Forgive before it’s too late.

Forgive before it’s too late.

Please forgive everyone that has wronged you before it’s too late. Don’t die unforgiving. I spent a couple of hours at a cemetery yesterday visiting my mother’s grave site. It was a very somber couple of hours. While there I literally heard a couple of people asking for forgiveness from people that can’t even hear the apology.

I was moved to tears overhearing a man weeping asking the dead for forgiveness. He cried out that he didn’t want to go to hell. (It affected me like it did, because 15 years ago I stood at my father’s grave and begged him for forgiveness.)

These bible verses are important:
Matt 6:14-15
14 “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. 15 But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.

We can’t expect God to forgive us when we sin if we won’t forgive those who have sinned against us.

I hope this helps:
Colossians 3:13
13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.

Instead of trying to preach sermons on Facebook that may not be clear and doctrinally sound, I believe we ought to ask those who we are friends with or who follow us to forgive us, on Facebook so that we can be forgiven ourselves.

People know when you’re sincere. Some folk won’t allow you to get close enough to ask forgiveness, so, what’s wrong with saying on Facebook, I’m sorry and please forgive me.

You could write something like this. You know they’re looking at your post:

Hey, ________, I know I’ve offended you and have sinned against you. From the bottom of my heart, will you please forgive me. I’m sorry for any hurt that I’ve caused you and I don’t need to try and explain anything. Also, I forgive you for the things that you’ve done that have offended me. Can we please forgive each other before it’s too late.

Did I say that I visited the cemetery yesterday and heard people asking forgiveness from the dead? Don’t wait till folk are dead.

Here is a test: If you couldn’t comfortably attend the funeral of someone you knew well and once loved because of some grievance or offense that the two of you have, then you shouldn’t be on Facebook making new friends because they make offend you one day also and you don’t want to be a regular at the cemetery asking for forgiveness from folk that can’t hear you.

FORGIVE BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE.

—Vaughn McLaughlin