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Have you ever seen the movie The Santa Clause, starring Tim Allan? It’s a great movie. If you haven’t seen it you’ll enjoy a good laugh. If you have seen it you’ve got to watch it again. It’s one we watch every year at Christmas as a family tradition, just as some people watch It’s A Wonderful Life.

Anyway, in the movie The Santa Clause, Santa falls off Scott Calvin’s roof. (The character Mr. Allan plays.) When Scott bends over Santa, checking on him to see if he’s alright, he searches Santa’s pockets, looking for ID because Scott did not believe Santa existed. During the search Scott discovers a business card that says on the front side: SANTA CLAUSE—NORTH POLE. Flipping the card around Scott quickly reads: If something should happen to me, put on my suite. The reindeer will know what to do. Long story short, Scott chooses to put on the suite which leads him on an adventure he doesn’t understand, and once he reaches the North Pole an elf informs him that now he, Scott, is Santa Clause.

“Did you, or did you not read the card,” the elf asks as Scott argues with him over his now being Santa.

“Yeah I read the card,” says Scott.

“Then you’re the new Santa.”

“By putting on the hat and coat you accepted the contract of being the new Santa.”

“What contract?” Scott questions.

“….When you put on the Santa suite you fell subject to the Santa Clause. Not Santa the person, but the Santa Clause; Clause as in the last line of a contract.”

This is the same type of clause when we chose to follow Christ. When we invite Him into our lives we are agreeing to his ‘clause’; conditions, and one of His conditions is stated right there in what people have come to know as The Lord’s Prayer. “Forgive US, AS WE FORGIVE others.”

“Now just one cotton pickin’ minute,” you might be saying right about now. “When I accepted Christ as my Lord and savior I was forgiven of my sins.”

You bet you were. But from that very moment on we continue to sin because it’s human nature.

I don’t know about you, but I know I have sin in my life regardless of how I try to resist. God’s word say’s it is not by my might, but by God’s I will have victory over these areas of struggle and in the meantime, I NEED FORGIVENESS and if I want Him to forgive me I better learn how to forgive other’s because the God clause says it’s not an option. If I want forgiveness, I HAVE to forgive others.