Forgiveness - Why Do It

Forgiveness.

Forgiveness gets a bad rap today. Sometimes it is unappealing because of the false views of what forgiveness entails. But know this, forgiveness is primarily an action between you and the Lord, you offer to others, since you have been forgiven. Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew reveals this as a linchpin to regular Christian fellowship with God the Father.

Forgiveness is explained by the Lord Jesus in Matthew chapter six as a part of our regular walk with the Lord, not as a rare occurrence. As we go to God our Father, we forgive others. Jesus teaches the Lord's Prayer as a model prayer, to cover key ground, but also as a reminder of things, like forgiveness.

Given it is so important to regular Christian living, what motivates us to forgive? Consider how the prayer begins. "Our Father."

Forgiving too is done; so as to show forth we belong to the Lord’s household of faith, through union with Jesus Christ our Savior. 

Our identity reflects who God the Father is, imperfect yes, but still so. And get this, God the Father is jealously in the best way, and in a good sense, passionate for His namesake. The Lord's repute matters through all of his people. You see, you have a right to Heaven if you have faith in Christ (Romans 6:23), but also you are a representative of a family of God, as a co-heir with Christ element or angle. 

Seminary President for many years, now speaker, Dr. Ken Hemphill, shared how early in life his dad said son don’t do anything that would sully or dishonor our family name, "Hemphill." That lesson stood with him over life's ups and downs. So too, the famed prayer, the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus taught us to pray, is to God as Father. His will be done. Not just ours. So being selfish, just you or I, we end up ignoring God, which is a namesake risk. 

Prayer to God as Father is also not just Lord Almighty, or God, or to Jesus in this case, or to the Spirit in this case. As such, a family household is the idea around God the Father's will, which is the "Your will be done," not to burden us, but to free us, with facts like forgiveness is God's good will, not a pain or something to be avoided. 

Folks who are in union with Jesus Christ, who receive acceptance by that union to Jesus’ saving work, with Jesus' saving debt paying work on the Cross + raising to life, allows favor, grace, mercy and peace.

He is allowing us to be accepted into a household of faith, not for its own sake, but to reflect that reality into our areas of influence. This is not so much a local or just us thing, but a worldwide global church vibe. As individuals, but also as a church global, we are to be known as able to forgive. Spiritual kin are called to this, to reflect the Father. Forgiveness could be offered to believer or unbeliever, though in Matthew six it is mainly about to people you know, at least loosely so. We’d expect if you forgive others, they forgive you. But no, it’s often that a hang up they have prevents us. So then, God our Father heads off us having a hang up about it, by calling us to it in care, and for abundant life. 

Christian, in sum, why offer forgiveness horizontally to your friends, relatives, or a neighbor? Living our a walk with the Lord in prayer, shows that forgiving matters vertically to God our Sustainer, Giver of All Good Things, Guide, Refuge, and Hope. It’s a why that motivates forgiving someone with the Lord, and handing that burden off to the Lord. Forgiving another does not forgive them before the Lord, who has His holy standards, and who disciplines those who He loves. But forgiving them is for you to be aright with the Lord in your own heart and mind. 


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