I’m Forgiven—Now What?
If you have placed your faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, you may be wondering about the practical implications. There are at least two:
Forgiving Yourself. Although believers rejoice in the forgiveness God has given them, many sometimes find it difficult to forgive themselves. The ravages and scars of sin often haunt their memories. That is when the Devil accuses them of being unworthy of forgiveness or of not having been forgiven at all. The Devil truly is the prosecuting attorney of the brethren, accusing them day and night before God (Rev. 12:10).
If you struggle with forgiving yourself, try to remember these three things:
→ God is the judge—not the Devil, not your friends, not even you (Ps. 50:6; 1 Cor. 4:3–4).
→ God has provided your defense attorney, “an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 Jn. 2:1).
→ God, the Judge, has already ruled in your favor: “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1). If God no longer condemns you, there is no need to condemn yourself.
Forgiving Others. As hard as it may be to forgive yourself, it is sometimes harder to forgive others who have hurt you. Sadly, there are too many stories of followers of Jesus Christ who have carried grudges for years.
But an unforgiving spirit can lead to a torturous cycle that (1) feeds on itself; (2) grows like a cancer until it consumes you (not the offender); (3) uses God to justify your behavior; and (4) leaves you bitter, paranoid, and alone.
Based on our position in Christ, and through the power of the Holy Spirit, we are to forgive in the same way God in Christ forgave us: “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you” (Eph. 4:32). How do we do that? Here are some tips:
→ If a relationship appears damaged or broken due to an offense, don’t wait for the other person to take the initiative. Take it yourself and try to restore the relationship (Mt. 5:9, 23–24; 18:15; Rom. 12:18). You are not responsible for the other party’s response. You are responsible for at least attempting reconciliation.
→ Assume the offender is innocent until proven guilty (Gen. 3:11).
→ Ask the offender if you misinterpreted what he or she said or did (v. 11).
→ Make your forgiveness limitless (Mt. 18:21–22).
→ Dispense forgiveness freely after the offending party repents (Lk. 17:3–4; 1 Jn. 1:9).
→ Be willing to forgive even if the other party has not repented (2 Sam. 13:39; 14:33; 2 Pet. 3:9).
→ Do not base forgiveness on feelings. It is an act of the will (Mt. 18:28–30).
→ Remember, true forgiveness comes from your heart, not merely your lips (v. 35). Nevertheless, it is important to say, “I forgive you” to bring closure to the matter (cf. 9:2).
→ Don’t retract your forgiveness. Stop trying to make him or her pay for wronging you (Heb. 10:18). Forgiveness is to be forever and final (v. 17).
Forgiveness can reconcile relationships (Gen. 50:15–17, 21). It sees God’s providence in all things, even in the hurts and offenses of life, and believes God can turn what seems bad into something good (vv. 19–20; Rom. 8:28–29).
Ultimately, forgiveness means freely granting a release to someone who doesn’t deserve it. After all, isn’t that what God did for us in Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:7)?
