Forgiveness

Scripture: Mark 11:25

Forgiveness equals freedom 

Sometimes someone does something that hurts to the point that you can’t bring yourself to forgive them. Why should you? Desmond Tutu writes: “Without forgiveness, we remain tethered to the person who harmed us. We are bound with chains of bitterness, tied together, trapped.” Unforgiveness locks us in a cage of unhappiness. We are no longer in control of our own hearts. Psychologist Fred Luskin suggests that the act of forgiving “has been shown to reduce depression, increase hopefulness, decrease anger, improve spiritual connection, and increase emotional self-confidence. “

Holding on to past hurts is damaging emotionally, physically, and spiritually. God has forgiven us. Our wrongdoings have been covered by the Blood of Jesus who died on the Cross so we are New Creations. Forgiveness is part of being in right relationship with God. In Matthew 6, having taught the disciples to pray, Jesus tells them, “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

God has made us for relationship, with each other, and with Himself. If we hang on to grudges, if we refuse to forgive, our hearts aren’t right with the Lord. If God has forgiven us of our sins (and we know He has) then each of us has a responsibility to forgive ourselves, and each other, as a continuing attitude of the heart. Jesus Himself tells us that we “must forgive” (Luke 17:4). Forgive, as we have been forgiven. It is part of the continuing process of repentance and deepens our relationship with Christ (Mark 11:25). 

Scripture: Isaiah 43:25

Forgive and Forget? Really? 

Those two “I” statements stand out, don’t they? Why was God so insistent that He alone does the forgiving? Theologian John Calvin wrote that God’s double “I” was a rebuke to the people of Israel who were toying with the belief that tradition and birthright could do what only God could do – reconcile with God. 

Through Isaiah, God is reminding us that He alone has the power to forgive. We have no leverage, no case to compel forgiveness from God. Here’s the more astonishing part. His Pardon makes our crimes against God invisible to Himself. There’s no supernatural liquid paper covering up our error, to be retrieved at a later date. No divine digital fragments on God’s supernatural hard drive. There’s nothing. Gone. 

Why does God forgive us so deliberately when we’re so undeserving? “… for my own sake.” For too long in life, I’ve wrestled with my pathetic attempts to be good enough to warrant God’s Forgiveness. For too long, I’ve thought of God as a much better version of me – and there’s no way I’d forgive me. These few words turned my life upside down. God made me to be in relationship with Him. He forgives me so that I can be. 

So powerful is our Father’s longing for us to be close to Him that He permanently altered the state of Heaven and sent His Son to be punished for our conceit and pride. He pursued us, even as we hid in our shame. 

Today, let’s reject the notion that we can do anything to earn God’s Love. Permit God to do what only God can do. Forgive and forget. 

Scripture: Ephesians 4:32

No Caveats in Forgiveness 

I recently began reading a book that started by encouraging us that “to understand ourselves…we [need to] start with an understanding of our creator – His character and His purposes”. This idea helps us understand today’s verse. When it comes to forgiveness we can feel lots of different things. Maybe it feels gut-wrenchingly difficult, other times it just feels annoying, sometimes it’s easier, and then maybe it feels unfair. And yet, when I read this verse I remember that I need to start by understanding who our Creator is and then that informs who I am, and it helps me a lot. 

Our Creator, in Christ, has forgiven me. He’s forgiven you. There are no caveats. No conditions. In Christ, He has freely offered you forgiveness. God is also kind to us. He is tender-hearted. Our God truly cares when we hurt, struggle, and when we rejoice. God cares for us! We know this because He dealt with our struggle with sin, in His Son. We know this too when we look at our lives and the many ways He’s provided for and cared for us. 

One of the great privileges of being a Christian is that as God’s children, we are His Image-bearers. We reflect Him to the world. No other part of Creation is told that it bears God’s Image! We are special. As His Image-bearers, it means that this verse should describe us too. It doesn’t mean that this is easy – but that we should be making every effort to be kind, tender-hearted, and forgiving of others as God has forgiven us. I know this can take time and so does God because He is kind and tender-hearted. He loves you. Take heart. 

Scripture: John 8:10-11

Which Way is the Finger Pointing? 

Read the whole story in John 8:1–11 

Put yourself in this woman’s situation. Can you imagine being caught in the act of a sin (substitute any sin, for don’t they all lead us down the same path if we don’t repent…James 1:15)? Your family, friends, fellow church members find you and are repulsed by and ashamed of you. They drag you out to the senior pastor and demand that you be punished because, after all, you were caught in the very act! 

I love that for this woman, who was seriously expecting to be stoned as was the custom, Jesus’ first response was not one of anger or disgust, but rather a challenge for those bringing charges against her: “… let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone” (v7). 

After all the accusers have walked away without throwing a single stone, Jesus’ beautiful words to this woman are an olive branch, an offering of forgiveness, and a chance at a new life! “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” 

When we see people struggling with a sin or wrong decision-making, are we judging, condemning, hoping the person will be punished? Or are we turning the finger towards ourselves, asking God to examine our hearts and cleanse us of anything that doesn’t belong there? This week, it’s my prayer that we might all be able to practice the same self-examination that Jesus challenged these people with – and then extend forgiveness, just as we have been forgiven. 

Scripture: Psalms 130:3-4

Finding Forgiveness in Our Father’s Arms 

There are many attributes of God’s Character that never cease to amaze me. His Kindness. His Love and Compassion. His Endless Grace. His Mercy. His Sovereignty. But nothing amazes me as much as God’s Forgiveness. In our humanity, we build a structure around who deserves forgiveness and who doesn’t; a hierarchy of sorts based on the offense and the person, ranging from forgivable to unforgivable, deserving and undeserving. But God is not like that. 

Unlike us, God is more than forgiving and gracious. Especially towards us. He is Kind and quick to forgive us when we repent with a sincere heart. His Word tells us in Psalm 145:8–9, The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made. He doesn’t keep count of all our wrongs. 

God, in His Loving Nature, extends His Mercy to us over and over. We slip up. We act in ways that go against His Word. We do things our own way and then when things go wrong, we blame Him for it. Yet still He forgives and loves us unconditionally. He doesn’t keep a record of our wrongs, instead choosing to wipe them away with the Blood of Jesus. 

How do we respond to such Love and Forgiveness? We adore Him with praise and worship. In awe and reverence, we serve Him and point people to Jesus. And we walk in the confidence that we are never too far gone to find comfort and belonging in the Loving Arms of our Heavenly Father. 

Scripture: Psalms 32:1-11

Come As You Are 

There is nothing we cannot bring before God. Nothing. Never forget that. If you think you have to “be right” to come before God when you pray, you’ve been sold a lie. We can pray to God about anything at any time. Being right with God means coming before Him at any time about anything. 

We can seek forgiveness for everything when we come before God. We come before Him recognizing that our heart needs fixing, with a mind that needs healing and a spirit that’s worn out. We know that we’re not worthy and we know that He hears us, will forgive us and the guilt of our sin. 

David’s words are ones we can hang onto. David the great King, chosen by God, knew that only God can truly forgive. 

We can be forgiven, and we are blessed. 

Scripture: Acts 7:60

Unimaginable Forgiveness 

I’m struck by Stephen’s boldness. He performed “great wonders and signs” (Acts 6:8) and is described as a man full of God’s Grace and Power who spoke with the Wisdom of the Spirit. Yet, because of his faith and boldness, he was hauled before the Sanhedrin (Acts 6). The Jewish leaders knew they were powerless to convict him, so they produced false witnesses so his trial would stand. 

All through Acts 7, as Stephen presents a history of God’s Faithfulness from Abraham to Solomon, Stephen’s focus is on two things. Firstly, that God acts. I’ve counted 24 times in this chapter where God initiated contact, acted to redeem His people, or spoke. Stephen’s recounting of the Israelites’ journey has YHWH at the center. Yet, secondly, he juxtaposes God’s Faithfulness with the Israelites’ persecution of their own people! Those whom God was using to fulfill His Redemptive Plan. 

Stephen challenged the Jewish leaders who took this unfaithful behavior to the extreme in their Crucifixion of “the Righteous One” (7:52). Stephen challenged them, “Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute?” 

As they were outraged, God acted again – showing Stephen His Glory and Jesus at His Right Hand. This vision gave Stephen the Power and Resolve he needed for his final moments on this Earth. After they took him outside, stoned him, and he was moments from death, he used all his energy to pray for them! 

This is Unimaginable Forgiveness! True Forgiveness! Found only in the Spirit’s Grace and Power. Lord, help us all to Love this intensely today!