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WASHING OTHERS’ FEET THROUGH FORGIVING THOSE WHO WRONG YOU — Part 4 “So when HIS FELLOW SERVANTS saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ And his Master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. So My heavenly Father also will do to YOU if each of YOU, from his heart, does not forgive his BROTHER his trespasses” (Matthew 18: 31-35). As born-again believers, we continually fall short of God’s perfectly righteous standards. Often, we are guilty of leaving things ‘undone or unsaid’ that we ought to be ‘doing and saying’. Frequently, we ‘do or say’ things that we ought not to be doing or saying. Consequently, we continually find ourselves in personal need of our feet being washed through the Lord’s merciful and gracious pardon. It’s often difficult to remember that our brothers’ and sisters’ offenses against us, even though they may not feel like they are trivial, for they are not, but they are mere trifles compared to our grievous offenses against our Father, our Savior, and the indwelling Holy Spirit. So friend, it would certainly be a tragic and foolish error for any follower of Christ to refuse to ‘wash the feet’ of another disciple, when they have offended us! Nonetheless, it is a lamentable reality that there are few duties that are more ineptly practiced than the personal responsibility of forgiving other ‘professing brothers and sisters’ from the heart. It is appalling to discover how much bitterness, harshness, and unkindness there is in the lives of those who claim to be followers of the King of mercy. This heart attitude of ‘refusing to forgive’ is probably the number one problem in almost every ‘troubled evangelical congregation’. Often, there is a spiritual infection of unresolved anger and bitterness over past issues within the local church. Furthermore, from ministering alongside so many churches, I could safely state that “the occasions are too numerous to catalog (except for the omniscient Lord of the church) when unforgiving attitudes have caused deep splits and damaged souls within the congregation.” Would you be the one to give solid evidence that you have peace with God? Does your life prove to a watching world that you have been judicially bathed in authentic conversion? Would you be one who clearly demonstrates that you are born of the Spirit? Do you publicly manifest that you are accepted in the Beloved One? If so, then you must submit to the truth of this command to “wash one another’s feet”. You must submit to the peace of God to rule in your heart. Every bona fide believer needs to have their feet washed daily. However, we must not expect our prayers for forgiveness from our Lord to be heard if we harbor unforgiveness and malice toward others. To ask the Lord for His parental forgiveness on you, while possessing an unforgiving frame of mind toward someone else, is nothing more than ‘an empty formality and the height of hypocrisy’. May I say that this is even worse than hypocrisy! It would be no different than saying, “Lord, do not forgive me at all, for I refuse to forgive this one who has sinned against me!” The response of the master in this analogy concerning an ungrateful and unforgiving heart is very telling: “And his Master was angry and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due him.” The word “torturers” symbolizes the severe discipline of God the Father in the life of a believer who refuses to forgive others. Now, lest we misunderstand, recall that it is a biblical verity that justification removes the positional guilt of the born-again believer’s sins in the courtroom of God’s justice. However, if the same believer who has been forgiven of all their debt of sin gives place to an unforgiving attitude, they are headed for the stern correction of God. Again, I emphasize, “For whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives.” The Lord Jesus in this message of forgiveness is not primarily aiming at the unconverted, nor at those who were only pretending to be disciples. The Lord Jesus was instructing His inner circle with this parable. Jesus was warning the disciples and us today that His discipline will be severe toward those who withhold mercy from others. Can there be anything more vile (in the heart and life of a genuine believer) than an unforgiving attitude? To walk in unforgiveness is a serious abuse of God's mercy that has been shed abroad in a believer’s heart. You may think, “But Ed, this person hurt me very deeply, their sin against me was very grievous!” While these things are definitely true. Not many escape such deep hurt in our journey of faith. But we must remember, my friend, no one has sinned against you or me with the same frequency and intensity that you and I have sinned against God. But you may retort, “But they do not deserve to be forgiven by me!” Oh, precious reader, “Neither did you nor I deserve to be forgiven by God!