Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
Luke 6:37
We are told not to judge and not to condemn others. We are not to conclude or decide another person's fate, because it's not in our hands. It's in God's. He is the one who will judge the living and the dead. He will reward to each person according to his deeds.
Our job is to forgive. Forgiveness is not an emotion, it is an act of will. We may feel unforgiveness bubble up in us, but God will help us to feel only love for them.
Have you ever heard of Corrie Ten Boom? She was a prisoner at a prison called Ravensbruck during World War 2. She was treated terribly in prison, but by a miracle she was released. After the war she traveled around and spoke about what had happened to her. After one of these speeches, a man came up to greet her afterward. This man had been one of the prison guards at Ravensbruck, one of those who had abused and hurt her and her family. Even after all that Corrie still forgave him and loved him.
This is what Jesus did. He forgave his murderers. He refused to be bitter and while He was hanging on the cross suffering, He asked God to forgive them. We are called to be like Jesus. He showed us how to forgive and we are told to forgive. You have received His forgiveness; will you withhold forgiveness from others? Will you give others what you've been given? Will you forgive today?
