This is the third part of three posts on forgiveness.  This section focuses on the benefits of forgiveness.  To read the other posts see these links – Part 1 – Collecting Debt; Part 2 – A Decision of the Will

Here is an audio sermon I did on the topic of forgiveness if you are interested.

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           The story of Louis Zamparini demonstrates the tremendous benefits of forgiveness.  Through forgiveness he enjoyed peace and a productive life.  The  benefits of forgiveness are multidimensional, just like the topic.  And in many ways these involve the benefits of the initial forgiveness and the feelings which will be processed over time as well.  They involve benefits in both the vertical and horizontal planes of forgiveness.  They offer benefits to both the individual and to his relationships.  Though not an exhaustive list, we will observe four ways that forgiving like God teaches us to do benefits the Christian.

Spiritual Benefits

         The most important benefit of forgiveness is the salvation of our souls.  Paul teaches us to forgive by reminding us that “the Lord has forgiven you.” (Col. 3:13).  We are able to have forgiveness because of the blood of Christ that was shed for our sins (Eph. 1:6-9).  This forgiveness allows there to be peace in our relationship with God (Rom. 5:1-2), and thus peace in our hearts (Phil. 4:4-7).  To properly understand this benefit a person must realize that they were lost and are saved from the wrath of God (Rom. 5:6-11).  We must put ourselves in the shoes of the servant who owed 10,000 talents.  We must understand that our sin has placed upon our souls a debt that we cannot pay by ourselves.  It is then that we can feel the emotional and spiritual significance of the grace of God.  Paul realized how much he had been forgiven, and thus he was highly motivated to reciprocate God’s love (1 Tim. 1:12-17).

Emotional Benefits

           Peter uses the graphic phrase “gall of bitterness,” which refers to its coming from the liver or biles, to describe the attitude of Simon the magician (Acts 8:23).  Bitterness steals the joy, happiness, and productivity from our lives.  It gets down deep in our hearts and souls and comes out in all aspects of our lives.  It travels with other life-zapping companions like guilt, hatred, malice, anger, and envy.  Determining to forgive and being committed to working through these emotions is a burden-lifting, life-restoring work.  Paul compares it to putting on a “new self” (Col. 3:10).  The work of forgiveness has tremendous emotional benefits by releasing these harmful behaviors and feelings.  Secular medical studies have noted the improved emotional health of individuals who have chosen to forgive.  The Mayo Clinic website notes “greater spiritual and psychological well-being, less anxiety, stress, and hostility, and fewer symptoms of depression” for those who forgive.  Their article nailed the issue emotionally when it stated, “your life might become so wrapped up in the wrong that you don’t enjoy the present.”  (“Forgiveness:  Letting go of grudges and bitterness”  www.MayoClinic.com)

Physical Benefits

         Not surprisingly, forgiveness also has ramifications for our physical health.  Forgiveness has been linked with lower heart rate and blood pressure.  Since the carrying of a grudge creates anxiety, it is understandable that forgiveness leads to less stress, which in turn has many benefits for the body physically.  People often decrease their medicine use and are able to reduce depression symptoms.  Some sleep better and have less physical pain and complaints (“10 Benefits of Forgiveness” www.purposebeyondpain.com).  If our heart and life is convicted of sin before God and guilt weighs us down, then it creates problems emotionally and physically.

Relational Benefits

         Can you imagine your marriage without forgiveness?  Possibly one of the reasons we see such a shameful amount of divorces today is that people have not learned how to forgive.  Forgiveness functions as a cleansing agent in relationships allowing us to learn from the past and let love envelop the relationship.  Secular and religious students of forgiveness all note that it helps improve relationships and allows for better conflict management.  It allows a relationship to move to deeper levels of trust and intimacy.  It also has a freeing quality as it frees the offended from the control and manipulation of the offender.  It allows for the individual to move on and connect in future relationships. Forgiveness makes it possible for sinful humans to function together as families and churches.  Thus, it is no wonder that Jesus required His community of believers, called by His Name, to be a forgiving people.  It is not optional, but is a requirement if they desire God’s forgiveness.

Made by Haiku Deck

This is the 2nd of 3 posts on forgiveness.  You can read the first post which introduced the topic here.  This is the most important post of the three and offers, I think, some unique thoughts on forgiveness and considers it in ways not normally considered.  Give it a read and let me know what you think.

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The Nature of Forgiveness

Forgiveness, when properly understood from Jesus’ parable, exists on two dimensions.  First and foremost we must be concerned about our forgiveness in relation to our heavenly Father.  When each person sins he offends the holiness of God (Isaiah 59:1-2).  Man’s problem is sin (Rom. 3:23, 6:23).  Of course, Christ came to pay the price for our sin, so that we could be forgiven (Rom. 3:24-26).  Often we refer to this forgiveness as existing on the vertical plane and each person must soberly consider their relationship with God (Phil. 2:12).  The second dimension of forgiveness is what Jesus is requiring of Christians in Matthew 6 and 18 that we just studied.  It is the willingness to forgive others.  This is often referred to as the horizontal plane of forgiveness.  If we are going to realize the good that God intended for us to enjoy through forgiveness it is realized on both planes.  Jesus masterfully connects the two levels together in the parable of the unforgiving servant.  The world, and even Christians, tend to disconnect the two.  Typically we desire God’s forgiveness, but we resist and even rationalize our failure to forgive others.  Yet, Jesus is saying that we cannot have one without the other.  There is a failure to understand the nature of true forgiveness from God when we refuse to extend a similar grace to others.

Obligations of Forgiveness 

          Having emphasized that forgiveness exists on two planes, let’s go a little deeper and talk about our obligations to forgive and the benefits that it brings.  Some have argued based on Luke 17:3-4 that forgiveness of a brother is not necessary unless he “repents.”  Some may have even used this text to rationalize bitterness, hatred, and malicious behaviors.  This type of interpretation goes against the overall message of Jesus regarding forgiveness.  It seems that part of the problem is our culture’s understanding of the term forgiveness, as we typically connect our forgiveness with our feelings; emotions such as anger, bitterness, and resentment. Forgiveness from the teachings of Jesus is a decision of the will, like agape love, to release the offending person from paying the debt they owe.  This is done out of compassion and pity (Mat. 18:27).  This forgiveness involves a decision of the heart to not extract vengeance on the offending person (Rom. 12:14-21).  Forgiveness is a choice that must be made consciously and settled within the heart of the person.  Thus forgiveness as a choice of the will, as God calls us to, is not a removal of hurt feelings and emotions.  Forgiveness is certainly not forgetting or acting like nothing has happened.  It is a determination to do all that one can in their heart and mind to release the offending person of owed debt (Col. 3:13).  We will likely still have to deal with our feelings of hurt and anger but that is a separate issue.  The feelings must be processed and dealt with over time.  Paul teaches us to deal with these emotions and not allow them to rule our lives (Eph. 4:30-32, Col. 3:8-10).

         An illustration of this understanding of forgiveness would be a married couple who has experienced the storm of an affair.  In this situation the husband has committed the infidelity, but he is committed to the marriage.  The wife desires to see the marriage survive.  She communicates to him her forgiveness.  She makes a decision of the will to release him of his debt out of her love and compassion.  But she still has many strong feelings which she must process over time.  She is likely going to deal with feelings such as anger, bitterness, doubt, and insecurity for sometime to come.  She probably will not go on as if it did not happen.  There will need to be a higher level of accountability so that trust can be restored over time.  She forgave him of the past, but feelings still must be processed through prayer, conversations, and reflection.  They must recognize the new reality of the relationship.

        Thus, ultimately forgiveness is an individual experience. God models forgiveness for us.  Look at the cross of Christ, where God put himself in position to forgive us and made it possible for all men to find forgiveness.  He does not withhold forgiveness because of anger and bitterness, but the issue has long been settled in His heart;  He is willing to forgive.  So it must be in the heart of a Christian.  We must put down the tremendous weights we try to carry and release the bitterness and hatred before it costs us our own soul, irrespective of what the other person does.  We must cancel the debt. Forgiveness is a decision of the will to release the indebted offender so that a reconciliation is possible.  God is described as making it possible for our reconciliation by choosing to forgive “while we were yet sinners” (Rom. 5:8).  When we choose to forgive we make reconciliation possible, though just like with God and sinful humanity, it does not always take place.

         We began this chapter by sharing the story of Louis Zamperini who was suffering with rage and hatred over the immense torture and mistreatment he endured while in Japan.  Louie learned about forgiveness through the story of Jesus Christ.  He realized that God had blessed him throughout his incredible journey.  He went home and poured the liquor out and threw out other sinful items that were a part of his demise.  He laid down, slept, and for the first time in five years “the Bird” did not come in his dreams.  He awoke, went to a park and read his Bible and experienced a sense of peace for the first time.  One year later, he returned to Japan and went to the P.O.W. camp where he had stayed, which was now a prison for war criminals.  He saw many of his former captors, some of which were under a death sentence for their crimes.  But one was not there; “the Bird” had evaded arrest.  His family and the authorities believed he had committed suicide.  When hearing the news, Louie felt a sense of compassion for him.  “At that moment, something shifted sweetly inside him.  It was forgiveness, beautiful and effortless and complete.  For Louie Zamperini the war was over” (Unbroken  p. 379).   Then as the other former tormentors were paraded before him, he extended his hand and offered a radiant smile across his face.  Louie had peace.  However there is more to the story, “the Bird,” whose real name was Matsuhiro Watanabe, had actually lived and would go on to a successful insurance career.  Louie penned a letter to him, and through the help of CBS who had interviewed Matsuhiro Watanabe, Louie was going to meet him and offer his forgiveness personally.  But it was not to be as Matsuhiro refused the meeting.  Louie, however did send the letter, but never received a reply.

TO BE CONTINUED . . . in the next post we will discuss the benefits of forgiveness.