Psalm 5:10

¹⁰Declare them guilty, O God! Let   their intrigues be their downfall. Banish them for their many sins, for they have rebelled against you. 

How do you normally react when someone harm you for no reason? The natural human tendency when aggravated, provoked, or offended is to retaliate and defend the self. But if by the grace of God, you sense compassion towards offenders, the Holy Spirit of Christ may have been actively at work in your life somehow.

We can read an exemplary forgiving nature of Christ in Luke 23:32-37, 32Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed.  ³³When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. ³⁴Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. ³⁵The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.” ³⁶The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar ³⁷and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.”

Our Lord Jesus Christ was mocked, tortured and crucified to death, as if he was criminal to be executed. Yet, he prayed for the forgiveness of his offenders. Forgiving offenders is opposed to natural human tendency to retaliate against offenders. To forgive is practical evidence that believers received forgiveness from God. It declares in Colossians 3:13, 13Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

  Does it affect our personal relationship with God, if we hold grudges against offenders? One practical way for us to be sure that God has forgiven us is to forgive our offenders. To forgive is transformational work of Christ in us.

Lord Jesus, help me forgive compassionately.

><((‘> .. ><((‘> … ><(((“> tmec\2023 <“)))>< … <‘))>< .. <‘))><