“If we confess our
sins, He is faithful and just to forgive
and cleanse us from all
unrighteousness.”
~1 John 1:9
“For if you forgive men
when they sin against you,
your heavenly Father
will also forgive you.”
~Matthew 6:14
Are
you wearing forgiveness like a crown?
Or
are you hiding it, afraid of what the enemy says of you?
I
have been immensely inspired by this message on wearing forgiveness like acrown. And in this entry, I will be adding a few reflections of my own.
You
see, I used to be a people-conscious person. I still am but by the power of the
Holy Spirit at work in me, I am slowly (and at times, painfully) being continually
transformed to the image of Christ. That said, I was obsessive-compulsive to
the point of being perfectionist—I worked hard to achieve, to win accolades, to
gain the approval of the people around me, and to prevail over them. I lived to
please myself by pleasing those around me.
As
a staunch Roman Catholic then, I found it hard to accept that no matter how
hard I try to be good, I would always fail. It was frustrating to think that heaven
was always out of my reach.
It
was in this frustration of realizing that I can never be perfect that I was led
to Christ. It was in the pain of realizing that I can never please everybody
that a deep desire and hunger for something more was created in my heart.
And
I bumped into the man-god Jesus Christ. Actually, the more I think about it, He
intentionally bumped into me to catch my attention as I have always ignored His
pursuit of me.
In
Him, I found completeness. In Him, I discovered that as a human being, I can
never be perfect and righteous on my own. In my encounter of Him, I finally
understood that He alone can fill all my inequities and inadequacies. In Him, I
found forgiveness for all my sins—past, present, and future.
But
as I have said earlier in this entry, it is my human nature to be a
perfectionist. And knowing the enemy’s cunning tactics as an accuser, there
were a lot of times in my early Christian life that I felt frustrated and it
was incredulous for me to believe that I am already forgiven.
But
in my a-little-more than three years of Christian journey, I have learned the
importance of flaunting the forgiveness and salvation I have in Jesus Christ. I
have learned to wear forgiveness like a crown. By His grace, I was enabled and
equipped to claim victory in His Cross and Resurrection.
Christ
taught me to cling to ancient Truth and to listen to His word instead of being
persuaded by the whispers and deceptions of the enemy. Jesus is the same
yesterday, today, and forever. And the moment I accepted Him, His love for me
is and will always be complete and perfect.
Another
way of flaunting God’s forgiveness in my life is to extend the same forgiveness
He has given me to other people, believers or unbelievers alike. This is what the
Lord has especially spoken to me for the past month.
The
words of Christ in Matthew 5:23-24 are very clear. This is one of the best
illustrations that in the eyes of God, obedience is better than sacrifice. As a
Christian, I am to forgive and set my heart right in accordance to His will
before I can come and fully experience His presence.
As
such, I have to show forgiveness to fellow Christians. Because just like me, they
are sinners who have been saved by His grace and needing His grace in each
moment. Just like me, they are also God’s work in progress. Just like me, they
falter and fall but just like me, Jesus is working in them and building them up
into His image and likeness.
I
have to forgive them because just like them, I am also a sinner always forgiven
by Him.
I
have to forgive the unbelievers because this is what Jesus commands of me. In
fact, this is what He did for me. And this is His continuing invitation for the
unbelievers: His forgiveness for all their past, present, and future sins.
Since I am already in Christ, I have to reflect His glory; I have to mirror the
same invitation to them—to come to Christ as sinners and accept Him as their
personal Lord and Savior. I can only do this if I show them forgiveness just as
Christ has shown me.
I
have to forgive them because once in my life, I was just like them—a sinner,
lost, confused, and seeking for the Truth.
When
I forgive other people, I wear Christ’s forgiveness like a crown. I radiate His
glory and majesty. I mirror His never-ending compassion and perfect love. When
forgiveness (from Him and to other people) is always in my heart, I live life
with so much positivity, giving more room for the Holy Spirit to work in my
life to make me fruitful in His works through me and in me.
When
I ask and accept the Lord’s forgiveness and extend the same forgiveness to
everyone, I keep my accounts short, making me always prepared to meet the Lord,
in death or in rapture.
How
about you? Are you wearing forgiveness like a crown? Join my prayer to make
each and every one of us aware of who we are in Christ: forgiven and always
forgiving.
