Relationships between people can be difficult. The closer the relationship, the greater the challenge. That puts marriage at the top for degree of difficulty. Knowing this, the Lord has instituted forgiveness as the oil to keep relationships going. Through Christ, God forgives us for our sins and allows us to be in relationship with our Maker.
“Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times'” (Matthew 18:21–22, NKJV).
Forgiveness has a human dimension. It is the gracious act of not holding wrongful acts against another person. In every marriage relationship, husbands and wives do things to hurt the other — through words, actions, or even silence. All of this hurts. Forgiveness is God’s antidote for this hurt. But how often do we need to forgive? Jesus told Peter that we need to forgive seventy-seven times. In other words, there is no limit. Forgive your spouse as Christ has forgiven you.
The content of this article comes from “The Warrior’s Bible” (2014) and is copyrighted by Life Publishers International. Used with permission.
