FORGIVE ONE ANOTHER
Forgiveness is the key to freedom - we need forgiveness from God and we need to forgive others. In the Lord's prayer, Jesus prays, "And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors." He goes on to say in Matthew 6 that if we forgive men their trespasses, our heavenly Father will also forgive us but if we forgive not men their trespasses, neither will our Father forgive our trespasses. It is through faith in the resurrected Christ who shed his blood on the cross for our sins that we find forgiveness.

Unforgiveness creates within us bitterness and worse, separation from the Lord. Ask God to help you forgive if there is someone who has hurt you. Sometimes we need to forgive ourselves or even God because we are so hurt, but we must forgive to have true freedom - it is the Lord's desire that we walk in freedom with thanksgiving in our heart, not bitterness!

"Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him." Colossians 3:12-17