The power behind God’s command to forgive one another is that he has first forgiven us (Ephesians 4:32). The ultimate expression and display of God’s forgiveness is the death of his son, Jesus on the cross.   Christ’s agape love expressed in his death is the seal of our forgiveness.  His death empowers us to forgive those who have hurt us.  Forgiveness is inseparable from agape love.  As we enter into the death of Christ through our own personal crucifixion, we enter into the experience of His agape love, and receive the capacity of Divine forgiveness when we receive Divine love.  Agape is a gift, as the Scripture makes clear in Galatians 5:22 “[B}ut the fruit of the Spirit is love” (KJV) and Romans 5:5: [B}ecause the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost…”(KJV).  In the same way, while forgiveness is a human decision, it is more fully a Divine capacity received from God.  

A working definition of forgiveness is that it is a decision regarding a debt that is owed me.  When I forgive, I decide that I am not going to collect the debt that you owe.  The primary reason for my refusal to press for a collection is because I owe a similar debt. The Lord’s Prayer puts it this way: “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.” I will not seek punishment for you even if the law allows such punishment, because I require the same.  

Forgiveness does not mean an absolution from guilt, for me or for the one who hurt me.  The purpose of forgiveness is the restoration of communion between two parties and marks the beginning of a new life.  In fact, forgiveness effects a new way of life, purchased at a high cost to God, who first forgave us; it is also costly for those of us who are willing to forgive others, because it involves self-sacrifice unto death and a personal resurrection -resurrection to a life lived in Christ Jesus. True forgiveness includes continual restoration and reconciliation to God and my human family as I die daily, and am resurrected to a new way of life.  True forgiveness naturally take place in our hearts. 

We often encounter common misconceptions about divine or agape forgiveness. The first is that many mistakenly understand that we are advocating that they continue to allow themselves to be violated and abused.  The truth is that as Christians, we renounce all rights to ourselves, and eventually, we realize that nothing comes to use except as God permits.  

The second misconception that arises from our bitterness at having been hurt is that if we do not hold the one who hurt us accountable, no one will. In truth, when we try to hold others accountable so that they get what they deserve, we are playing God.  He says in His Word, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord” (Romans 12:19, KJV).

The third misconception is that forgiving means forgetting.  There are those, especially in Christian circles, who say that unless a person forgets that something has happened, he has not truly forgiven. God has not had a lobotomy that prevents him from remembering our sins, and neither does he expect us to forget all that has happened to us.  Our past should serve as a reminder of our glorious future.  

Forgiveness involves a process outlined in steps, which shall be covered in the next post