{"id":1964,"date":"2013-11-01T08:30:34","date_gmt":"2013-11-01T08:30:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/68.183.22.105\/?p=1964"},"modified":"2023-08-02T11:19:01","modified_gmt":"2023-08-02T11:19:01","slug":"when-forgiveness-doesnt-come-easy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp-sites.ccci.org\/agapeuk-old\/when-forgiveness-doesnt-come-easy\/","title":{"rendered":"When Forgiveness Doesn’t Come Easy"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Home<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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By Lesley Cheesman<\/h6>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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I had often wondered why people struggle to forgive \u2013 particularly those they love. It had been for me a simple matter of shrugging off any hurt caused by another person and telling them that it\u2019s ok<\/span>ay<\/span>. No matter.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

That was until the day I was deeply wounded by someone. Someone I loved dearly. Someone I thought should have known better.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>

Not only was the<\/span>\u00a0wound painful and in fact life-<\/span>changing, the experience of struggling to forgive was bewildering.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

In the accounts of Jesus’ life in the Bible (the books known as the gospels), we see woven through the life and teachings of Jesus that forgiveness is central to what it means to follow him.\u00a0 It\u2019s how Christians make sense <\/span>of our broken world and see any<\/span>thing of beauty emerge.\u00a0 As\u00a0I ponder the question, \u2018What does it look like to live as a follower of Jesus?\u2019 a big part of the answer has to do with forgiveness.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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In many ways it\u2019s simple to understand the principles of forgiveness, but in practice it is deeply personal and often challenging.\u00a0 The lack of it destroys relationships but the presence of it brings hope and healing and life.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>As a person who has received<\/span>\u00a0God\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0forgiveness,<\/span>\u00a0I have\u00a0<\/span>a choice to live amongst others in a way that\u00a0<\/span>demonstrates his unconditional love<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>But is this a choice I am willing to make?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Read Matthew 5:\u00a0<\/span><\/b>7<\/span><\/b>-16\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

The life Jesus describes in these verses is a challenging one.\u00a0 Christians are to be people of mercy and peacemaking, willing to endure undeserved insults and persecution for his sake.\u00a0 These things are painful and costly. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

What does it look like to be ‘salt and light’ in this kind of context?\u00a0 How does this go beyond <\/span><\/i>simply<\/span><\/i>\u00a0being \u2018nice\u2019\u00a0<\/span><\/i>to the people around us<\/span><\/i>?<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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As people who have received forgiveness from Jesus himself (on an epic scale), this makes Christians distinctive.\u00a0 As we choose to live out that forgiveness, it\u2019s surprising.\u00a0 Indeed it confounds people to be on the receiving end of such grace – deserved or otherwise.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

\u00a0<\/span>Read John 8:1-12<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Jesus is demonstrating this kind of love and forgiveness as he encounters the situation with the woman caught in adultery.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

As the crowd left the scene scratching their heads, what do you think struck them?\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/i>About the woman?<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/i>About themselves?<\/span><\/i>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/i>About Jesus?<\/span><\/i>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/i>About the nature of forgiveness?<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Jesus gives a clear demonstration of the values of his Kingdom as he d<\/span>eclares that the adulterous woma<\/span>n is not condemned by him.\u00a0\u00a0 In doing so he frees her to go and live her life quite differently from that point, should she choose to.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Living as people who ask for forgiveness and who offer it readily can be a very practical glimpse of the power of the gospel.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>

The world says forgiveness must be deserved or earned.\u00a0<\/span>But<\/span>\u00a0we\u00a0<\/span>must<\/span>\u00a0live our lives differently.\u00a0<\/span>It is not easy.\u00a0 But God can change us and the people around us through even the<\/span>\u00a0most<\/span>\u00a0painful moments of life.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>

We are representatives of the one who has authored the<\/span>\u00a0possibility<\/span>\u00a0of forgiveness for all<\/span>: Jesus<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0light of the world.\u00a0<\/span>Ask God to give you the opportunity to introduce someone to the profound forgiveness he has on offer.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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