Chuck on Forgiveness

I receive email devotionals everyday from Chuck Swindoll entitled "Insight for Today". Recently, his "insights" have had to do with forgiveness. I have been so convicted and challenged with these Biblical truths that I want to share some with you. The following statements are explanations and applications from Psalm 103 and Matthew 18.

"Truth be told, it's God's forgiveness of us that makes possible our forgiving others."

"It's important to understand that we can never forgive others, horizontally, if not for what Christ has already done for us, vertically. Not until we fully accept and appropriate God's infinite and complete forgiveness on our behalf can we carry out the tough assignment of forgiving others."

"It isn't long before anyone who gets serious about serving others must come to terms with forgiving others as well. Yes, must."

"To refuse to forgive is hypocritical. Because we have been the recipients of maximum mercy, who are we to suddenly demand justice from others? The compassion that God demonstrates on our behalf calls for us to do the same toward others. Anything less is downright hypocritical."

"To refuse to forgive inflicts inner torment upon us."

"Jesus says God personally will allow those who refuse to forgive others to be tortured...pain, agony, and torment are all a part of this torturous experience."

"He is saying the one who refuses to forgive, the Christian who harbors grudges, bitter feelings toward another, will be turned over to torturous thoughts, feelings of misery, and agonizing unrest within. It is one of the horrible consequences of not forgiving those who offend us."

"Believe me; it is not worth the misery. We are to forgive as we have been forgiven! Release the poison of all that bitterness...let it gush out before God, and declare the sincere desire to be free."

Wow. Nothing more to say.