On Forgiveness

Almost all of us have been sinned against at some point. And we've certainly sinned against others! As Christians, Jesus calls us to forgive those who wrong us, but forgiveness is often easier said than done. Here are two helpful resources for working through granting forgiveness to others.

From Ask Pastor John:

“Hello, Pastor John, thank you for this podcast, which has been a huge resource God has used in my own sanctification. My question is this: My family struggles to forgive each other, and it’s been this way for years. They argue along the line that ‘even Jesus was harsh with his enemies, so why should I forgive my enemies?’ How would you answer them? In dealing with hurt in the past, what is the difference between Jesus dealing with his enemies like the Pharisees, contrasted with what God expects from us in dealing with our own family members who have sinned against us?”

Read or listen to the rest here or on Apple Podcasts.

Also, Dr. Timothy Lane from the Christian Counseling and Education Foundation has a very helpful article that reminds us, among other things, that

1. Forgiveness Cancels a Debt
2. Forgiveness Makes a Three-fold Promise:
3. Failure to Forgive Turns Victims into Victimizers
4. Failure to Forgive Has an Eternal Cost
5. Forgiveness is Both an Event and A Process

See the attached PDF to read the article in it's entirety.