A friend in facebook has been posting her unforgiveness on her wall. Worried for her, I placed Luke 17:4 as a comment to her post. Soon after, her friend mentioned that forgiving breeds complacency for the person who trespasses against her. I was shocked by that comment. Did he mean that we are all breeding complacency against Jesus who continues to forgive us? In response to his comment, I placed Ephesians 4:32 to give a better picture: then forgive for God's sake.
How true it is. We forgive not because we think the actions of those sinned against us is correct, or even forgive for the sake of forgiving. In the parable of a servant who refuses to forgive even though his boss forgave him, that man did not enjoy a happy ending; he ended up being worst than before because his boss chose not to forgive him because of his unforgiving nature. So why should we forgive?
1. We forgive because we want to show God's grace. The definition of grace in theological term is "the freely given, unmerited favor and love of God" (dictionary.com). Do anyone deserve grace? Nobody deserve grace, for it is given to those who don't deserve. Grace is amplified when you give it to someone undeserving. So where do we get those godly grace from? From God! Only He can give us this undeservig grace so that we can pass it on to others.
2. We forgive because we want to have grace. Imagine, having to look at a person who just sinned against you with a pair of judging eyes. Do you gain peace in doing it? Do you receive compliments (especially non-believers) for doing it?
But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man) God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world? For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner? And not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just. (Romans 3:5-8 KJV)
God will judge us, non-believers and believers alike will judge us. Does it come from Jesus? No, Jesus don't do such things at all. He always forgives whoever repented. We are not to say who has complacency or not; God will decide because He knows what is to come. We just do what we are supposed to do (be Christlike). Unforgiveness will not grant you peace because you (and your conscience know it's not correct to do; hence resulting in no peace in self. Forgiving others shows that you fear God and His word and obey it; resulting in peace instead of fearing God's wrath on you. This then leads to the third part of forgiving....
3. We forgive for the fear of God. Would you rather God take away His forgiveness like in the parable mentioned above or would you rather satisfy your only true God? Why can't people show grace to others just as how God show grace to you? Why be selfish and keep it to yourself? Don't you know keeping it will end up losing it?
As a fellow sinner, I praise God whenever He allows me to apply such grace to others. It's never easy. However, like a problem sum practiced for a lot of times, you just get the hang of it and forgiveness comes abundantly from the grace of God. He bless us with it so that we can bless others. Forgiveness can come with so much pain because of our unwillingness to forgive, and yet when you finally forgive, the abundant peace just flows in you to replace the abundant grace. That's what I felt and it's really for God and your own sake with prayers for the one whom you forgave, so that he learnt that your only true God is your ultimate strength to do such powerful actions on people who don't deserve it.
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