What is forgiveness according to God? The Bible has much to say about the subject of forgiveness, so much so that this brief post will barely scratch the surface. I would encourage you to study further on this subject and recommend doing a topical study on the subject to give you a more comprehensive take on what God’s Word says about forgiveness. Tools such as Logos can make searching the Bible for different topics both fast and thorough.
To understand biblical forgiveness, we must first understand what God has done for us. Ephesians 4:32 states, ”Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” The moment we accepted Christ as our Savior, we were forgiven, unconditionally and unreservedly.
What God has done for us, He commands we do for others. In the parable of the unforgiving servant (Matthew 18:21-35), Jesus concludes the parable with this: “And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”
What Biblical Forgiveness Is Not
For us, it can be hard to forgive and that is due to not fully understanding the concept of forgiveness. To understand biblical forgiveness, we first must understand what forgiveness is not:
- It is not about feeling something. When you search the Scriptures, nowhere does it indicate we must feel like forgiving in order to forgive.
- It’s not forgetting. Forgetting is a passive act. Not remembering is an active choice and one made by God when He chose to forgive us. After all, God is omniscient and cannot forget anything. He chooses not to remember. Consider these verses:
Jeremiah 31:34
And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ vfor they shall all know me, wfrom the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For xI will forgive their iniquity, and yI will remember their sin no more.” “And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
Isaiah 43:25
“I, I am he
uwho blots out vyour transgressions for my own sake,
and I will not remember your sins.
“I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.”
Hebrews 8:12
“For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.”
(For more on the question of whether God can forget, see my post here)
What Biblical Forgiveness Is
As described in the previous Scriptural references, biblical forgiveness is an intentional declaration and a promise to no longer remember something nor bring it back up as a basis for how someone will treat the other person. We are actively choosing not to bring up the event to use it against someone in the future. In this, there are also the promises to not bring up the event to someone else, nor dwell on it individually.
You may wonder, “Isn’t that hard to do?” Sure, but what part of living the Christian life isn’t hard? In fact, my Savior says to me, “Without Me, you can do nothing.” There’s a big difference between hard and impossible. I cannot forgive based on my strength, but I can with God’s. Indeed, I must.
Forgiveness is a choice we make to give up our right for justice or revenge (see Romans 12:17-21). However, if you wait until it might be easier to forgive, it will never happen, plus, it is unbiblical. We should forgive so that we can forget. Forgiveness releases us from the slavery of the hurt caused and helps us to move on in our Christian walk. After all, it is God’s place to seek revenge, not ours (Romans 12:19; Proverbs 20:22; Leviticus 19:18).
I am reminded of a story that’s told about the days following the Civil War. As you know, the Civil War left a tragic aftermath of bitterness, hatred, and resentment in America. The wounds inflicted were deep in our country. Even after the guns were silent, the anger lived on. Many could not let go of the past.
One man who refused to participate in this terrible harvest of bitterness was General Robert E. Lee, former leader of the Confederate Army. Lee urged reconciliation between the north and the south. He knew the war was over and the future of the nation demanded a new attitude and a spirit of forgiveness. It’s been said that to the day of his death, General Lee was never heard to speak an unkind word about those who had formerly been his enemies.
One day, a lady in Lexington, Virginia, showed him the scarred remains of what had once been a large, beautiful tree in her yard. All the limbs had been shot off by Federal artillery. She thought the General would share her sense of anger and outrage, and waited for his reply.
Finally, Lee spoke, “Cut it down, my dear Madam, and forget it.”
Folks, if you’ve been hurt or slighted or offended or disappointed by a past event–whether intentional or not–the Word of God is calling you to make a decision. Cut it down. Choose right now to respond to the past according to God’s Word. Choose to forgive.
Healing Hearts: A 30-Day Journey of Forgiveness
This 30-day devotional, study, and prayer journal will guide readers through a journey of Biblical reflection, fill them with joy, and empower them to forgive. It features sections dedicated to passage study and reflection to help readers get the most out of their experience, as well as sections for prayers and encouraging others. This edition is an ideal way for both individuals and groups to immerse themselves in God’s word and learn more about His grace.
Paperback version available on Amazon!
https://narrowroad.org/what-is-forgiveness/
