Forgiveness

There are various aspects of forgiveness;

• There is the forgiveness that is a response to repentance
  (response to an apology)
• There is God’s forgiveness based on HIS desire to forgive us
  (this we often call “grace”)
• There is a person’s decision to forgive someone who has offended them WITHOUT any repentance on the part of the offender.

It is important to first realize that within any act of forgiveness there is an accusation, for there would be no NEED to forgive if there had not first been an offense. I am reminded of a man that sat in prison for many years for a crime he did not commit. When recent DNA evidence proved him innocent, in order to speed up his release, the governor of his state offered him a pardon. The man refused, pointing out that a pardon carried within it an admission of guilt.

Jesus taught that we should always forgive any offense for which there is repentance, an apology. Specifically he said to forgive 490 times (when asked how many times one must forgive). HE also asked how we can expect God to forgive us, when WE repent, if we do not forgive those whom have offended us?

Needless to say Jesus lived this out in his OWN life, becoming the very mechanism for God to forgive every ONE of us who accept His sacrifice for our sins. God forgives us ALL the offense we have committed, ALL our crimes, ALL our sins. This forgiveness is based on the fact that the crimes (sins/offenses) we have committed against God, for which we rightfully deserve punishment, has been taken care of by God’s Son, Jesus. Jesus took the punishment (death) for our sins. And I assure there are more that 490!

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Then there is the most difficult type of forgiveness; Forgiving the person who has terribly wronged you and neither apologizes nor feels any remorse. How do you forgive such a person, in fact WHY?

Let me first state the obvious; when someone steals from you, attacks you, slanders you, YOU are the one injured, right? The one who injures you, at least in the short term, feels no pain or loss, agreed? Now here’s the crux of the matter: As long as you cling to that injury, dwell on it, remember it, YOU continue to be injured! The bad guy goes merrily on his way, and may not even remember what he did, and certainly does not care. Yet the injury may fester in your life for YEARS.

This is completely unjust!
So how do we resolve this? FORGIVENESS

Remember, forgiveness IS an accusation. When you forgive that person your ARE accusing them. You are declaring them “Guilty” and then making a decision within your own heart to no longer hold them to it. You are admitting that the only true justice is at God’s throne, not yours.

You don’t have to find excuses for their actions, nor absolve them of guilt. You simply let them go. Remove their offense from your docket. This is not done to change them (it likely will not change them) but to release YOU from the pain of remembering and dwelling on the offense. The one who offended you is left to answer to God for their crimes, a judgment no man or woman escapes.

So, there’s the “why” now what about the “how?”

The first step is based n the simple belief (faith) that God said to do it, so it MUST work; Simply speak the words;

“I forgive ______ for ___________”

Then PRAY, asking your Heavenly Father, who makes ALL claims for vengeance, ask Him to give you the peace, the relief, and even the faith to forgive the one who hurt you. And, you do this again and again until you find it to be real, to be true.

How long will it take, how many times? Well probably more than one, but most likely less than 7 x 70.

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There is one more issue that I will address here. It is actually part of another major discussion but I can’t avoid it here, because it so often comes up…

What about the “Our Father...”
After this manner therefore pray ye: “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name…. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. …” For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (Matthew 6)

Much of Jesus’ teaching is about sin and judgment WITHOUT Grace. He is pointing out the condition of life BEFORE the Cross. He does this to show the NEED for his sacrifice on the cross, to show that ONLY in Him can mankind find forgiveness.

Jesus was teaching Jews, who had a system of sacrifices and such to deal daily with their sins. These sacrifices were teaching them the NEED to pay for sin with blood… showing the NEED for Jesus to go to the cross, the one perfect sacrifice for all sin for all time.

In Matthew 6:15 Jesus is saying that even with the temple sacrifices, if they do not forgive others they can expect no forgiveness. It is important to note that this teaching is NEVER repeated after the Cross.

God’s forgiveness of our sins is based on the sacrifice of Jesus’ Blood on the cross, not on any action, or fault, of ours… other than simple repentance, acknowledging the sacrifice of Jesus.

~peace~