Forgiveness is central to the Christian faith.  The Bible speaks powerfully to both the forgiveness between two people – a horizontal forgiveness between the offender and the offended, and the divine forgiveness – a vertical forgiveness purchased by the Cross of Christ.  This divine forgiveness empowers us to forgive others.

All mankind stands as the offender to God through sin and rebellion, breaking the relationship between the created and the Creator.  In God’s holiness, justice cannot simply overlook sin, although His love seeks reconciliation.  God’s solution to this dilemma is Christ’s substitutionary death and resurrection.  Rather than demanding a payment humanity cannot give, Jesus paid the penalty for our sins, reconciling us to the Father.

Paul writes in Ephesians 1:7 "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace."  This means that when we turn to Christ in faith, our sins are completely forgiven – not because we deserve it, but because it is offered freely by grace, confirmed by the costly death of God’s Son.  “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”  Romans 8:1.

Every human offense is secondary to the divine offense.  When we truly grasp the depth of God’s forgiveness us, we can extend that same grace to those who have wronged us.  In fact, Jesus commanded us to do so.  In Matthew 6:14-15, Jesus states "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."  

Forgiveness isn’t about minimizing sin, excusing harm or denying justice.   It acknowledges the real offense, but it means taking the loss upon oneself, absorbing the debt rather than extracting payment.  Yet, this release through forgiveness frees the offended from the effects of anger and bitterness.  “Beloved, never avenge yourselves… ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord.”  Romans 12:19

Justice has already been addressed at the Cross.  Christ alone is worthy to judge the final accounting.   Christians forgive to mirror the Cross, because we have first been forgiven.  While divine forgiveness transforms us, we must still do the difficult work of forgiving those who have harmed us and seeking forgiveness from those we have harmed.   

Who do you need to forgive?  From whom do you need to ask forgiveness?