The primary reason why forgiveness is such a challenge for most Christians today is because we've been falsely taught that it should always result in reconciliation. But Jesus shows us in Matthew Chapter 18, that this simply is not the case. The most obvious example is the forgiveness of the cross. The Scriptures teach that the blood of Jesus Christ covered the sins of the entire world and yet, not every sinner has been reconciled to God. Why not? Didn't God forgive them? Forgiveness and reconciliation are separate things, they are not the same. While Jesus commands us to be forgiving, he also gives us an example of when it's justifiable for Christians to reject reconciliation. It's surprising to discover that in spite of all we've been told, Christians are given the authority by Jesus Himself to exercise discernment concerning whether or not we should be reconciled with someone who's committed an offense against us.
38 Minutes
February 10, 2012
