Biblical Answer

Can forgiveness truly set us free?

The connection between our forgiving and being forgiven is graphically expounded. The point is not so much that forgiving is a prior condition of being forgiven, but that forgiveness cannot be a one-way street. When we accept forgiveness from God, we are set free from the penalty of our sin; when we extend forgiveness to our adversary, there is a sense in which we are set free from their sin as well. Forgiveness is an act of self-defense, a tourniquet that stops the fatal bleeding of resentment. It is a process, not an event, and it requires continual relinquishing of bitterness. Forgiveness is the divine miracle of grace, and its cost to God was the Cross of Christ.

Forgiveness is not a simple or easy act, but it is a necessary one. We must not conceal the fact that free forgiveness will cost everything, or else our evangelizing will be in vain. The cost to God was the Cross of Christ, and to forgive sin while remaining a holy God, this price had to be paid. Forgiveness is not a cheap gift, but one that requires our repentance and confession of sin. The initial experience of forgiveness we know when we are justified by faith is not the same as the ongoing process of forgiveness we must practice daily. Forgiveness brings responsibility, and it must be passed on.

Forgiveness is not a feeling or an emotion, but a choice. It is not a sweet platonic ideal to be dispersed in the world, but an achingly difficult act that requires us to continually relinquish our bitterness. Forgiveness is not a one-time event, but a ongoing process that requires us to take responsibility for our actions and to confess our sins. When we forgive, we are not making the other person right, but we are making ourselves free. Forgiveness is the key to our freedom from the prison of bitterness and resentment, and it is a gift that requires our repentance and confession of sin. As Jesus taught, we must forgive abundantly and repeatedly, not just once, but continually, until we are free from the weight of resentment and bitterness. The cost of forgiveness is high, but the reward is worth it - our freedom from the grip of sin and our ability to live a life that reflects the love and mercy of God.