The last couple days we have talked about persecution and forgiveness, two very important and complex topics. As a psychiatrist, I see many misunderstandings about what real Biblical forgiveness really is. 1. Forgive is forgetting, 2. forgive and start with a clean slate like nothing ever happened, 3. forgive and trust just like you did before the transgression, 4. forgive is not ever bringing the incident up again, are the common definitions or understandings of forgiveness I hear from patients.
1. God never forgets, He is omniscient.
2. God took David's and Moses' sin into account long after their sins, therefore no clean slate.
3. God only trusts us as far as our skill set and reliance on Him(spiritual maturity) as evidenced by our past track record.
4. See pt #2 above.
An example is if a husband has an affair. You can't forget it happened because there is work to be done to figure out why it happened and how to fix it. Can't act as if nothing happened as the husband obviously has some deficits and areas of temptation and needs to be safeguarded and held accountable. So if he comes home very late one night with lame excuse, the wife needs remember the past and ask the who, what, where, why, and when, to make sure he didn't stumble or not on a slippery slope. She can't trust him where trust was until he proves trustworthy. Forgiving or being forgiven doesn't elevate someone's trustability. She needs to bring it up again to have regular assessment, accountability, and growth, or if she sees some worrisome warning signs. She knows his area of temptation and stumbling so we have to keep it in mind to help him grow and avoid it.
Biblical Forgiveness has 2 key components. First, giving up the dysfunctional anger (bitterness, revenge, spite, rage, etc) you have for the transgression or the transgressor or to God for letting it happen. Second, when we have been wronged, our nature is to want, need, and demand some payment from the transgressor. We need to turn this over to God as the great judge and executioner; He is the only one who can determine what is the fair and appropriate sentence or punishment for the infraction. (just like He is for us and our many sins against others).
For more, The Choosing to Forgive Workbook, by Les Carter and Frank Minirth is great at expanding on these points with practical application.
Today, in those situations where you are struggling to forgive, or you have forgiven but it still hangs over you, think "what am I still trying to get out of them as payment?" It maybe an apology, to feel your pain, to have a consequence or punishment, some kind of material restitution, acknowledgment to others about what they did to you. If your happiness is based on getting that and they never give it, where does that leave you?
Prayer
Dear Father,
Thanks be to You Lord for Your incredible gift of forgiveness. Where would I be without it...buried under a ton of sin and shame. I am so quick to ask for Your Forgiveness Lord...but so slow to forgive others. Help me remember that forgiving others lifts a heavy burden off me...and places me back under the grace of Your forgiveness. I thank You Lord for the many examples of forgiveness demonstrated by Your Son Jesus. I seek to forgive as Jesus forgave...I seek the mind of Christ. Help me to understand I am not one to judge them and exact payment, but their transgression against me, although it hurts me, is even a greater transgression against Your holiness and You are the perfect one to hand out justice or grace, as You in Your omniscience and love for them knows is best. Grow in me a humble spirit to accept Your actions in their life and focus on my actions, thoughts and heart and not theirs. Help me Lord spread Your message about forgiveness in word, but especially in action. I pray this through Jesus Christ who paid the ultimate price so that my sins may be forgiven - AMEN!
The Truth
That very day the LORD spoke to Moses,
Go up this mountain of the Abarim, Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, opposite Jericho, and view the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the people of Israel for a possession.
And die on the mountain which you go up, and be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother died in Mount Hor and was gathered to his people,
because you broke faith with me in the midst of the people of Israel at the waters of Meribah-kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin, and because you did not treat me as holy in the midst of the people of Israel.
For you shall see the land before you, but you shall not go there, into the land that I am giving to the people of Israel."
Deuteronomy 32:48-52
And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.
Mark 11:25
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Ephesians 4:32
