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Posted by: surrendersacrifice Jun 8 2008, 1:04 PM

What is forgiveness?
To forgive is to give up claim or resentment we have against our offenders in order to bring them healing. For example, if someone insults us we feel that our pride is taken away. To forgive in such a situation, is to sacrifice (give up) our pride and reach out to that person in love, in order to bring healing to that person. The best example of forgiveness is when God took a human form and came into this world to heal human beings who had betrayed Him and were unfaithful to Him (Luke 5:32). He forgave His executioners (Luke 23:34) and sacrificed His life so that they may have eternal life. He thus showed us that, love and forgiveness are the only positive responses to hate.

Posted by: Phillip Sep 9 2008, 10:40 AM

And how does find within themselves the strength to forgive those that have wronged them?

Posted by: surrendersacrifice Sep 25 2008, 6:11 AM

Most of us have great difficulty in forgiving others, although we know that it is the right thing to do. In such a situation we must first remember that we need to forgive others, because, we ourselves are sinners and that God forgave us by dying on the cross. We must meditate on the passion of Christ and at each stage remember the suffering He bore to bring us forgiveness. We must make our desire to forgive others strong by our prayers and sacrifices. We must still, know that God is God and surrender our will to Him by saying “I love you Jesus, may your will be done”.

Posted by: Phillip Sep 25 2008, 8:44 AM

Hi surrendersacrifice.

Your words have a nice sound to them, but you seem to be avoiding the fact presented in scripture, that unless Jesus comes into a man's (or woman's) heart and tranforms/regenerates them from the inside, we are not able to do what the Lord has instructed us to do.

The old testament scripture asks (Jeremiah 13:23), "Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil."

Apostle Paul reiterates (Romans 7:14-24), "For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?"

And that is the dilema, who can help us in our predicament? Paul answers (Romans 7:25), "I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin."

When Jesus comes into our life, the old has passed away and we are new creations in Jesus. The difficulty is there until Jesus comes into our life and changes us from the inside.