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“Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” —Matthew 6:12
True forgiveness goes further than just saying, “I’ve forgiven him.” As seventeenth-century Puritan pastor Thomas Watson put it,
When do we forgive others? When we strive against all thoughts of revenge; when we will not do our enemies mischief, but wish well to them, grieve at their calamities, pray for them, seek reconciliation with them, and show ourselves ready on all occasions to relieve them.1
We’re called to forgive others as God has forgiven us. He didn’t just say, “You’re forgiven.” He gave His Son’s life for us when we were His enemies. Pursued us when we rejected Him. Adopted us into His family. Has promised never to leave or forsake us. Comforts us and meets our needs. That kind of extravagant, undeserved grace models the way we are to forgive.
When we take the deliberate step to bless our offenders, we can enter into the full power of forgiveness.
1 Thomas Watson, The Lord’s Prayer, 252.
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Choosing Forgiveness: Moving from Hurt to Hope
©2022 Revived Hearts Foundation
Scripture taken from The CSB
Make it Personal
What would it look like for you to forgive others with the same kind of extravagant, undeserved grace that God has shown to you?