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Radical Forgiveness

    To fully follow Jesus Christ is a radical decision. It is something that forever changes us and our lifestyle. We no longer view things anything like the world, but the opposite. We see with our spiritual eyes. Yet when it comes down to a wrong suffered, we feel justified in holding back the love of Christ from those people or offering them any kind of compassion. However, this is a mentality of the world. With Jesus Christ and the grace He provided, we are to live in compassion and love for others and not condemnation and spite. 

    The Bible is explicit about this issue. If we withhold our forgiveness and love for others, then the Lord will treat us the same way. If we are to truly be like Jesus and show Him to others through our lives, we need to stop ourselves from holding grudges and living in bitterness. Such is human nature to think that we are "owed" something when someone mistreats us. So we treat them poorly in return and they never get to experience the love and grace of Christ through us. 

    As Christ followers, we need to actually live out what we say we believe. It is our job to change the face of Jesus and Christianity! It starts here. Forgive those who have wronged you. Forgive them over and over again, as Jesus forgives us, lest you fail to receive the same from Him. Love those who hate you and pray for them so that one day they may wake up and recognize where your love comes from. 

Ephesians 4:32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. (ESV)

Mark 11:25 And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. (ESV)

Matthew 6:15 But if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (ESV)

Matthew 18:21-22 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven. (ESV)

Colossians 3:13 Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. (ESV)

Luke 6:27 But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you (ESV)

1 John 3:14-15 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him. (ESV)

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