And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. Luke 23:34
Understanding God’s forgiveness and our duty to forgive others is a central tenet of being Christian. And both of which are often misunderstood or forgotten. Let us understand the absolute nature of God’s forgiveness first. He gave up his last breath on the cross to absolve all our sins once and finally for all. Past. Present. And future. Yes there is no sin that you have committed or can commit that’s greater than his forgiveness. Many of us don’t get this simple truth. Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses. Acts 13:38-39
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. 1 Corinthians 10:13
By committing to follow Christ and by entering his kingdom you have been rid of the Sin and sins. God’s might is so difficult to fathom. By winning over death it was only He who could get us rid of our sins. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23. And this forgiveness of his he offered it as a free gift- not in return for any favour or work or sacrifice from us. In simple terms no amount of good we can do will be enough to offset the sin in us. It is only through his forgiveness can we find eternal salvation. So his forgiveness is the one and only route to our salvation. Nothing else. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:13-14.
Do we really understand the principle of absolute and eternal forgiveness and complete removal of sins. And, that it is only through him and by him that it is possible and not by any amount of human effort. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, Ephesians 2:8. We really need to believe and trust in this. And why is this so important? Because of this next Statement from the Bible- Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 2 Corinthians 5:17. Through this divine forgiveness as a true Christian you need to realise that you have been reborn in his image. Your sins have been forgiven once and for all. And when you truly realise this you will be free from guilt and stop punishing yourself. And you will also not be in doubt and keep fearing that you may not be forgiven by God ,especially when you face suffering or challenge. He has forgiven us and not just that but also does not hold us accountable to them once forgiven. “I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins. Isaiah 43:25.
“He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.” Psalm 103:10-14
And God did not merely forgive us alone. He forgave the Whole World. “He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. 1 John 2:2”. As simple as that. His forgiveness is for everyone.
The depth and breadth of God’s Forgiveness for us is clear. But what does the bible say about how we should forgive others, our fellow humans. Having been made in the image of God how are we humans asked to forgive. It would only be right that the act of forgiveness is only next to Love to keep us close to Him. For can there be true Love without true forgiveness? No. We all have sinned and hence are in no way superior to the other in God’ eyes- For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Romans 3:23.
So what does the Bible say to us and that we should do about forgiveness. To start with – “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; Luke 6:37
But if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Matthew 6:15
In fact the act of Forgiveness is so important and so urgent God says that to forgive is even more important than to pray. So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Matthew 5:23-24
How many of us pray to God for his forgiveness when we have not forgiven others in our own heart. Well, will that work?
And God takes it one step further, to forgive even your enemies.
“But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, Luke 6:27
Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. 1 Peter 3:9. Yes that’s the beauty of forgiving. As you are not giving but receiving His blessings many fold when you forgive. The one who forgives finds that peace even amidst the loss and suffering caused by others. And forgive not once or twice but for any number of times- Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven. Matthew 18:21-35.
Hard it is indeed. For most of us it is indeed tempting to listen to, agree with and accept that part of the Bible which we like or we think is correct. But the Truth is simple yet difficult.
Let us not be tempted and think that we are above and beyond the Lord. If He can forgive any sinner and give His life for that, who are we to have the ego or the arrogance to judge and not forgive our brothers and sisters, our husbands and wives, our children- our fellow humans? Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, Luke 17:3
It is important to note that forgiveness is not a feeling, it is a choice. Choosing forgiveness will mean that you have to go to God on your knees for the power to forgive. It’s choosing not to let thoughts of hatred rule in your heart. It’s choosing to go to God to find help and comfort instead of dwelling on the past, even when our feelings would rather do anything but. And when you don’t have the power, when you know that it is not in you to forgive, then you have to find it in Christ. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:12-13.
