This talk on forgiveness was given by a friend of mine. It is very pertinent to those who would like to look deeper into Godhood.
Matthew16:9 Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
We all have debts we owe, and debts to forgive, so let me talk with you about forgiveness of debt and the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
We all have financial debts. We make minimum payments, in very small installments, when compared to the actual debt. We also have spiritual debt. Not only are we are responsible for repaying our financial debts, but also our spiritual debts as well, and that is where the Atonement comes in.
Matthew 5:42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
Before we came to this earth, we made agreements with each other. Therefore, we became the creditor and debtor, before we were ever born. We had specific things we wanted to learn and accomplish in this life, so that our spirits could learn and grow. But, in order to do that, there had to be one willing to sacrifice and create opposition FOR YOU. So that you would be able to learn those lessons.
This is someone you loved… who agreed to come into your life and cause such pain, such grief, such heartache, such sorrow that you would have no other choice but to change and grow your heart, to be able to overcome it. Just like a seed that is planted in the ground, it had to go through such tremendous change and growth that it literally burst open, before it could become the beautiful flowering plant, or tender tree.
I’m sure this thing which we asked them to do was SO HARD, that they didn’t want to do it. But, we begged and said, you have to do this for me… There is no one else who loves me enough to do this, except you. And they agreed to do this very hard thing which would offend us, break our hearts, and tear us down. And in return, we agreed to love them and forgive them, unconditionally.
We come to earth with no knowledge of those friends and those agreements, but they come into our lives, just as they agreed. They perform their service to us, just as they agreed.
And We… Are hurt. We are angry. We curse them. We hate them. We shut them out of our lives and we talk about them behind their back. We gossip and speak poorly of this person… This friend who loved us SO MUCH that they came here and agreed to do this very hard thing, just for us.
Maybe this is why Jesus said:
Matthew 7:2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. Luke 6:37 37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:
Matthew 18: Jesus talks about a king and his servants. One who owed 10,000 talents. 25 But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 27 Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.
28 But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owes. 29 And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 30 And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.
Are we like him who receives forgiveness for our debt, and then turns to demand payment from another?
Matthew 5: 23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; 24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
We have a responsibility to forgive ALL those who have trespassed against us, if we expect to be forgiven of the debts we have. Jesus said, I will forgive, who I will forgive. But of you it is required to forgive all men.
Maybe this is because HE knows of all those agreements that we made in our pre earth life.
Forgiveness is for the forgiver! It releases us from the spiritual prison we have created for ourselves with the bars and bricks of debt. Forgiveness is like taking the sacrament and truly putting the Atonement of Jesus Christ to work for us. It sets US free. It is the key to the open door, and all we have to do is walk through that open door, when we are ready.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
I stand before you today as a sinner, a beggar, a borrower, a thief. One who has outstanding debts to those who I have made agreements with, and those who have made agreements with me. But, I work every single day with the help of the Lord, to be made aware of those debts so that I can pay back the ones I can, seek forgiveness of the ones I can’t and trust in the Grace of my Savior Jesus Christ and the Atonement to cover the rest, after all that I can do.
Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more.
John 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
Jesus said, Love one another. Forgive one another. Repay your debts. Go make things right with your brother. Repent, and I the Lord will remember your sins no more.
Now concerning those loved ons who came to us to provide us opposition in this life that we might grow and become who we desired to be while in this mortal existence. Imagine if you have not forgiven them. What will the Lord say to you when the day comes that you lay their debts at His feet and demand payment in full.
Who really owes the debt, unto whom?
One of my favorite stories in the Bible is in Mark 14
3 ¶And Jesus being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head. 4 And there were some that murmured against her.
6 And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? -8 She hath done what she could:
After all that I can do, when I stand before my Lord and Savior… There will be many who will stand as a witness against me. Those who will murmur against me, because of the outstanding debts which they have against me. They will seek payment in full, or vengeance of the wrath of the God against me, for all that I owe and have not paid. And I, will fall upon my face and beg forgiveness from them and from Him.
I will plead the Atonement on my behalf. I will remember, and they will remember the agreements which we made with each other. And I hope to hear Him say,
Why do ye trouble this woman? Let her alone… She hath done for you, all that she could.Her sins are forgiven, and I the Lord remember them no more.
In Jesus name, Amen.
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