Forgiveness? Who Needs It!?
Actually, everyone needs forgiveness.
We may think the idea of forgiveness is only religious, but today, mental health professionals acknowledge the power of forgiveness and its benefits to the soul and body.
Forgiveness frees us from the non-productive and destructive emotions which chain and enslave us to the object of our anger and pain. Unforgiveness destroys us more than those whom we don’t want to forgive. It’s like drinking poison to harm the other person.
Justice
Forgiveness and justice go hand in hand.
You can let go of an offense done to you when justice is done on your behalf. When you don’t want to forgive someone, it is usually because you don’t believe that justice has been served.
If you have done something wrong, you will feel guilty until the wrong is righted.
God’s Forgiveness
Whether we need to forgive someone or to be forgiven, or if we need to forgive ourselves, it all begins with God’s forgiveness of us.
We have ignored, mistrusted, falsely accused, or actively rebelled against God our Creator. We have been disrespectful, ungrateful, and unfaithful to God our Father despite the fact He is absolutely good and patiently gracious to us.
Having done wrong against the holy and benevolent God our Creator, we have walked away from our fellowship (relationship of love and trust) with Him. His forgiveness restores our broken relationships with Him. God forgives us because Jesus paid the penalty of our sin (offense against God) with His own life on the cross. Justice was done.
Acknowleding that God is also the Supreme Judge who is able to and will bring justice in the end, we can forgive others. “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death will not exist any more – or mourning, or crying, or pain, for the former things have ceased to exist” (Revelation 21:4).
People who cannot forgive themselves will also find peace in Christ because they are born again as a new creation in Him. God sees those in Christ differently as your true identity is made new.
