Be perfect as my heavenly Father

Scripture: Then Peter came up and said to him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?" 22 Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven. Matt 18:21-22

Reflection:  What could be the reason for the call to be ever forgiving to your brother?

1. God is in control of the life of your Christian brother or sister and when Christ is working he works with patience and love. Leave them to God. When God is doing a work then don’t interfere by holding up God’s grace through unforgiveness, even if it irks you.
2. As for us, we have an opportunity to be like God and to put on his mind and to love as he loves us.
3. Our judgment about people can be wrong.  A person may stand condemned in our sight but in God’s sight may go vindicated.  
4. It gives the wrongdoer a chance to repent and turn to God just we have a chance to turn to God because of God’s forgiveness and love.
5.   Love in action is forgiveness.
6.  An opportunity to put on the mind of Christ.
7.   An opportunity to witness Christ.
8. An opportunity for allowing God to work in our lives and use us as his instrument of healing. First, by not forgiving the way we would but with God’s help and grace.

·        Prayer:  Lord, forgive us as sins and we forgive those who sin against us.

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us