“His lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not everyone his brother their trespasses‘– Matthew 18:34-35

When someone asked Jesus what the great commandment is, He replied that we must love the Lord with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind. He commanded love!

Here Jesus commands forgiveness — and, again, it must be a genuine forgiveness from your hearts.

It is difficult for us to live by the reality of an all-knowing God. We assume that if no one else sees that lustful glance, or hears that private thought, then we have gotten away with our stealthy sin. But God searches the heart!

For this reason, He demands heart-deep obedience, even in relation to forgiveness. We might feel as though we have done our duty—and maybe a little more—to let an offense or injury go without confrontation or angry words. But Jesus is not satisfied until we have actually forgiven that person in our heart.

How could Jesus demand so much from us? The context explains it all. Jesus relates the parable of a man who is forgiven an enormous debt to the king, and yet refuses to relinquish another person from a very small debt. The king therefore is angry and requires the enormous debt to be paid in full.

This is a clear picture of salvation. If we have been forgiven so much sin, freely by God’s grace, how could we ever demand justice for some small offense against our own person?

Do you have some small debts you need to forgive, in light of God’s free and amazing grace to you? (Baptist Bible Hour)

Dear friend, this is the key to restoring relationships, mending marriages, communion in churches, and personal peace. Imagine what a different world this would be if we all learned to forgive others as Christ has forgiven us! If you are at odds with someone don’t let the sun go down before you forgive that person. You will be glad you did!

“And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:”–Colossians 1:20–22

The most important part of the Christmas story isn’t the shepherds or the angels or the wise men. In fact, the most important part of the Christmas story isn’t about the birth of Jesus at all. It is a wonderful gift of God’s grace that His Son came into the world to be born as a man, but that is just the beginning of the story—the introduction. To really understand Christmas, we have to look to the end of the story. The most important part of the Christmas story is the reconciliation to God that is offered through Jesus Christ.

Someone summed up the meaning of Christmas in these simple but beautiful words:

If our greatest need had been information,
God would have sent us an educator,
If our greatest need had been technology,
God would have sent us a scientist.
If our greatest need had been money,
God would have sent us an economist.
If our greatest need had been pleasure,
God would have sent us an entertainer.
But our greatest need was forgiveness,
So God sent us a Saviour.

There are a lot of things competing for our attention this time of year. It is right and proper that we enjoy the good celebrations of Christmas with family and friends. But we must never lose sight of what Christmas is about. “And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world” (1 John 4:14).–Paul Chappell

“…an heir of God through Christ“. – Galatians 4:7

Lots of people are thinking about what they want, but perhaps it would be better for us to think about what we have. Better yet, think about who you are—a child of God and an heir of God. Meditating on who you are and what you have in Christ affects how you view everything else in life. It makes life one big “Wow moment”, giving us joy unspeakable and full of glory. And as we view our past, present, and prospect from this vantage point life becomes a blessing rather than a burden. J. R. Miller wrote:

“By nature we are children of wrath; but union to Jesus exalts us to the highest pitch of honour and happiness. All our mercies flow through Jesus; we must ever look to Him as the medium of access to God, and of union to God.

If we are one with Jesus, we are heirs of God; to us He has willed all the riches of grace, and all the riches of glory. The testament is made and sealed, and all is secured to us by the oath of God, and the blood of our dear Saviour.

Oh, what an honour! To be the heirs of God! To possess and enjoy throughout eternity all that God can impart! Unutterable grace! We have enough secured to us while on earth; and we shall be put in full possession at the resurrection.

Let us then ascertain beyond a doubt, that we are the sons of God; that we have received the spirit of adoption; that we are united to Jesus; and daily walk with God. Let us live expecting the day when we shall be put in possession, and preparing for that glorious event. Let us walk worthy of the vocation wherewith we are called, with all lowliness and meekness, watching unto prayer.”

Let earth no more my heart divide;
With Christ may I be crucified:
To Thee with my whole soul aspire;
Dead to the world and all its toys,
To idle pomp, and fading joys,
Be Thou alone my one desire!

“ And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies ; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment;  Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.“–1 Kings 3:11-12

Near Christmas nearly every parent and spouse will be asking someone, “What do you want for Christmas?”. But, can you imagine receiving a message from God saying, “Ask what I shall give thee”! Given such a choice, what would you ask for? Solomon was in that exact situation and he made a wise choice. Our text is God’s response. Speaking of this J. R. Miller wrote:
 

It is crucial that we regularly examine ourselves in the light of God’s Word. Naturally we would rather brag about our success than deal with our failures, but we can’t succeed until we see where we’ve failed. Pretending we’re better than we are never helps. It is only when we get brutally honest about our condition that we are able to get better. Is it pleasant? No, but it is indeed profitable.