Whether you say, “Wrongs Righted” or “Righting Wrongs”, the meanings are one and the same. The wrong can range from a gross sin all the way down to only an insensitive word or action. As Christians we should always live our lives correcting any wrongs we may commit as we go through our journey on this earth. Too many times we live out our lives being so busy ‘working for Jesus’, that we leave some collateral damage along the way. Sometimes we are not even aware of what we are doing and that we may have hurt people or stepped on their toes along the way. Our prayer should always be, “Oh Lord, make me sensitive!”
We must make sure that we keep our priorities straight. Some preach and teach that what they deem as the Lord’s work is all important and must get done as priority, but Jesus had a problem with the religious leaders of His time who had that mentality. Read the following four portions of Scripture:
1. “Moses gave you this law from God: ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and ‘Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.’ But you say it is all right for people to say (Corban in KJV) to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.’” (Mark 7:10-11 NLT)
2. “So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.” (Matthew 5:23-24 NLT)
3. If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? (1 John 4:20 NLT)
4. “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’”(Matthew 25:37-40 NLT)
The above deals with us when we are the one who does the wrong. But what if the wrong is done to us? The following four Scriptures give us a guideline:
1. Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?” “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven! (Matthew 18:21-22 NLT)
2. “You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also. If you are sued in court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat, too. If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles. Give to those who ask, and don’t turn away from those who want to borrow.” (Matthew 5:38-42 NLT)
3. Forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. (Matthew 6:12 NLT)
4. “If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back. But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses. If the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won’t accept the church’s decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector.” (Matthew 18:15-17 NLT)
Notice, in the forth portion of Scripture, we are not commanded to take action, we are only given the option. It is the same if our husband or wife is caught in adultery. We do not have to get a divorce. We are only given the option. We need to always be on our knees seeking God’s will and not our own in any given situation. But as far as forgiveness is concerned, we are commanded to always forgive in our heart, even though the other person refuses to repent so the healing process of the relationship can begin. We may not be able to take a giant eraser and forget the wrongs that have been done to us, but we are never to allow the wrongs to affect the way we love both our enemies and our fellow Christians. We are called to be the ‘Good Samaritan’ no matter what, even to the fellow Christian who has become a pagan to us (see Matthew 18:17). That is the true sign of whether we have forgiven or not. Because if we truly haven’t forgiven, our Father in heaven is not obligated to forgive us (see Matthew 6:12)!
Annointing 