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Forgiving You Makes God Happy
(Luke 15:11-32)
God loves to forgive. Nothing makes Him happier. In fact, all of heaven throws a party and celebrates every time someone is forgiven: “…there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents…” (Luke 15:7). He holds the patent on forgiveness (Dan. 9:9).
Jesus shared several parables that show off His excitement about forgiving those who are in trouble (Luke 15). In fact, His parable on the lost son takes forgiveness to new heights.
I have listed five tremendous lessons for us all to embrace about the wonders of forgiveness. They show off how good God is and how high a standard of forgiveness He expects us to emulate. Jesus went so far in what we know as “The Lord’s Prayer” as to say, “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” (Matt. 6:12). The apostle Paul picked up on this and reminded the Ephesian church members to “…be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you” (Eph. 4:32). He even counseled the Corinthian church members to lovingly forgive the man living in gross immorality, saying, “So that, on the contrary, you ought rather to forgive and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one be swallowed up with too much sorrow. Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love to him” (2 Cor. 2:7,8). I wonder how many beautiful people have been “swallowed up with too much sorrow” (v. 7) because their brothers and sisters in Christ, who should have loved and comforted them in spite of their behavior, attacked and castigated them disgracefully instead.
Five Lessons We All Need to Learn
About How God Forgives
(Luke 15:11-32)
1. God is compassionate every time you repent.
“…his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.”
v. 20
N.B. Psalm 37:25,26
2. God throws a party every time you catch on and come home.
“…the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet.
And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry;’”
vv. 22,23
N.B. Luke 15:5-7
3. It is never God’s intention for you to get hurt by your mistakes.
“And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.’”
v. 27
N.B. Jer. 31:3,4; 29:10-14
4. God will always take the sadness out of your heart and give you gladness when you come home to Him for forgiveness.
“‘It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.’”
v. 32
N.B. Psalm 86:4,5
5. Only the self-righteous and proud join up with the devil to accuse their fallen brethren.
“But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him.”
v. 28
N.B. Rev. 12:10
God wants you to enjoy your forgiveness—He does! Don’t allow anyone to rain on your parade. So go ahead and join the party, celebrating your victory in heaven. Let go of your guilt and shame. They are debilitating and serve only to impede your healing. Surround yourself with loving Christians who are excited for you and the changes that have taken place in your heart. There is nothing more faith-building than to know that God and His people have accepted you and your confession. This will go a long way to helping you believe in Him, yourself, and one another again.
Forgiving you makes God happy! Receive it and enjoy.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
2 Cor. 1:3,4
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