"He killed my son."
"He raped my daughter!"
"She robbed my home. She could have hurt my children."
As bad as these situations are, God does call on us to forgive. But why? Jesus said in Matthew 6:14-15, "For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." Jesus died on the cross for us so that all men could be free from death, sin, and Hell. When we become born-again, we are forgiven of our sins, never to be bound by those sins again. He forgave, why shouldn't we? Otherwise it would be hypocrisy.
There is evil in the world and there are people who do evil things. But even they are in need of forgiveness, for Jesus died for them. It is natural to feel anger and rage, and even hatred of what the person has done. Forgiveness is an act of love. Holding that anger, rage, and hatred in will not make things better. It certainly won't make things right. Unforgiveness makes things worse. It will make a person bitter, filled with hate and never having any peace. Unforgiveness is taking God's laws into your own hands, and that is not fair. That person who hurt you is the one who hurt you. When you are not forgiving, you are only hurting yourself. Forgiveness is an act of justice, of peace, and of letting go.
Matthew 6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
Mark 3:28 Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme:
Matthew 6:14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
Matthew 6:15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
1John 3:15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.
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