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i don’t forgive like i should…

every month a group of people from bethel get together and discuss various spiritual topics. it is called "meat chew".  here are some thoughts that were racing through my head during the conversation tonight.

forgiveness is one thing everyone likes to receive but never likes to give. what is it about humans that we feel like we have to be forgiven because we deserve forgiveness; but when we have been wronged by someone else and they come to us and repent, we have the audacity to with hold forgiveness from them. or worse we act as if what the other party did was not a big deal and therefore act indifferent about the repentance being ask. do we not remember how made we were at them when they offended us?

i tend to be indifferent about forgiveness, i think well since you are asking for forgiveness it is my Christian duty to accept your repentance and offer forgiveness. but that is not the right motive for i should not just forgive because some one asks and it's my "duty."  i must forgive because i can do nothing less.

God is the ultimate example of forgiveness.  He sent His Son to an undeserving world, to offer forgiveness to humanity. what is it about humanity that was so worth saving? nothing there is no good thing that dwells in our flesh. but God sent Christ to fulfill His promise of redemption, and offer forgiveness to us.

now i am a recipient of the forgiveness offered by Christ and i won't forgive another person who made me upset, or whatever... there is a disconnect... we think we deserve something more... justice... if God gave us justice i'd be in hell today.  but God tends to mercy.  a teacher of mine in college said that mercy is "not receiving something that we do deserve." so we all deserve hell but God's mercy keeps us from hell even though we deserve it.  the when we think about the verse "His mercies are new every morning..." doesn't that give us more hope. His mercy will never run out if each day He renews them.

so back to me... why can i not offer forgiveness. it is because we do not understand the true weight of forgiveness.  as Christians we are to be like Christ, Christ forgives, therefore Christians are to forgive. i am a Christian, therefore i must forgive like Christ forgave.  that's a tall order, but Christ forgave all sin with his sacrifice on the cross.  so if someone sins against me, it's a sin Christ forgave so i must also forgive it as well.

the forgiveness cannot be self centered, it must be Christ centered. the purpose of forgiveness then becomes about restoring people to a right relationship with Christ and repairing the relationship damaged between me and the other person. indifference does not care about restoration. love and mercy based forgiveness cares that relationship are restored and built up. nothing less.

so hold nothing back, give forgiveness, restore relationships to Christ, restore relationships with those who have offended you. and to those i have offended i apologize. i desire a proper relation with you, to others who i offered indifferent forgiveness, i would like to tell you Christ has forgiven you so i can do nothing less than forgive you and pray that our relationship will grow and we will become more mature in Christ together. i still have a lot of growing to do but here is a step i need to be working on and i wanted to share it with you.