A little about Forgiveness



“When we hold a grudge and refuse to forgive someone else we are wishing ill on them and taking the poison ourselves.”  When we refuse to forgive someone else we are not hurting the person in any way.  We are only hurting ourselves by carrying around the ill will (and sometimes hatred) for someone else.

When we choose the act of forgiving someone else we are doing this solely for ourselves.  We are not condoning their action.  We are not saying they can do the action again to us (or anyone else).  We are simply saying, “I am long longer going to be a prisoner to this past action.  I am not long going to carry this poison of guilt, hatred and un-forgiveness in my body.”

Colossians 3:13
Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. NIV

We forgive by faith, out of obedience. Since forgiveness goes against our nature, we must forgive by faith, whether we feel like it or not. We must trust God to do the work in us that needs to be done so that the forgiveness will be complete.

Philippians 1:6
And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. NLT

Corrie Ten Boom, a Christian woman who survived a Nazi concentration camp during the Holocaust, said, “Forgiveness is to set a prisoner free, and to realize the prisoner was you.”

We will know the work of forgiveness is complete when we experience the freedom that comes as a result. We are the ones who suffer most when we choose not to forgive. When we do forgive, the Lord sets our hearts free from the anger, bitterness, resentment and hurt that previously imprisoned us.

Matthew 18:21-22
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. NIV

This answer by Jesus makes it clear that forgiveness is not easy for us. It’s not a one-time choice and then we automatically live in a state of forgiveness. Forgiveness may require a lifetime of forgiving, but it is important to the Lord. We must continue forgiving until the matter is settled in our heart.

What if the person we need to forgive is not a believer?

I have found that prayer is one of the best ways to break down the wall of un-forgiveness in my heart. When I begin to pray for the person who has wronged me, God begins to give me new eyes to see that person and a new heart to care for that person. As I pray I begin to see that person as God sees them, and I realize that person is precious to the Lord. I also see myself in a new light, just as guilty of sin and failure as the other person. I too am in need of forgiveness. If God did not withhold his forgiveness from me, why should I withhold my forgiveness from another?

Luke 6:37
Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. NIV

Why must we forgive?

The best reason to forgive is because Jesus commanded us to forgive. We learn from Scripture, if we don’t forgive, neither will we be forgiven:

Matthew 6:14-16
For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. NIV

Mark 11:25
And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins. NIV

In summary and in closing, we forgive out of obedience to the Lord. It is a choice, a decision we make. However, as we do this “forgiving,” we discover the command is in place for our own good, and we receive the reward of our forgiveness – freedom.

Please leave any thoughts or comments that you have on forgiveness.

 

3 Responses to “A little about Forgiveness”

1. Mr WordPress says:

   March 26, 2009 at 10:31 pm

   Hi, this is a comment.
   To delete a comment, just log in and view the post's comments. There you will have the option to edit or delete them.
2. Tamiflu says:

   May 3, 2009 at 4:14 pm

   This was very enlightning and helpful thankyou!
3. I am Me says:

   May 22, 2009 at 1:39 am

   Thanks for the article! I want to say – thank you for this!