The Ambitious Church Forgives Freely

How hard it is to forgive one another! When we are the wrongdoer we beg for mercy. We don’t want that debt looming over us. At the same time, like the unmerciful servant, when we are the wronged party, forgiving seems very wrong. We hold grudges—we tuck them away and trot them out again when we are in the middle of an argument. God presents a better way. Full and free forgiveness. This seems beyond us—and it is—if we look inwardly for this capacity. Forgiveness must be earned. It has been by Christ Jesus on the cross. He took the hit for our sins, he paid the price for our guilt and our shame, and he implores us to forgive as we have been forgiven. This is what we pray for in the Lord’s prayer because this is the Lord’s will for us. May our hearts be ready to forgive as God does. Because of Christ, our sins are forgiven and forgotten—forever!