"Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times? No, not seven times, but SEVENTY TIMES SEVEN, Jesus replied."
Do you have a friend that has offended you? How many times should you forgive them for sinning against you? You may think that up to seven times is being more than fair and forgiving. The truth for today however is much different! The Lord is saying in this scripture that He has a different number in mind. This is how the Lord wants us to handle the person or persons that offend or sin against us. This is how you can win someone back to you. Think about yourself when you consider this. Have you sinned against God? How many times? More than seven? Then perhaps it is important that God forgave you and forgot your sins. We too must learn to forgive and forget. We must learn to be merciful and forgiving if we expect that treatment for ourselves.
As believer's, we are forgiven by God for all of our sins and offenses. This is true even if our sins are or have been almost uncountable. Thus the Lord used a phrase, seventy times seven to get across the point that we need to be able to forgive the same person 490 times, if they offend or sin against us. The number is not as important as the concept. In the Lord's case he forgives us an unlimited number of offenses. He expects us to follow Him and use His example. We are to forgive and forget those who sin against us and offend us.
How you handle others is how God will respond to you. The measure you judge with will be the one you are judged by. Do unto others as they would do unto you is more than a catch phrase it is a way of life. Think of someone you think you could never forgive right now. If you expect God to have mercy on you then you had better have mercy on them and forgive and forget their offenses against you. You have no option but to have mercy on them. If you choose to carry the burden of not forgiving and forgetting, you suffer and you are the one burdened. Lay the burden down at the feet of Jesus Christ, do it right now. Be freed from the weight and sorrow and be like the Lord. Forgive and forget and do it no matter how many times it takes, even SEVENTY TIMES SEVEN!
