The Power to Forgive

Matthew 6:12 “and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”

God has done many amazing things in my life. Among the most miraculous is the supernatural capacity to forgive. It is in no way organic; it is completely a work of God alone; humanly unreal, stupefying, and completely extraordinary.  Still, I am “work in progress.” Many a time I have spoken about it from one angle or another, but the foundation of which remains the same: complete forgiveness is utterly divine.

At one time or another we may have ventured to say we have forgiven someone of an offense, but we most determinately will not forget. The debt the offender owes could never be repaid. Yet, we drag them through the coals of guilt and shame toward an unattainable recompense. If there be no grossly obvious evidence of remorse, we are immediately cautious. Our caution then turns to suspicion, which turns to accusation upon any form of perceived deviance from our self-determined straight and narrow. Trapped we are between what we know we should do and what our flesh will allow, riddled with wounds deep and scars heavy upon our very souls. Pitiful and helplessly bound to the thing we wish desperately to rid ourselves of we often give up and give in to the seeds of bitterness which take up root readily, souring our relationship with even those who have never offended us.

From the slightest of errors to the monstrous evils endured, the degree of forgiveness we are capable of in response to such wrongdoing falls miserably short of the total forgiveness He commands us. Matthew 6:14 “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you,” It is at the end of our ability to forgive we realize the magnitude of forgiveness we have received; the amount of which we cannot even begin to fathom. It is here, in utter incapacity He finds us and wraps us in His merciful arms. It is here He says: “Receive the Holy Spirit. (John 20:22)” In this moment we are given a choice: either be filled with His Spirit empowering us to pour out perfect and divine forgiveness or close our hearts allowing only self-righteousness and self-loathing there to take up residence. The choice is ours. We are only powerless to forgive if we choose to be. Truly, perfect forgiveness is not impossible to the surrendered heart.

Matthew 6:14–15 “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”