Dear Church,
There are few words in the gospel that are as beautiful and as difficult as the word forgiveness. We love to receive it. We struggle to extend it. Yet at the heart of our faith stands the simple truth that we are a forgiven people who must learn to forgive.
Jesus taught us to pray, “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” (Matthew 6:12). Then He followed that prayer with a warning that we often wish were not there. “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” (Matthew 6:14-15). Those words are not easy to read, but they are impossible to ignore.
Forgiveness is not pretending that wrong never happened. It is not calling evil good or minimizing real hurt. Forgiveness is choosing to release the debt someone owes us because God has released the debt we owed Him. It is an act of obedience long before it ever becomes a feeling.
Unresolved bitterness is one of Satan’s most effective weapons. It poisons joy. It distorts our judgment. It divides families and weakens congregations. A heart that will not forgive slowly becomes a heart that cannot love freely.
Paul warned the Corinthians not to be outwitted by Satan through unforgiveness and lingering sorrow (2 Corinthians 2:10-11). He also reminded the saints at Ephesus to be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave them (Ephesians 4:32). Forgiveness is not rooted in the worthiness of the offender. It is rooted in the mercy of our Savior.
Jesus told a parable about a servant who was forgiven an unpayable debt and then refused to forgive a much smaller one (Matthew 18:21-35). The message is sobering. When we refuse to forgive, we forget how much we have been forgiven. We measure others by their offenses and ourselves by God’s grace. That is a dangerous imbalance that will never balance out.
Dear church, forgiveness will cost you something. It will cost pride. It will cost the right to get even. It will cost the satisfaction of holding a grudge. But what it gives in return is far greater. It restores peace. It frees the heart. It protects and promotes unity. It reflects Christ Himself.
At the foot of the cross, every one of us stands on level ground. All are sinners. All are needy. All are offered mercy. All are offered grace. If Christ could pray for the forgiveness of those who were nailing Him to the cross, surely we can forgive those who have wounded us with words, neglect, or offense.
So let us talk about forgiveness not as a theory, but as a practice. Let us search our hearts for names we avoid, memories we replay, and wounds we refuse to release. Let us lay them at the feet of Jesus and trust that His grace is sufficient for them and for us.