Forgiv(en/ing)

"I forgive you."

Those words ought to have astounding power when we hear them and when we say them. Why don't they? I think, like saying "God bless you" when someone sneezes, we assume that speaking forgiveness is a simple social custom without any depth or relevant meaning. I know I've felt that way at times - but check that stance against these verses:

For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will also not forgive you. - Matthew 6:14-15

In my last post, I talked about how sin affects our prayer life. When we become Christians, we are redeemed, but we continue to sin, and so the process of continuously confessing sin and coming for cleansing (1 John 1:9) keeps our relationship with God operational. But, look at what these verses tell us: if we can't forgive others for what they do against us, then God won't do those regular relationship 'cleanings' that we so desperately need. All of a sudden, forgiveness matters a lot!

Aphiemi, the Greek word "forgive", has two distinct and important meanings. The first is the removal of deserved punishment. In other words, when we don't cleanse our standing with God, He doesn't hear our prayers, the Holy Spirit is quenched in our lives, and our walk becomes dried up. His forgiveness erases the deeds and allows us to continue in relationship. Similarly, people often deserve certain reactions with us when they've hurt or offended us - forgiveness means we remove that deserved punishment. The second step is the erasing of the original debt or offense. God doesn't just stop the effects of sin, He erases the record of sin (Colossians 2:14). Similarly, if we're going to say the words "I forgive you" to someone, we'd best be ready to erase the record of their offenses and wrongdoings. In fact, doing so is part of the biblical definition of love (1 Corinthians 13:5). We cannot wait for revenge, remind them of what has happened, or throw things back in their faces should they mess up again. In fact, if we're as forgiving as these verses call us to be, we ought never be able to think 'Oh, they did that again'!

After all, would you want God thinking that way about you?

May we learn to fully forgive each other for wrongs done, and in so doing experience a deeper relationship with God. May we learn to love fully and to trust in the healing and growing power of the Gospel to keep us from unnecessary hurt. May bitterness and unfriendliness have no place among us, and may love truly conquer all in our lives. Amen.