Faith and Forgiveness

Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God. I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours. But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.” [Mark 11.22-25]

I want to consider some phrases in this passage:

Really believe...

No doubt...

Forgive...

There three criteria must be met in order for faith to work. Actually, the list can be reduced to two criteria: believe and forgive.

If we would focus on believing and forgiving, our lives would demonstrate the power of God.

So, if our lives are not demonstrating the power of God, it is safe to conclude that we are not believing or forgiving. But which?

We simply must get these two things right. This is especially important regarding forgiveness, because if we do not forgive, we cannot be forgiven! I mean, its one thing not to move a mountain, but another thing altogether not to go to heaven!

If I were going to prioritize faith and forgiveness, I would have to give forgiveness top priority. But the thing is, faith and forgiveness are not independent of each other! Forgiveness is perhaps the paramount act of faith.

There is much to consider here!

Father, help us to get it right regarding faith and forgiveness.