Has God really forgiven me?

Has God really forgiven me?

 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Colossians 3:13

To forgive as the Lord forgave you means a lot more than releasing someone for the harm and hurt feelings they have caused you. To match up to His forgiveness we must so love the wrongdoer that we cannot stand to be separated from them by anything, including their own foolish, self-centered, misguided or even malicious acts.

His forgiveness states clearly that “I will take the punishment due to the wrongdoer upon myself, so that they may be restored.” In effect I will consider the full nature of the pain they have inflicted upon me and accept that as a worthy sacrifice for them to be restored.  I am willing be re-offended by them in my spirit as I take up  this consideration to the extent it is necessary to fully comprehend what they have done; and to see with total clarity how inescapable it is that I must forgive them.

This is redemptive; this is what we have received.

This is impossible without the deep and abiding love of God. Seek His love with all that is in you. Seek Him with a pure heart cleansed by obedience and submission to His will. This will not come easy. This is worth more than all the riches of this world. This is so priceless that God offered His son to be abused beyond earthly recognition and crushed, so that nothing on earth could ever stop you from attaining it.