Forgiveness is not optional for Christians, but a requirement for Colossians. 3:13 says, “Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.” God teaches us through His Word that forgiveness of our sins, first granted by Him, is how we receive healing for our broken lives and hearts, as stated in Ephesians. 1:7, “He is so rich in kindness and grace that He purchased our freedom with the blood of His Son and forgave our sins.” Thus, God calls us to forgive others for the very same reason. Forgiving others heals our hearts and lives, and it is equally important as God forgiving us. In the same way, understanding God’s forgiveness of us and, by faith, following His example, God empowers us to forgive those who have hurt us. By extension, as we obey His will for our lives, healing of broken hearts in the lives of others also begins.
One can say
that the act of forgiveness is the means for breaking the bondage of past hurts
and negative experiences. Hebrews 12:15 says, “Look after each other so that
none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root
of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.” The power of
forgiveness is more about freeing oneself from pain than about the person who
caused the harm. The thought in relation to our position before God is not that
God hurt us. However, we know what God requires of us, and because of that
intuitive knowledge, we know we hurt God by falling short of His standard; thus,
seeking forgiveness from our creator is the first step and requirement to all
other aspects of life that reorders our lives into a right standing with God
and then with others. 1 John 1:9 says, “But if we confess our sins to Him, He
is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all
wickedness.”
The process of
forgiveness primarily begins with an awareness of our falling short of God’s
perfect will for our lives. Then, it is a choice, an act of our will, but
ultimately requires God’s grace to accomplish fully, as Philippians 4:13 says,
“For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” True
forgiveness is detaching from bitterness, forgetting the offense, disconnecting
from negative feelings, and being able to pray for those who have genuinely
hurt us, as Matthew 5:44 states, “But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those
who persecute you!” While forgiveness can be difficult, especially in the face
of deep hurts, it is a divine characteristic that God entrusts to humanity,
offering freedom from the destructive effects of bitterness and the potential
for restored relationships.
One other
point that needs mentioning is that even as our salvation is a gift from God,
so that we may never boast that we earned our salvation or that in some way we
were good enough for God to deliver us from the penalty of our sins, we need to
remember that “God saved us by His grace when we believed and we cannot take
credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good
things we have done, so none of us can boast about it, Ephesians 2:8-9.” Thus,
forgiveness from God to us and from us to others is also a gift. It is God who
does the work in our lives, enabling us to forgive others, as He has forgiven
us.
https://yourstorytheirhope.quora.com/In-a-world-that-often-encourages-holding-onto-grievances-how-does-your-faith-empower-you-to-truly-forgive-someone
