“And be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” (Eph. 4:32)
The Apostle in writing to the believers in Ephesus exhorts them practise the Christian virtues. Among other things he urges them show a forgiving spirit and brings before them the reason why they should forgive, that is, because God for Christ’s sake has forgiven them.
How few possess a forgiving spirit! The almost invariable response of men when wronged in any way is to entertain ill-will towards the person who has done them injury. Believers, on their part, are not exempt from the rising of resentful thoughts and even ill-will towards those who have wronged them. Believers and others may be able on occasions to maintain outward composure under great provocation and yet at the same time find rising up within them thoughts and desires the very opposite of the spirit of forgiveness.
How evident it must be to us even from our own experience that we are the losers and not those who have wronged us when we give place to a revengeful and unforgiving spirit. What trouble we bring upon ourselves when we become so obsessed with an injury done to us as to be unwilling to forgive. Nor is it enough, on the other hand, merely to express forgiveness. If we still retain resentment in our heart then we have not really forgiven. If the injury still rankles in my mind then the most eloquent expressions of forgiveness are meaningless. Let us ever remember that that person has not been forgiven who has not learned to forgive. “If ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.” (Mark 11 : 26).
A forgiving spirit is a truly gracious spirit. How pleasant it is to come across instances of a forgiving spirit in the lives of eminently gracious men and women. Such instances have the very fragrance of heaven. Think, for example, of godly Stephen who while his persecutors were stoning him was himself transacting with heaven on their behalf — “Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.” How like the spirit of the Master Himself who cried out on Calvary — “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”
But why should we forgive? If we had no other reason, our proneness to harm others and so require their forgiveness ourselves would be sufficient grounds for forgiving others. “Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them.” If we expect friends and others to forgive us when we have wronged them surely this itself is a reason why we should cultivate a forgiving spirit.
But why should we forgive? There is a more compelling answer to this question than the one already given. It is the argument that the Apostle brings before the Ephesians — that God for Christ’s sake has forgiven them. If we are Christ’s then our sins have been forgiven us for His great Name’s sake.
As far as east is distant from
the west, so far hath he
From us removed, in his love,
all our iniquity. (Ps. 103:12)
“Blessed is he” the Scriptures say, “whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.” (Ps. 32:1). All to whom the Lord has said — “Thy sins be forgiven thee” — cannot but wonder at the love and mercy of God in Christ Jesus. Those who are conscious of how much they have been forgiven will lay little weight upon the pin-pricks of injuries which any of their fellow men may inflict upon them. Others may say to them — You must stand up for your rights — You must avenge yourself upon your adversary. How can I, they will answer, when the Lord has forgiven me all my debt. The true Christian when injured is of the same mind as Mephibosheth — “Yea, let him take all, forasmuch as my lord the king is come again in peace unto his own house.” (2 Sam. 19:30). Everyone who has known the blessedness of being forgiven is under perpetual obligation to forgive. “Lord,” said Peter, “how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?” “I say not unto thee,” said Christ, “Until seven times; but, Until seventy times seven.”
Are we of a forgiving spirit? Do we bear the image of Christ in this particular respect or do we manifest by an unforgiving spirit that we are none of His.”