![]() “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:32) Unless we forgive one another we cannot claim salvation. And when we forgive we should not do so grudgingly. We forgive because we are free in Christ Jesus and our desire is to please Him. We forgive one another because forgiveness is sourced in the power of God and helps us maintain our freedom in Him. We forgive one another because we have been forgiven, “for Christ’s sake.” In a sermon, Charles Spurgeon preached that it was senseless to even put money in the offering box, to even kneel and pray, until we have first forgiven one another. “God will not accept the gifts, prayers, or praises of an unrelenting heart. He will not accept a penny of an offering from an unrelenting and unforgiving temper. “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?” (1 John 4:20) Spurgeon declared, “If anyone here who is a Christian finds it difficult to forgive, I am going to give him three words which will help him wonderfully. I would put them into your mouth. ‘For Christ' s sake.’ Can’t you forgive on just that ground? I know the girl has acted shamefully, the son has behaved wrongfully, the husband or wife spoke harshly. Yet, do it for his sake. I may be speaking very simply to some of you. I hope I am. If there are any of you whose heart is in a bad state and have said you will never forgive…Let go of that drop of malice in your soul, for Christ’s sake. Oh powerful word, how it convicts us, and as it convicts it seems to leave no trace of anger behind it: for Christ’s sake our love suffers long and never fails.” This is the moment that we rise up and visit that sister or brother, pick up the phone and call our child, knock on the closed door of our spouse, or reach out to the friend we have shunned. Now is the moment we let it go and forgive, for Christ’s Sake! GiGi❤️
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