Forgiveness Written in Stone        

            As I was reading a few weeks ago I came across a very inspiring Christian story of forgiveness. I’m not sure if it be true, but I think you will agree, its message should be lived daily by every believer. The story tells that two friends were walking through the desert. During some point of their journey they had an argument, and one friend slapped the other in the face. The one who got slapped was hurt, but without saying anything, wrote in the sand: “TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SLAPPED ME IN THE FACE.” They kept on walking until they found an oasis, where they decided to take a bath. The one who had been slapped got stuck in the mire and started drowning, he called to his friend and his friend came and saved him. After he recovered from the near drowning, he wrote on a stone: “TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SAVED MY LIFE”. The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him, “After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand and now, you write on a stone, why?”  His friend replied “When someone hurts us we should write it down in sand where the winds of forgiveness can blow it away. But, when someone does something good for us, we must carve it in stone so that it can endure the elements, never to be forgotten”

            In the Old Testament, sins were remembered so it was necessary to make the journey to the Temple and sacrifice a unblemished bull or goat to cover their sins. But these sacrifices were not complete. The author of Hebrews writes, “The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming, not the realities themselves. For this reason the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year can never cover our sins forever or make perfect those who draw near to worship.

            Let’s take a moment for reflection and think of a time in the past when someone “slapped you”, did you write their hurtful actions in stone? I must confess, I carved my un-forgiveness in stone for many years. From time to time I would ponder on the situation and all the old anger that I felt would rise to the surface as I relived the event in my mind. But, soon the Holy Spirit brought upon me a feeling of conviction unlike anything I had ever felt. I knew that I had to find that stone I left in my past and grind off my anger and hurt and humble myself before that friend in the past and forgive. I knew that I could not continue my ministry harboring such anger within me. I reached out to that old friend and forgave them.

            As you spent time in reflection, maybe there is someone, a family member, sibling, church member, friend, adult child, co-worker or ex-spouse that you need to forgive. If your Bible is turned to Hebrews, we read, “This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.” Then he adds: “Their sins and lawless acts, I will remember no more.” (Hebrews 16-18, NIV). Christ made the final blood sacrifice so that we would have eternal life. Praise God, What a Savior? We now live under a new covenant and that covenant calls us to forgive as Christ forgave us. Now as

you think about that person who wronged you, let me say, God’s forgiveness of our sins is dependent on our forgiveness of others!! Oops, I forgot that one. “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵ But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (Matthew 6:14-15, NIV)

            Once we forgive we must “not remember the sins and we should act toward the person as we would have God act toward us. Paul penned, “And be ye kind one to another, .forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Eph. 4:32, KJV). Finally, we must follow the example that has been set by God; “We must forget the sin against us and then, practice forgiveness at every opportunity. For the Christian, God has forgiven and forgotten their sins and they are promised eternal life. If you are an unbeliever, God wants to forgive you of your sins today but you must repent and come to Christ. You only have to pray:

Heavenly Father, I come to you in the name of Jesus:

I here and now repent for my sins, and believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
I believe that Christ died for me and rose from the dead according to the Scriptures.
I believe that Jesus suffered the penalty of my sins, and paid the full price to clear my debt.
Because He suffered my penalty, I am now free.
I ask your forgiveness, and I now receive Jesus Christ into my life as my Lord ad Savior.
I am a new creation in Christ, born of God with the life of Jesus in me.
I trust the blood of Christ blots out every sin from my life. My record is clean by Your mercy.
According to Your Word, I am now forgiven, I am now saved.
Amen.

If you just prayed that prayer for the first time, please contact us at 903-729-4938 or at eddieturner2502@gmail.com