Who is Quirky PreacherRichD-Forgiveness

Forgiveness

I believe forgiveness is one of the most important principles found in Scripture. I do not believe as a Christian it is an option to not forgive. (Matthew 6:14-15 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive yours.”) A Christian who does not forgive is a disobedient Christian and a Christian who will be carrying burdensome baggage.

Grace to Forgive

Since we are commanded to forgive, God is obligated to give the grace to forgive or He is a mean, cruel, unjust God. God can give the grace but we must be willing to receive an want the grace. Sadly many Christians rather hold unto bitterness and resentment.

Forgiveness may not always be easy to do, but His Grace is Sufficient.

Abundant Grace to Forgive

Based upon my personal experience the Father can give grace to forgive the things that are ‘impossible to forgive’. Thus nothing is impossible to forgive if you grab hold of the grace of God to forgive. This does not mean forgiveness is automatic. There may be a process one must go through to be able to forgive. BUT praise God in my personal experience, overall forgiveness has been easy to walk and in many ways has been automatic for me because of His abundant grace.

Forgiveness and Accountability

Issuing forgiveness does not mean not holding the wrongdoer accountable for their actions. Forgiveness is not being an enabler. You can forgive and stand for justice. BUT it ultimately is in the hand of God to issue vengeance, not us. Holding accountable is not for the purpose of vengeance, it is for the purpose of justice.

Mercy and Forgiveness

I believe forgiveness and mercy are connected together. If you are a person of mercy, you will be a person of forgiveness. If you are a person of forgiveness you will be a person of mercy.

I want mercy so I will issue mercy. I want forgiveness so I will issue forgiveness.

Forgiveness and Freedom

Those who are quick to forgive are individuals that find freedom from the affects of wrongdoing done to them. The wrongdoing has no power over them. They find it much easier to find peace that passes understanding.

The Lie of Forgive and Forget

There is a lie propagated among some Christians that if you have true forgiveness you must forget the evil done. Only people with mental illness can forget events that have taken place. There is no power in issuing forgiveness if you could not remember the evil done, The act of forgiveness is amazing because you can remember the event but it have no negative influence over you. That is a powerful testimony!

To remember but forgive is also wisdom. Because I forgive does not mean I must trust again. I can forgive and be very cautious and set boundaries.

My Problem

Sometimes because I find it easy to give mercy and forgiveness to others it appears that I am giving people free passes to walk all over me, to sin, and harm others. Far from it! I just happen to believe you can hold a person accountable for their sinful actions in a loving and kind way and trust the Sovereign Lord to issue His justice. If I err I err in giving forgiveness.

At other times because I stand for Truth, because there are things I will not bend on, it can appear that I am refusing to give grace, mercy, forgiveness. Far from it. Again, it is easy for me to give forgiveness. I actually believe it is easy for God to give forgiveness and also not lessen His standards, and demand justice.

Solution

I am at peace in my stance for truth while at the same time passionate about the need to forgive.

Be Aware

Be aware I will always call Christians to issue forgiveness in every situation. I will not compromise on this topic.

My next two topic will be on The Outcasts of Society.

Bible Verses
Ephesians 4:32 (ESV)
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Colossians 3:13 (NIV)
Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

Matthew 6:14 (NRSV)
“For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you…”

Mark 11:25 (NLT)
“But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.”

Romans 12:1-18 (GNT)
Never repay evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all people. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all people.

2 Corinthians 2:7 (AMP)
So instead [of further rebuke, now] you should rather [graciously] forgive and comfort and encourage him, to keep him from being overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.

My next article is on The Outcasts of Society.

Who is Quirky PreacherRichD Series
Introduction
Honesty & Integrity
The Word of God
The Truth
Holiness
Unholy Alliances
Mercy
Forgiveness