With Lent underway, it’s a fitting time to reflect on the importance of forgiving others.
We have all been hurt in some unspecified time in the future – perhaps by a passing rude remark from a stranger or a deep betrayal from someone we love. These wounds, whether minor or severe, can leave lasting scars on our hearts.
However, Lent is a sacred time of repentance, reflection, and spiritual renewal, a season after we are reminded of the grace we now have received through the cross.
The cross: the last word act of forgiveness
What is the cross? It is the best symbol of forgiveness – God’s mercy towards humanity.
We were those who immensely hurt God. He created us out of affection, desiring an intimate relationship with us, yet in our arrogance, we rejected Him. Yet, as a substitute of condemning us or giving us the punishment we rightfully deserved, God selected mercy. He forgave us.
In His boundless love, He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to bear the burden of our sins and offer Himself as a sacrifice on the cross – paying the worth once and for all.
This truth is beautifully expressed in 1 John 4:10, “This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”
The challenge of forgiving others
Despite our undeserving nature, God forgave us completely. This realisation should compel us to increase the identical grace to others.
Following Jesus means walking the trail of the cross, a road of self-denial that requires us to let go of pride, resentment, and retaliation. It means selecting humility and placing others before ourselves. During His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught us, “But I inform you, don’t resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the suitable cheek, turn to them the opposite cheek also,” (Matthew 5:39).
Forgiving without limits
How often will we experience the depth of God’s forgiveness despite repeatedly falling in need of His standards? Time and time again, we stumble, yet His mercy never runs out.
Peter once asked Jesus, “Lord, how again and again shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus responded, “I inform you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times” (Matthew 18:21-22).
In other words, forgiveness shouldn’t have any limit. Just as God’s grace continually forgives us, we too are called to forgive endlessly.
Some might wonder, ‘Can God truly forgive even the worst of sins?’ The answer is a powerful yes. Romans 5:20 affirms this, “But where sin increased, grace increased all of the more.”
This signifies that if God’s grace knows no bounds, then neither should our forgiveness.
Forgiving before it’s asked for
God’s forgiveness was already given to us even before we repented or sought Him. As Romans 5:8 declares, “But God demonstrates His own love for us on this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Even within the midst of unimaginable suffering on the cross, Jesus still selected to increase grace, praying, “Father, forgive them, for they have no idea what they’re doing” (Luke 23:34).
This profound example teaches us that forgiveness mustn’t be conditional – it’s a selection. We are called to forgive, even before someone expresses remorse or asks for it. Just as Christ didn’t wait for His persecutors to repent, but freely forgave them within the midst of His suffering, we too should extend the identical grace to others.
Let go and embrace grace
Holding onto grudges only keeps us within the bondage of pain. Forgiveness, though difficult, frees us. We must keep in mind that we’re all sinners, each one in all us recipients of God’s grace. Forgiveness is a present we now have received and one we must pass on. It will not be about weakness, but strength. It frees our hearts and allows us to reflect the love God so generously gives.
Hence, this Lent, let’s surrender resentment and commit to picking forgiveness – not simply because it’s right, but since it’s what God has done for us.
Here are further Bible verses about forgiveness to reflect during this Lent period:
- Matthew 6:14-15 – “For if you happen to forgive other people once they sin against you, your heavenly Father can even forgive you. But if you happen to don’t forgive others their sins, your Father won’t forgive your sins.”
- Colossians 3:13 – “Bear with one another and forgive each other if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive because the Lord forgave you.”
- Mark 11:25 – “And if you stand praying, if you happen to hold anything against anyone, forgive them, in order that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”
- Ephesians 4:32 – “Be kind to 1 one other, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, as God in Christ forgave you.”
