The Christmas season helps us remember the baby Jesus coming to earth and the Magi bringing him gifts. A related theme in this blog article is understanding Christ’s work of forgiveness as a gift. It is more blessed to give than receive, right? When considering our human-to-human relationships Jesus certainly taught this to be true, but when we humans can learn how to better receive from our loving Father and Creator, we will have much more to give in our human relationships. The truth of the matter is that we have nothing to give, that we haven’t first received from our heavenly Father.
When it comes to understanding and practicing forgiveness, one of the most common errors is to try to forgive in our own strength. Human will power and mere choice does not accomplish forgiveness. God does, through the Gift of His Son Jesus Christ. Allowing this revelation to become more or a reality in your daily life, could be the most radically transformative achievements you will venture to make.
Power to Change for the Good
Knowing about forgiveness is not enough; one must experience forgiveness. The most true and authentic forgiveness is God’s forgiveness. To practice God-centered forgiveness, one must know the Forgiver. A cognitive ascent to the truth about God’s redeeming grace helps to prepare the way, but a personal relationship with the Redeemer affords the intimacy needed for the act of receiving the gift. For a gift to accomplish its intended purpose for being given, it must be received. The actions taken to receive must be intentional. The act of giving doesn’t automatically translate into receiving (on the part of another person). An act of kindness, if shrugged off by a recipient, does not complete the purpose for a giver expressing love. A $100 check may be given to a family member on a special occasion, but unless the check is cashed into a bank account, the gift cannot be discharged for its intended use.
The transforming power of forgiveness must be received and experienced in our heart (as a gift from Father God) in order for the “renewing of the mind” to be accomplished. A Christian’s conversion of the heart to Christ opens the door (deposits the check in the illustration above). But the ongoing work of transformation is necessary in the Holy Spirit’s power to appropriate the miracle of God’s free gift of forgiveness. The Bible’s explanation of this is discussed more in Chapter Three of my book Escaping the Pain of Offense: Empowered to Forgive from the Heart. God’s love for mankind is so deep that he gave his own Son to redeem us from the bondage of the broken world we are born into (John 3:16). But we must believe (receive with full trust) God’s means of salvation.
Another dominant theme in the book is how sanctification involves a cooperative effort between God and man. One of the gauges of maturity in a Christian’s life is the ability to receive God’s love (in greater and greater measures) and extend His love to other people. Being able to express and receive love is the true test of the quality of our relationship with God. But in order to truly understand the power of forgiving another person who offended us, we must first understand the power and depths of God’s love in forgiving us personally in our offenses.
Jesus completed the work of forgiveness. Recognizing both the volitional and emotional aspects of the suffering of Christ in accomplishing forgiveness creates increased awareness of the depths of God’s love. It was a choice and it was a willing choice to suffer pain. Christ acted in accordance with the Father’s pleasure. Not that God enjoys people suffering in pain, but his Son Jesus came to mediate (once and for all time) the separation of God from mankind as a result of the original sin (and the pain of the consequences caused by it). No greater love can be known. The type of suffering Christ endured had been prophesied by Isaiah and others hundreds of years before Christ came to earth (see Isaiah 53:1-6). Christ knew precise details of the kind and magnitude of his sufferings, including the excruciatingly painful death He would have to experience.
In order to atone for the sin of mankind (to satisfy God’s wrath), Christ had to suffer. “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart” (Hebrews 12:2-3). In his humanity, Jesus suffered. He suffered temptation; rejection, and betrayal; hardships in ministry on behalf of others; sorrow and remorse; and the struggle of accepting the suffering in the garden of Gethsemane (on the night before he was arrested and given an unjust trial).
Gift of Suffering
Christ suffered extreme physical pain in the process of crucifixion. Though sinless himself, He suffered the judgment of God the Father for sin. In his death, Jesus accomplished the death of death. The work of Christ on the cross provides the basis of forgiveness of sin. Forgiveness of sin was the focus of the teaching of Jesus. Jesus demonstrated his power over evil, performed miracles (not being preoccupied with his own suffering), gave glory to whom glory was due (His Father), showed great patience in his sufferings, refrained from returning evil for evil, and maintained a sense of mission through it all. His suffering in death and His resurrection give meaning and hope in the midst of our own suffering (Bible references are included in the book mentioned above). There is nothing we as humans “suffer” that Christ Jesus hasn’t suffered more.
What a gift! In my own life, this has been one of the most liberating revelations of all time. When I feel hurt or offended in some way, I do not have to come up with an ability to forgive, but instead simply believe and allow God’s ability to be activated in my heart. As such, we cooperate with what God has already accomplished, and do not have to do any work of our own. Surrendering to God the rights of judgment is the most freeing thing our soul can experience.
I invite you to explore the same reality. Maybe you feel like you’ve done too much to hurt others. Maybe you feel like you are the greatest offender against yourself, like you don’t deserve such a wonderful gift, or that others can receive, but you are unable to receive the gift for some reason. Don’t believe the lie! Nothing disqualifies you from being able to receive the gift. Self-doubt and self-condemnation are tactics of an enemy mindset designed to rob you from accessing the Refuge of healing through Jesus–Savior, and most wonderful gift ever given. Don’t allow disappointments, discouragement, depression, anxiety, fear, hatred, bitterness or symptoms of the like to steal the liberating solution of receiving and trusting God’s love today. Please contact me if no one comes to your mind who can help you take the next step in that direction right now.
God gave this Gift because he knows every person needs the Gift (because no human is without sin). However, he gives us a choice to receive the Gift or not. We can choose to receive the Gift and choose life, or choose not to receive it and continue without the life of God (Holy Spirit) living in us. There is no “middle ground.” There is no way to avoid the choice. By default, trying to ignore the Gift by avoiding a choice to receive, means the benefits (eternal life) cannot be activated. My prayer is that each person reading this would “choose life” in a similar way that God challenged the people of Israel thousands of years ago as recorded in the Book of Joshua (Joshua 24:14-15).
Choose Life! Choose to receive the Gift!