The Power of Forgiveness

—some thoughts by Pastor Charles P. Schmitt

“...forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).

“Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you” (Colossians 3:13, The Message).

Jack Hayford, in a penetrating article entitled, “The Freeing Power of Forgiveness,” makes this observation: “…having been forgiven, we have essentially lost our right to be unforgiving, critical, judgmental, or retaliatory toward others. Forgiveness doesn’t mean that what is being forgiven is right; it means rescinding the right to be angry, hateful, or judgmental….It means I have given up my right to sit in judgment….At some point we must come to terms with the fact that we have been given an awesome grace that puts us under an awesome point of accountability— to forgive others because we have been forgiven….This is the freeing power of forgiveness—offering to others what God has so graciously, and at so profound a sacrifice, bestowed upon us!”

At times I do feel like the servant in Matthew 18:23–27, the one who owed his master millions of dollars, and was simply “not able to pay.” Instead of turning him (that’s me!) over to the jailers to be tortured until he (that’s me!) paid back all he owed, the master canceled the vast debt and let the debtor (that’s me!) go free! That has been God’s amazing grace poured out upon my life!

But then there are those fellow servants of mine—those who have sinned against me, those who owe me “a few dollars.” My tendency is to place the demand upon them: “Pay back what you owe me! Pay up or I’ll throw you into debtor’s prison until you pay your debt to me.” At this point, to quote Hayford, I must come to terms with the fact that I have been given an awesome grace that puts me under an awesome point of accountability—to forgive others because I have been forgiven so very much!

This is the freeing power of forgiveness—me freeing others (from their debt and from their debtor’s prison), and me being freed in turn from being “turned over to the jailers to be tortured, until (I) should pay back all (I) owed.” Sobering thought: “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart” (Matthew 18:35). Indeed—“if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you” (Matthew 6:14). Lord, help us, for Jesus’ sake!