Forgiveness

 “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures - Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.”

Forgiveness for sin figures as primary in the reason for Christ’s death, and, consequentially, in the message preached.  There is no gospel without reference to sin and forgiveness, no good news for the human condition.  

But … 

Forgiveness is too seldom referred to as essential for unity in the Lord’s church.  Without forgiveness we grind to a halt in relationships, our shared grace, and effective witness. 

Forgiveness, or more to the point, a distinct lack of it, is the underlying culprit in many church splits and schisms.  Theological fracases seldom count for more than a small percentage of these ignominies, these failures of spirit.  

Yet …

Forgiveness, it appears, is always something others need to seek, hardly ever me.  In this we most clearly resemble the pious Pharisee who intoned, “I thank you, God that I am not a sinner like everyone else.”  In fact, he wasn’t a sinner like everyone else – he was considerable worse, convinced as he was of his superior virtues.  No greater self-deception deludes us than this oh-so common posturing of self-righteousness.  

In fact …

The apostle Paul said we are better to be defrauded by one another than admit the colossal failure of appealing to (Roman) courts for justice.  If we can’t judge between brothers and sisters how are we to judge the angels in the age to come?  How indeed?  

And we are better to forgive than hold to account, and this is only in the church. The world has little hope for forgiveness if we fail to practise it, our message will appear hypocritical, un-incarnated.  

But …

I wonder if the reason we don’t truly forgive is that we don’t truly understand or admit to sin.  Forgiveness presupposes sin.  

Sin has metamorphosed into anything but sin.  We have made it an inherited tendency, a psychological disposition, a slip of good manners, or something done but not intended - anything but the horror it is which is the reason for the crucifixion of Jesus.  If the spotless Son of God died for our sins, sin must be serious.  It must be more than just a clever turn of phrase, a hollowing out of its true import with philosophies and language that denies personal liability. 

It is very hard to forgive someone from something they have no volitional culpability for.   Forgiveness, in these circumstances, is no more than a resigned shrug of the shoulders, and it will remain as an underlying bitterness and disappointment, because it isn’t that they sinned – they were only human, the victim of a thousand collusions.  Because …

I can’t forgive something that doesn’t require forgiveness, only understanding.  But this does a huge disservice to the one sinned against and the one who sinned.  We have been robbed of the virtue of forgiveness, a restorative gift, by this sleight of hand.  And we are the worse for it.  

So … 

If I recognise someone has sinned against me, or against God’s church, be it intentional or unintentional, and if I call it for what it is, I can forgive, and we can move forward.   If you have been sinned against (and not just taken offence – that’s another issue all together) and you don’t accept the person/s has sinned against you, you will be trapped in a twilight of confusion, frustration and, eventually, bitterness.  We should not minimize something for which Christ died.  Call it for what it is and forgive from the heart.  Two things will happen:  you will be released and so will they, as forgiveness of the sins of others is the key to the kingdom Jesus when speaking to Peter.

So, we pray …

“Your kingdom come … forgive us this day or sins as we forgive those who sin against us.” 

Simon McIntyre @ July, 2020.