we sow, we should forgive all so that our sins may be forgiven.
When Jesus teaches His disciples (and us) how to pray He includes the lines, “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” (Matthew 5:12).
Matthew 20:1-16 (The Fair Employer)
Matthew 18:21-35 (The Unmerciful Servant)
Luke 6:36
Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
Matthew 5:7
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Luke 6:37-38
Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. It is incredibly clear that forgiveness paves the way for redemption for us and for others (Luke 1:77-79). There is never any reason to withhold forgiveness from others (Matthew 18:21-22). No matter what someone may do there is a love that covers all sin and forgiveness sufficient to clean the mess of evil and replace that evil with the purity of righteousness (Mark 2:17, 1John 1:9). Scripture is pretty emphatic about communicating that we all get what we give. To use “Bible language,” we will all reap what we sow.
So why not forgive everyone, everywhere, everything, all the time?
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Comments (4)
Don't you think it's problematic to say that our forgiveness by God follows from our forgiveness from others (cause and effect)? Doesn't that make forgiving others a meritorious action that earns salvation?
Wouldn't it be far better to say that being forgiven by God can't help but transform us into a people who forgive as a way of life?
@SirNickDon@xanga - I would say it's circular. We forgive because we've been forgiven and are forgiven according to how we forgive. Being forgiven is the starting point. So yes, it would be far better to say that. Thank you.
I personally thank God for information to help us along the way in our day to day walk.
Like, we must admit we are powerless and our life is unmanageable. We must believe in a power greater than ourself that restore us to our sanity.
Sometime we refuse to have any closure in your life.
@TheGreatBout@xanga - maybe its about the bit that talks about "they will escape but only as one escaping through a fire" all that we we forgive is good and worth keeping but the bit of us that finds it hard to forgive will be gone..... maybe transformed in the twinkling of an eye.?
Our salvation definitely doesn't rest on how we forgive or else what of Romans 8 but maybe our quality of life in the kingdom in which we now live does?
God Bless anyway.