What is Forgiveness?
Here’s the Webster’s Dictionary definition:
1. the action or process of forgiving or being forgiven.
2. to grant pardon for or remission of (an offense, debt, etc.); absolve.
It’s nearly a daily lesson that I’m learning what Christ like forgiveness looks like. I understand earthly forgiveness for others, but I have come to know that I didn’t truly understand forgiveness from Christ.
World Racer life means real tight community, real tight community means knowing one another pretty intimately, knowing one another intimately means seeing one another’s faults.
So here’s the thing, God sees each and every one of our faults daily. He knows our darkest secrets, our deepest regrets, our most embarrassing moment.
And He still forgives.
Jesus came as a baby, humbled at birth; He lived a humble, sinless life, a perfect man with no fault. Jesus then made the choice to forgive us our sins and debts by dying a terrible death, hanging on the cross.
What does that kind of forgiveness even look like?
As believers, our relationship with God is restored, but what about our relationship with our fellow human beings? The Bible states that when someone hurts us, we are under an obligation to God to forgive that person. Jesus is very clear on this point:
“For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Matthew? ?6?:?14-15?
Refusing to forgive is a sin. If we receive forgiveness from God, we must give it to others who hurt us. We cannot hold grudges or seek revenge. We are to trust God for justice and forgive the person who offended us. That does not mean we must forget the offense, however; usually that’s beyond our power. Forgiveness means releasing the other from blame, leaving the event in God’s hands, and moving on.
“And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.” Mark? ?11?:?25?
This is what I am learning right now. There isn’t a limit on forgiveness…Jesus told us 70 times 7 which means there actually isn’t a number on how many times we must forgive.
“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?:?21-22?
I’m attempting to walk in a manner of forgiveness today. This means giving up judgment. It also means choosing not to place shame or guilt on those who may have hurt or offended you.
I challenge you (as well as myself) to love like Jesus loves.
Let’s forgive like Jesus forgives.
