An Unnatural Act: Forgiveness
By Caroline Guirgis
Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?
President Abraham Lincoln
Forgiveness does not forget the past. It blocks the past from contaminating the future. It strengthens our faith to trust God for a better future. It offers a solution to an enduring cycle of anger and hatred. It replaces humanity with divinity. Being created in the image of God we are tasked with reflecting Him to the world. If Jesus Christ forgave the unforgivable, why can’t we?
We are the unforgivable. We are the sinners. We are the ones who sin. “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.” If only the Lord’s prayer stopped at “Forgive us our sins.” But it does not end there. We cannot overlook “as” which means “equally” or “since” or “because.” We cannot pray the Lord’s Prayer and not forgive others.
Forgiveness is not natural, and it cannot be done by our own power. We need God’s grace. God never intended for us to forgive others in our humanity, He invites us to enter His realm of infinite grace.
When we forgive others or are forgiven, we are not extending or receiving justice and fairness. We are giving and receiving grace. It is undeserved. None of us deserve to be forgiven but Jesus died for all sinners. And we are all sinners. We did nothing to warrant such love. He did not set conditions, limitations, or exclusions. He even died for that one person you cannot forgive because they hurt you deeply. They offended you, they betrayed you, they humiliated you, and they did the unforgivable to you.
Does that sound familiar? Was not the Lord Jesus Christ treated the same, or perhaps even worse? And yet, He willingly accepted the punishment we deserved. Would we die for that one person who mistreated us? In our humanity, we cannot. It is an unnatural act that requires grace. It costs nothing for the recipient but everything for the giver. God loves us so much, He gave up His all, His Son. Perhaps you would consider laying your life down, but would you give up your child’s life? Would you sacrifice your son for people who reject you? Grace is unfair.
Disgrace is fair and sadly, it is our natural human state. Behind every act of forgiveness lies a painful memory that lingers. But there is a deeper pain, one that keeps us in darkness. We mistakenly think God made forgiveness optional, leaving the decision up to us. When we choose to not forgive, we step into God’s role and deem the person unworthy of forgiveness.
Do you know who else wanted to step into God’s role? Lucifer, one of God’s most beautiful angels, the prince of angels, the bearer of light who became God’s rivalry. When we oppose God, we unite ourselves with the enemy. The suffering of betrayal from a loved one does not compare to the glorious life in heaven we are promised to live with Jesus. The wound we endure in this life hurts but fades in light of eternity. When we truly seek the kingdom of heaven and set our eyes on God, His grace is sufficient. It is the Lord within us that equips us to forgive, love, and extend mercy to others. We must remember the past but to only overcome it. We overpower it by the Blood Of Jesus Christ, the same Blood shed for you and me.
Let us step out in faith, love our enemies, overwhelm them with kindness, and make them our friends. That is the best form of love. Such love was demonstrated for all sinners when God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins. Because of His sacrificial love, and extension of grace upon us, He sent the Holy Spirit to dwell with us. It is by the Spirit that we forgive the unforgivable and love the unlovable. The good news is that we are forgiven and loved by our Lord Jesus Christ. As His image-bearers, let us show the world the merciful, compassionate, and loving God we serve.