The Mercy of Christ is Enough
Today’s Verse:
From Ephesians 4:32 ESV
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."
Forgiveness is hard. Really hard. It feels unnatural, it can feel even a little unfair—especially when the wound is fresh and the hurt is deep. Forgiveness doesn’t mean what was done is okay. It doesn’t mean it doesn’t still hurt. Forgiveness does mean letting go of the burden of anger, bitterness, or resentment. It means not letting those emotions fester and grow and darken in our hearts.
As Lutherans, we begin with grace. Always. God’s forgiveness is not something He dishes out as a prize for good behavior. It’s a gift. Freely given through Christ. Earned? Not at all. On the cross, Jesus bore our sin and our guilt and our failure. Not so we could hold it over His head, not so we could tally it up and hold grudges.Jesus bore it so we could be free.
And the forgiveness that we have received? It’s supposed to flow through us to others. Forgiveness doesn’t happen overnight. It can be a process. But that process begins with remembering what Christ has done for us.
We were enemies of God. He made us His children. We were guilty. He made us clean. If God has forgiven us for everything, who are we to hold back on anyone?
This week, make a choice to let go of the grudge. To start again. Maybe there’s someone else you need to forgive. Maybe you need to forgive yourself. Either way, the mercy of Christ is sufficient. Rely on Him. Not your own strength.
Prayers
A Prayer for Today:
Lord Jesus, thank You for the gift of forgiveness. I don’t deserve it, but You offer it anyway. Help me to receive it fully—and to extend it freely. Soften my heart where it’s hard. Heal what still hurts. And teach me to live as someone who’s been forgiven much. Amen.
Apostles’ Creed:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Luther’s Morning Prayer:
I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands, I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.
The photo above was licensed through Unsplash+