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Love Keeps No Record of Wrongs
13: 5d

Closely connected with not being easily angered (to see link click Dc – Love is Not Easily Angered) is that love keeps no record of the wrongs carried out against us. Keeps no records (Greek: logizomai) is a bookkeeping term that means to calculate, as when figuring an entry into a ledger. The purpose of the entry is to make a permanent record that can be consulted whenever needed. In business that practice is necessary, but in personal matters it is not only unnecessary but harmful. Keeping track of things done against us is a sure path to unhappiness – our own and that of those on whom the wrongs (Greek: kakon, meaning evil, inner malice or bad things) are kept.

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise Your great love! You have every right to punish us for our sins, but instead, You graciously and with great mercy give Yeshua’s righteousness to all who love You. He made the One who knew no sin to become a sin offering on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). What a supremely gracious God You are to forgive so deeply that you completely remove the sins of those who love You. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us (Psalms 103:12).

Thank You that You save those who confess You as their Lord and Savior, even if they are the only one of a few of our relatives or friends to love You.  But still, you have a few people in Sardis who have not stained their clothes. They will walk with Me in white, because they are worthy. The one who overcomes thus will be dressed in white clothes; I will never blot his name out of the Book of Life, and will confess his name before My Father and His angels (Revelation 3:4-5). It is worth being the only one to follow You, for we will have an eternity of joy to love You with our new heavenly family. We love you deeply! In Yeshua’s name and power of His resurrection. Amen 

Loving people do not keep bringing up past failures in an attempt to gain control over others. Love is painfully aware of the evil done against it, but tries to overcome it with good and does not keep a record to “get even,” or to return evil for evil. Paul himself embodied this attitude in Second Corinthians 2:5-11 when he forgave the one who offended him. Love is neither enraged at the moment, nor does it hold a grudge, or act vindictively afterward. As John Chrysostom (347 to 407 AD), the early Church Father who served as archbishop of Constantinople has well said, “As a spark falls into the sea and does not harm the sea, so harm may be done to a loving soul and is soon quenched without disturbing the soul.” Thus, love does not keep meticulous records of offenses, but offers forgiveness time and again.

When Peter came to Jesus and asked: Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times (Matthew 18:21)? Messiah replied: Not seven times, but seventy times seven times (Mattityahu 18:22). This limitless number shows that God’s forgiveness is boundless. The number seven is often used as a biblical metaphor as the number of completeness. Perhaps Yeshua had in mind the Torah passage that speaks of Lamech’s unlimited vengeance (Genesis 4:24), in contrast to the unlimited forgiveness. True forgiveness does not keep a record of wrongs. Love forgives.

The same Greek verb (logizomai) is often used in the B’rit Chadashah to represent the pardoning act of God for those who trust in Yeshua Messiah as their Lord and Savior. Blessed is the one whose sin ADONAI will not take into account (Romans 4:8). God in the Messiah was reconciling mankind to Himself, not counting their sins against them (Second Corinthians 5:19). If God so completely and permanently erases the record of our many sins against Him, how much more should we forgive the much lesser wrongs done against us? In God’s heavenly record the only entry after our names is righteous, because we are counted righteous in Yeshua. Therefore, Messiah’s righteousness is transferred (imputed) to our spiritual bank account at the moment of faith (Romans 4:6-11 and 22-25; James 2:23). What is true of Messiah is true of you, minus His deity. No other record exists.

Friendships, personal relationships, family relationships, and marriages can be, and often are, ruined by keeping record of wrongs. We make mistakes: professionally, personally and financially. We are human. And it is necessary to seek forgiveness for those we have wronged or hurt. To make restitution when possible; financially if necessary. But once you have asked for forgiveness and done everything you can humanly do to change and make things right, or once you have “forgiven” someone, nobody wants to live with past mistakes being thrown in their face daily. Do not let the sun go down on your anger (Ephesians 4:26).