"LORD, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Till seven times?" Matthew 18:21-35      

 It may be that the Apostle Peter had been sinned against so often by someone that he felt he had forgiven often enough and that now he was justified in withholding forgiveness. He came to Jesus with this strange question: "LORD, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Seven times?"      

We can well sympathize with Peter. If a person offends against us seven times, and we forgive him each time, but he goes right on sinning against us, we may feel that enough is enough. If repentance is sincere, why should a person offend again and again? He no longer deserves to be treated as a brother or she as a sister; he no longer deserves the comfort of our forgiveness. That is how we are likely to reason.      

The LORD'S answer must have surprised, and stunned Peter. Jesus answerd: "I say not unto thee until seven times, but until seventy times seven."  As Christians we go on forgiving regardless of the number of offenses. God has lifted us out of the mire of sin, and He forgives our sins richly and daily. His fountain of grace never runs dry. There is always more forgiveness where it has come from in the past. "Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound" Rom. 5:20.      

Christian friends, In gratitude for our own forgiveness we are to keep on forgiving the members of our family, friends, business partners, everyone, everyday. Only so can God keep on forgiving us.  

When others we will not forgive, God's blessings are denied; We must forsake our stubbornness And banish sinful pride.  

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY - We can stop forgiving others when Christ stops forgiving us.