FORGIVE AND REMEMBER

Proverbs 26:11 As a dog returns to his own vomit, So a fool repeats his folly.

In life you are going to find people who constantly repeat their offence towards you. Do we need to continue to forgive these people? The bible says we must.

Matthew 18:21-22 21 Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" 22 Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

The Bible never tells us to “forgive and forget”, it asks us to “remember and forgive”!

Christianity is a religion of remembrance! Throughout the Old Testament God calls his people to remember the hardships of their lives in Egypt as well as during the 40 years of wandering in the desert.

In the New Testament, Christ instituted Holy Communion as a sacrament of remembrance of his death. We are repetitively reminded to “remember” and to be transformed through the exercise.

The cross is our level ground for reconciliation: we remember Christ dying for our sins and our iniquities and that is a call to repentance, confession and forgiveness. And we remember him on the cross carrying our pains and our sorrows, crying to the Father to forgive and that is a call to healing and forgiveness.

You cannot remember Christ on the cross without being transformed into a better person! A person who understands the power of forgiveness.

Joseph remembered what his brothers did to him in handing him over to slavery. The thing is... Joseph turned it around by not only forgiving his family... but the very thing that Satan intended to be bad with Joseph’s dreams being squashed as he is handed over to slavery... Joseph turned it around for good by forgiving his family and saying that God had always ordered his steps and led him to his final destination as joint ruler of the land.

Forgive and remember that Christ has forgiven you so you should return the favour.

For those that continually want to hurt you, you must make the tough decision to remove yourself from the position of continual hurt. Forgive and move on!