Did you ever know someone who could not forgive? This is a deal breaker for a Christian in their relationship with God. This is because the relationship of a Christian to God is founded on God’s willingness to forgive their sins.
When a Christian decides that they will not forgive someone who is asking for forgiveness, here is in fact what they are expressing:
“Yes, I know that God forgave my sins, but the sins of this person against me are much harder for me to forgive than was my sins for God.” Thus, THEY ARE PLAINLY STATING THAT THEIR HOLINESS IS GREATER THAN GOD’S, HENCE THE SIN MORE EGREGIOUS AND THUS IMPOSSIBLE TO FORGIVE.
Is that what you want to express to God and the world? If you have refused forgiveness to a repentant and contrite offender who has asked for it, you have in fact made yourself God.
Nice going . . . . .
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy Kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
I want to pray that I forgive “EVERYONE” for “EVERYTHING” and I hope everyone forgives me!!
That is a noble sentiment, but we must never lose sight of the fact that the offense of sin is primarily against God, and that the parameters for His forgiveness are clearly established in Scripture: confession, repentance, restoration. It is wonderful to have a heart prepared to forgive, but the qualifications for its extension are God’s to decide first, and only after that should we act.
When we forgive an unrepentant person, we truly minimize their sin. We in fact are saying, “It wasn’t that big a deal.” Well, it was a big deal. Like all sins, it put Jesus on the cross. We are to forgive as Jesus forgave us. So how did that happen? It happened ONLY when there was repentance. To forgive an unrepentant person is be an ENABLER and to forgive in a manner other than according to Jesus’ protocol. To refuse forgiveness under that divine protocol does not mean you have hate in your heart toward that person, as is a common misperception. We should always have a heart wanting and willing to forgive, but never contrary to the biblical pattern of requiring repentance first. Jesus never forgave a single soul without repentance.