Matthew 18:35 KJV
So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.
As I read this chapter today, I was reminded of the words of Christ in the Sermon on the Mount
Matthew 5:20 KJV
For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
This is just an impossible thing to live up to. The Pharisees attempted to make themselves right by their exceptionally good works. They were zealous of doing literally everything they could right. They made up rules upon rules to make obeying the Old Testament a matter of fact. Not that they did everything right - they agreed to kill Jesus Christ, the Son of God! But their principle was that they would be good in their own will. They would make a way of righteousness. And Jesus said that even if they were successful a person's righteousness would have to exceed that in order to go to heaven.
Jesus gives us another impossible ideal in Matthew 18. We are to forgive from our hearts every one who has trespassed against us. We are to forgive until seventy times seven. We are to forgive constantly and every time. And I for one am here to declare that can't be done. Not in the power of the flesh anyway.
Offenses are too many.
Trespasses are too frequent.
Hurt cuts too deeply.
I am not able to forgive this thoroughly and from the heart. Therefore I must fall upon the Saviour. I must beg Him to forgive my unforgiveness. And I must beg Him to forgive those who have trespassed through me. We will never be able to forgive like this and we are foolish to put together our little plans and formulates in our efforts to try to do that which we cannot do. We only have one resource - Jesus Christ. Let us appeal to Him!
So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.
As I read this chapter today, I was reminded of the words of Christ in the Sermon on the Mount
Matthew 5:20 KJV
For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
This is just an impossible thing to live up to. The Pharisees attempted to make themselves right by their exceptionally good works. They were zealous of doing literally everything they could right. They made up rules upon rules to make obeying the Old Testament a matter of fact. Not that they did everything right - they agreed to kill Jesus Christ, the Son of God! But their principle was that they would be good in their own will. They would make a way of righteousness. And Jesus said that even if they were successful a person's righteousness would have to exceed that in order to go to heaven.
Jesus gives us another impossible ideal in Matthew 18. We are to forgive from our hearts every one who has trespassed against us. We are to forgive until seventy times seven. We are to forgive constantly and every time. And I for one am here to declare that can't be done. Not in the power of the flesh anyway.
Offenses are too many.
Trespasses are too frequent.
Hurt cuts too deeply.
I am not able to forgive this thoroughly and from the heart. Therefore I must fall upon the Saviour. I must beg Him to forgive my unforgiveness. And I must beg Him to forgive those who have trespassed through me. We will never be able to forgive like this and we are foolish to put together our little plans and formulates in our efforts to try to do that which we cannot do. We only have one resource - Jesus Christ. Let us appeal to Him!
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