We have a desperate need for repentance & forgiveness. We have a great need for repentance of our own failures and a great need to forgive others of their mistakes against us.
We have a forgiving God — A God who knew of our great failures and great sins and yet loved us in spite of our unrighteousness because of who He is. Our great need for forgiveness required Jesus to serve as the atoning sacrifice for our failures. However, Jesus stated that He didn’t come for those who trusted in their own righteousness, but for those who were able to acknowledge their failures before a Holy & Righteous God. For us to receive forgiveness we must be people of repentance.
King David was called a man after God’s own heart. Was that because he was always a righteous man? No. David became involved in some pretty unsavory stuff – adultery, deceit, premeditated murder. But I like this statement about David’s heart from Jonathan & Lisa Moore:
“David was a man after God’s own heart not because he never failed, but because he never failed to repent.”
Repentance is not the only reason David was called a man after God’s heart, but I do believe it is a significant part of it. We need to be willing to do the same before our Holy God – never failing to repent. Our society disagrees and tells us that no one has a right to tell us that something we are doing is wrong. But God takes a different point of view. His character and His word provide us with a clear definition of right and wrong. And when we find ourselves on the wrong side of God-honoring behavior, we must never fail to repent if we want to remain in fellowship with God. And thankfully, graciously, God is always always ready to forgive and restore us back to a right relationship with Him.
That brings us to our second need. If we have a loving God who is so willing to forgive us, then why do we so often hold back forgiveness from others. We get angry and upset with others for so many different reasons, sometimes rightfully so. But it doesn’t change the fact that we are still called to offer forgiveness. God calls us to be people of love, but what is unforgiveness?
“When boiled down to its essence, unforgiveness is hatred” (John R. Rice).
‘But they hurt me so badly…’ ‘They angered me so much…’ ‘They talked behind my back…’ ‘They slapped me in the face…’ But whatever they did, it is in the past. And forgiveness isn’t so much about the past as it is the future. “When you forgive, you in no way change the past – but you sure do change the future” (Bernard Meltzer). By holding out forgiveness to those who have mistreated us, we open up the possibility of reconciliation and unity for the future. And the reconciling God of heaven has given us the ministry of reconciliation.
Never fail to repent. And always be willing to offer forgiveness.