This week we are gearing up for Easter, the day that Christians celebrate that Jesus, the Son of God in human flesh, died on the cross though he was innocent, and was raised to life on the third day. This good news is at the heart of the Christian message, because this sacrifice paid the debt our sin had owed and grants us forgiveness, and the resurrection demonstrates God’s power over sin and death.
In Christ, we are forgiven. As it says in Ephesians 1 “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us” (Ephesians 1:7-8a).
Through Christ’s death and resurrection, we are already forgiven! The call is then to receive that forgiveness and walk in the freedom it brings.
We did not earn this forgiveness. We rebelled against and turned away from God, and yet He still chooses to give us the gift of forgiveness: “He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities” (Psalm 103:10).
In light of this, what then might it mean for us to forgive as Jesus forgives?
Forgiveness Without Being Asked
You and I did not ask Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. And how could we have? It happened before we were born! Jesus’ sacrifice covered the sins of all people, not just those who asked for it.
We then should also forgive without being asked. Do not use your friend’s stubbornness as an excuse to harbor a grudge against them. Reconciliation requires both parties’ participation, but forgiveness does not. Allow yourself to live in Christ’s freedom by forgiving others even when they do not ask you to.
Forgiveness That Forgets the Fault
Once we are forgiven, God does not behave towards us as one who remembers our previous fault: “For I will be merciful to their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more” (Hebrews 8:12).
Have you ever forgiven someone, but then you’re hesitant to trust them because you’re scared they will hurt you again? You say that they are forgiven, but you act as if you still hold the offense against them. Truly forgiving someone means wiping the slate clean, just like Jesus has done for us.
Living in the freedom of being forgiven in Christ, let us also then turn and forgive others. As it says in Ephesians: “Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ has also forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:32).
We will not perfectly forgive all of the time, but we can seek to become more like Christ in desiring to forgive others without their asking and moving forward as if the offense never occurred.
Gracie McBride is the Content and Systems Development Coordinator at The Crossroad.
