The Work of Forgiveness

 

Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:26-32 ESV).

 

The Apostle Paul is so clear in our reading today when he says, Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you (v. 32). There is little room for debate on the actions he calls for in the lives of believers. We are to be a people of forgiveness. Yet it is one of the most difficult things to actually do. Consider, though, how hard it can be for us to forgive others. How long have we held a grudge against someone, even for a simple mistake? Or how about refusing to forgive someone for saying something that hurt you, perhaps so long ago that you can’t remember what they said? Or maybe the offense was more serious. Perhaps a spouse betrayed you, a coworker lied and got you fired, a parent abused you, or a bully made life miserable for you.

 

There is no doubt it is difficult, yet the truth still stands. Just as it was enormously difficult for God to forgive us, we must practice that kind of sacrifice in forgiving others. Only the grace of God makes it possible to forgive people who sin against us. Only when we begin to realize how much God has forgiven us in Christ can we learn to forgive.

 

Of course I am not suggesting that we ignore the destructive consequences of the actions perpetrated against us. However, acknowledging the truth of what was done cannot keep us from releasing the offender from all debts to us because of their transgression. Isn’t that precisely what God did? Being wronged may change the boundaries we hold toward relationships with those who have hurt us; however, it cannot change our attitude of complete forgiveness toward them. We must give up the notion of “getting even.” Only the grace of God can accomplish that. He has proven it in Christ. As Christians, we are called to be echoes of God’s forgiveness. Let’s live like that!