The Importance of Forgiveness

 2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

 

This verse says so much to me about forgiveness.  Forgiveness is a process of seeking out forgiveness, and making a change in ones heart.  You cannot have one without the other.  For if you ask for forgiveness yet take your wrongs back with you, you have not done your part in truly seeking forgiveness.  At the same time, you cannot just merely ask for forgiveness, you must live a forgiven life.  Both aspects are crucial.  

 

First, "if anyone is in Christ" represents a stance that we accept Christ into our heart.  Seeking Christ means laying everything before Christ.  Christianity sometimes misses the message that becoming a Christian does not seek something of us.  Christ seeks our hearts, our lives, and everything that we have.  It is what allows us to have a deep relationship with God.

 

In order to live a truly forgiven life we must first lay everything at the feet of Christ.  The cross is another representation of this life of forgiveness that reveals Christ asking God to "forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23: 34).  I like to think that this verse deals with more than those who persecuted Jesus at the time of his death, but those who persecute Jesus by their very sins!  Coming to Christ means giving ourselves over to Christ to be forgiven of our sins so that the "old has gone."

 

Forgiveness then leads to action.  Without then taking action to live a forgiven life, we deny the very forgiveness that we have asked for!  Forgiveness is not about just asking, its about forgiving yourself.  It is about accepting yourself as the one who made a mistake, and then making a change from your very mistake.  If we may do that, the new life can be made in us.

 

Taking action, again, is about accepting that you have made a mistake.  I admit, I am not a perfect person.  I make mistakes daily that I wish I could take back.  I am so thankful for the people in my life that have shown me what forgiveness is all about.  My fiancee is one who has truly resembled a life of forgiveness for my mistakes.  I am very thankful for these people in my life.  If you would like to share a story of forgiveness as a comment on my blog I would love to hear it!