FORGIVENESS: A BLESSED VIRTUE

“And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.” —Ephesians 4:32

Do you understand true forgiveness? Is it a feeling? Is it just apologizing or saying you are sorry? Is it an emotional experience? Nowhere in Scripture do you find the phrase “feelings of forgiveness” or “having forgiving feelings towards another.” This is because Biblical forgiveness is not a feeling. If it is a feeling, we would never know if we have been truly forgiven. According to Scripture, forgiveness is a promise. When God forgives, He promises, “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins” (Isa. 43:25). When God forgives His people, He promises to never hold their sins against them again and He does so because of Christ’s atoning work. As Christians, our understanding of forgiveness must be modeled after God’s forgiveness in order to be Biblical. We need to forgive those who sin against us, and those who have sinned need to receive our forgiveness. This is a mark of a true Christian. Forgiveness is an important condition to fellowship with our Heavenly Father and it is not optional. God commands that we forgive one another. Ephesians 4:32, “And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.” Colossians 3:13, “…bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.” Matt. 6:12, “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.”

Forgiveness can be called the oil that keeps the machinery of relationships running smoothly. When you say ‘I forgive you’ to another person you make a promise to him, before God, not to bring up his sin again — to him or to others. The sin is buried, and you do not dig up the old bones to beat him over the head. Refusal to forgive is a decision for vengeance. However, Romans 12:19 tells us, “Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.” To take vengeance of any kind – even to withhold forgiveness – is an attempt to play God. However, God expects His children, who have been forgiven a huge debt they can never repay, to forgive others who, by comparison, owe you extremely little.

This does not mean, however, that we forgive people willy-nilly. Forgiveness implies reconciliation, and therefore forgiveness demands confrontation. In other words, we must go to those who sin against us, tell them how they have violated God’s Law against us, and call them to repentance, in hopes of “gaining our brother.” Jesus said to Peter, “Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him” (Luke 17:3-4). Notice that forgiveness is predicated upon repentance … “and if he repents, forgive him.” There can be no forgiveness granted without the repentance of the offending individual.

Are you a forgiving person or do you continually seek revenge by withholding forgiveness to those who have asked forgiveness? The seriousness of forgiveness is clear from the words of Jesus found in Matthew 6:14-15, “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Ask God to forgive you for not forgiving others, repent by being reconciled to the one who has sinned against you, and then move ahead in living the Christian life as one thankful to God that you are forgiven of all your sins because of the law-abiding life and sin-atoning death of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Tuesday Encouragement: January 19, 2021

In Christ,

Pastor S. Henry