We continue in the Lord’s prayer, reaching the line ‘…as we forgive those who sin against us’.  Forgiveness not perfection should mark the church.  Throughout this prayer Jesus reminds us of the gospel.  We forgive others as a response to what God has already done for us.  As we repeat these lines every time we pray this prayer we are taught this important lesson.

Sin is always destructive.  It affects and taints every relationship that we have.  Jesus wanted us to be so rooted in knowing who we are as Gods son or daughter.  You can’t stop sin but you can make a choice to allow forgiveness to rule over it.  There is a well known saying that unforgiveness is a poison that you drink, hoping that as you drink it the one who you are angry with dies.  Forgiveness is not easy.  It is truly a work of God

The three most important phrases in your relationship:
1) I LOVE YOU – tell them & show them
2) I’M SORRY  – acknowledge you’re imperfect
3) I FORGIVE YOU – as I know that God has forgiven me.

Forgiveness is powerful.