No Limit / David Jeremiah

 

No Limit And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:32   Love is at the heart of everything—even forgiveness. But not because forgiveness is a loving thing to do (though it is). But because it is a sacrificial thing to do. In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul says that “love suffers long” (verse 4), which is usually a way of saying that love is patient. But when the need for forgiveness comes often, it can result in longsuffering—patiently enduring the offense that necessitates forgiveness no matter how often it arises.

Recommended Reading: Matthew 18:21-22

When Peter asked Jesus how many times he was required to forgive the one who offended him—and suggested seven times would suffice—Jesus surprised him with a different number: seventy times seven (Matthew 18:21-22). Jesus didn’t mean that 490 was the limit; He was suggesting that we are to forgive an infinite number of times. We are to forgive without counting. We wonder if Paul had this teaching in mind when he exhorted the Ephesians to forgive each other “as God in Christ forgave you.” God puts no limit on the number of times He is willing to forgive us. Neither should we limit our forgiveness for others.   If you are suffering from a bad man’s injustice, forgive him lest there be two bad men. Augustine