Aggressive Forgiveness

I don’t know why, but it has always been easier for me to memorize the KJV. For example, Romans 5:20-21. Many of us are familiar with verse twenty, translated in the KJV as, “But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” But, I read this passage in the paraphrased The Message Bible and was surprised when it read, “All that passing laws against sin did was produce more lawbreakers. But sin didn’t, and doesn’t, have a chance in competition with the aggressive forgiveness we call grace.” I had never considered grace to be aggressive forgiveness, but I think I like it!

Aggressive Forgiveness

If you grew up in church, you were probably taught, “Mercy is not receiving what you deserve, and grace is receiving good things that you don’t deserve.” This is easy to remember and is correct, but it doesn’t go deep enough. One characteristic of grace is aggressive forgiveness. Consider the following explanation found in Easton’s Bible Dictionary.

FORGIVENESS: …In pardoning sin, God absolves the sinner from the condemnation of the law, and that on account of the work of Christ, i.e., he removes the guilt of sin, or the sinner’s actual liability to eternal wrath on account of it. All sins are forgiven freely (Acts 5:31; 13:38; 1 John 1:6–9). The sinner is by this act of grace forever freed from the guilt and penalty of his sins.

Jesus and Peter

Before I close out my comments on aggressive forgiveness, let me say clearly that forgiveness does not mean that adults or children should remain in an environment of abuse. That said, our society has forgotten the value of true forgiveness. Jesus spoke about an unforgiving debtor. In Matthew 18:21-22, we can listen in on His discussion with Peter:

21 Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?”
22 “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!

We might be tempted to do the math and create a doctrine that declares we should forgive a person 490 times; that would be missing Christ’s point. It is better to ask the question, “How many times should God forgive me?” Should God forgive me even when I really mess up? My hope is that, because of God’s love, He will always forgive me. Likewise, we must forgive the same. This is why Jesus taught us to pray:

“and forgive us our sins,
as we have forgiven those who sin against us.” – Matthew 6:12 NLT

Be Recognizable as a Christian

Jesus commands that we forgive others. Let’s show this world the same aggressive forgiveness that Jesus shows us. In your home, in your school, in your workplace, and in the homes of your friends and families, let’s practice aggressive forgiveness!