In Pleasing People Priolo portrays the heart of forgiveness as being a promise. Here is what he says: "Forgiveness is fundamentally a promise. As God promises to not hold our sins against us, so we also must promise not to hold the sins of those we've forgiven against them." This is, of course, the foundation of the forgiveness God promises to us: that He will never hold our sins against us. On the day of judgment we know that He will not suddenly charge us with sins that have been forgiven us through the blood of Jesus. We have faith in God and trust in this promise. Without this promise our faith is hopeless. Praise God that he offers us this manner of forgiveness!
The promise of forgiveness, says Priolo, can be broken into three parts. First, you promise not to bring up the offense to the forgiven person so as to use it against him. Second, you promise not to discuss with others the sin you have forgiven. Third, you promise not to dwell on the forgiven offense but to remind yourself that you have forgiven the offender in the same way that God has forgiven you for a multitude of far greater sins. Thus when you ask forgiveness you secure these promises for yourself.
http://theliloone.blogspot.com/2009/07/forgiveness-and-some-webcamming.html
The link to Challies' article that works as of now: http://www.challies.com/christian-living/the-heart-of-forgiveness
Gossip is so dangerous and when we do we have not forgiven this person. We have brought up this offense of this person within our own hearts and to others. It's so easy to gossip to others and to ourselves. But now I catch myself thinking, is it really necessary to bring this up? And usually it's not. And even within my own heart do I truly understand God's forgiveness to forgive this person and not hold it against them? I think that takes humility. Yet it is also humbling for us to admit this weakness and thankfully God will grow us to be more like Him.
No comments:
Post a Comment