“bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” – Colossians 3:13

A late night TV show asked parents to trick their kids and video the response. The parents hid their children’s Halloween candy and “confessed” they had eaten it all. As expected most children responded with screaming, hitting, and flopping to the floor. But, one little girl smiled and responded, “Mommy that makes me really sad…maybe next year we can share my candy…you can make it up to me by spending some time with me.” Hundreds of children expressed what is in all of our hearts, and one little girl shared what is in Jesus’ heart.

God forgives us, even though we had no cause to sin against him. We must forgive others as God has forgiven us. Gossip and hurtful words stir up evil and grieve the Spirit of God. While we are still sinners God reconciled us to himself. He did not first make us sinless. We too are to understand that those with whom we are to reconcile are sinners, yet still beautiful to God.

A man renewed by the blood of Christ acts upon new principles. The believer is created new with a new heart. He is created in Jesus for the purpose of doing good works. We should strive towards the beauty of reconciliation towards the glory of God. Biblical reconciliation begins with one person talking directly to the person who offended him. Reconciliation glorifies God, while an angry, bitter heart robs him of his glory. God’s glory is always more important than our ease and comfort.

Jesus reconciled sinful man with perfect God. Without the blood of Christ we are eternally separated from the Father. No individual’s actions against you could ever be as heinous as your sins against God. If God lovingly forgives us we should glorify him by sharing forgiveness with others.

“If we could condense all the truths of Christmas into only three words, these would be the words: ‘God with us.’” – John MacArthur