Rules Of A Godly Life: Part 1: Rule 13

"Permit not envy or hatred in your heart, nor carry a grudge against anyone.  God loved us when we were His enemies and therefore He expects us to love our enemies for His sake.  It is but a small thing for us to forgive our enemies, in comparison to what God has forgiven us.  Even though you may think your enemy unworthy of your forgiveness, it is well worth doing it for Christ's sake."

This rule reminds me of a testimony my sister in Christ, Annie Spargo once gave.  She said that she began to hate one of her sisters in the church.  She thought the sister was a wicked woman and did not see why others loved her.  She wondered, "Can they not see how awful she is?"  She said that she prayed every day to be able to love this Christian sister.  However, she continued to cultivate this hatred over the years until one day the hateful spirit tried to overcome her, to completely possess her.  This shocked her, as she did not realize that there was an evil spirit connected to the hatred she had felt over the years.  She cried out to Jesus to save her and repented of her hatred.  Immediately Jesus delivered her and her heart was filled with love and compassion for the woman she had hated for so many years.

I am a sinner who was lost.  I still fall into temptation and sin at times and need Jesus to cleanse me anew when this happens.  How can I know the full extent of the harm my sins have caused?  If I knew, would I be able to bear the knowledge?  

When I consider this it should help me to have compassion on those who hurt me with their sins, whether they be family, friends, or those who hate me.  This compassion should allow me to love them unconditionally.

Praise Jesus who loved us and forgave us while we were yet hurting him and all creation with our sins!

Does God require unconditional forgiveness from us toward our friends and enemies when they do things that hurt us?  I believe he does.

What do you think?