1 Corinthians 13:5. Keep No Record of Wrongs. But I am hoping in a way you have not heard…..
We have all heard, especially if we are sharing details that have offended us. “You have to let go of that record of wrongs and forgive.” For some, that message hurts and stings because they feel misunderstood. What if you have tried and you just can’t seem to part with it?
I was blessed to be able to dig deeper into the meaning of “record of wrongs” for you and find out why some of these records seem to have more weight than others. I pray this blesses you.
~Love Does No Such Thing~
1 Corinthians 13:5~it keeps no account of wrongs
One of the hardest things for Standers to do is let go of certain details. Some details carry much more pain because they bear more weight. The offense meant more because it touched something of value.
When we value something, and someone comes in and treats that place we value with carelessness, disregard, disrespect, and in an unkind and unloving way, that creates a certain detail the Word of God says has weight and value.
it keeps no account is ONE word~ 3049 logízomai to take into account, to make account of: compute, “take into account”; reckon (come to a “bottom-line”), i.e. reason to a logical conclusion (decision). to pass to one’s account, to impute: “a thing is reckoned as or to be something, i. e. as availing for or equivalent to something, as having the like force and weight”
logízomai is used in context in these 4 scriptures so you will gain a good understanding of exactly what this record is.
2 Timothy 4:16- At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them!
1 Cor 13:5- it keeps no account of wrongs
Romans 4:3- “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”
Romans 4:6- And David speaks likewise of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works
When you see it placed in with these other scriptures it really gives a clear picture that this word means there is a cost, a value, worth, the weight associated with it, and that means that someone PAID a price in pain, suffering, tears, offense.
And if that doesn’t convince you, logízomai FROM the root 3056 /lógos (“word”)-a word, speech, divine utterance, analogy. Is preeminently used of Christ, expressing the thoughts of the Father through the Spirit. Logos, is WORD, as in the WORD of God. Again it’s not just ANY Word that bears no value, but it bears GREAT value.
Can You See it?
We often feel hurt that we are being asked to let go of our valued, weighted hurts, records of wrongs that COST us dearly. Just being told that we have to let them go, hurts because we want someone to understand what it cost us, and how careless of you it feels to ask you to just toss that record of wrong out. You want to be REPAID, or at least someone to acknowledge the weight of it.
Our Father says HE DOES!
2 Corinthians 5:18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 1 9that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not COUNTING (logízomai) men’s trespasses against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation.
Jesus was sent to pay the cost so that man’s sins would not count against them. So this is why we have to reconcile the balance as ZERO. Does that mean it had no weight, no value? And God doesn’t care what you paid in pain, tears, suffering? No, that is not at all what this says.
To me, it says that the cost was SO high that ONLY Jesus could pay it. That your spouse would never be able to pay enough for that kind of suffering that you went through, and if you try to make them pay, you are going to destroy them.
When that kind of account is unpaid, it’s OWED to you, a debt that is screaming loud that it must be dealt with. You will hold it over your spouse’s head and it will cause a huge wall between you. You will be demanding they pay when they have nothing to pay with. They will never be able to fix what they broke.
Romans 4 talks about DEEDS both good and bad having weight, and value, it’s an OBLIGATION. Words in bold are (logízomai)
1What then shall we say that Abraham [Has he obtained a favored standing?] 2If his good deeds had made him acceptable to God, he would have had something to boast about. But that was not God’s way. 3 For the Scriptures tell us, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.”4 Now to a laborer, his wages are not credited as a favor or a gift, but as an obligation [something owed to him]. 5 But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners. 6And in this same way David speaks of the blessing on the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: 7“Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight. 8Yes, what joy for THOSE WHOSE RECORD the LORD has cleared of sin.”
You can see that Paul said this was a JOY that the lawless and disobedient were not going to have to pay what they owe, what joy those records are cleared! Do you feel joy at that thought? Or do you want your spouse to pay?
Now, here is a very sobering thought. What happens when we refuse to acknowledge Jesus cleared the debt? When He paid the price, yet we keep sending the bill? Invoicing them for a debt that they no longer owe? What kind of message are we saying to the Lord? And what kind of delay in God repaying us are we bringing upon ourselves?
We have to check our beliefs and understanding. God is not saying that letting go of the record means He doesn’t see what we paid. He VALUES our pain.
But He is asking that HE pay you what is owed in place of your spouse! Will you let that record go, so He can?
You can see that Paul said this was a JOY that the lawless and disobedient were not going to have to pay what they owe, what joy those records are cleared! Do you feel joy at that thought? Or do you want your spouse to pay?
Now, here is a very sobering thought. What happens when we refuse to acknowledge Jesus cleared the debt? When He paid the price, yet we keep sending the bill? Invoicing them for a debt that they no longer owe? What kind of message are we saying to the Lord? And what kind of delay in God repaying us are we bringing upon ourselves?
We have to check our beliefs and understanding. God is not saying that letting go of the record means He doesn’t see what we paid. He VALUES our pain.
But He is asking that HE pay you what is owed in place of your spouse! Will you let that record go, so He can?
~Prayer~
Father God,
I pray You touch our hearts with this message and help us understand that laying down our record of wrongs is not saying it meant nothing and that You didn’t care about our pain. We acknowledge what happened You see, feel, understand and recognize the weight of the pain we suffered and endured.
You have chosen to pay the price because our spouses can’t. You have chosen to restore to us what was lost, stolen, broken, and harmed. We thank You for taking a burden that You didn’t deserve or earn. Help us not get angry that our spouses are being freed from what we believe they should pay. Help us with compassion and mercy. Help us love above all because it was Your love for us that made that decision to take on a price that wasn’t Yours, but one You wanted to pay. Your love for us knows no limits, and I thank You for loving us so much!
in Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.
Standing with you,
Sheila Hollinger
