forgiveness

I am thankful for forgiveness and new life in Christ Jesus. God loved me long before I knew Him. “If You, Lord, should keep account of and treat [us according to our] sins, O Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You [just what man needs], that You may be reverently feared and worshiped.” (Psalm 130:3-4 AMP)

The sacrament (ordinance) of water baptism  is a celebration of forgiveness and a powerful public testimony of the change that has taken place on the inside of a Christ-follower. Baptism is a powerful metaphor for a believer’s identification with the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ – dead to the old way of life and risen to new life in Christ.

We also  celebrate the Lord’s forgiveness when we extend forgiveness to others.

• “Bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.” (Colossians 3:13 NASB)
• “Be kind to each other, be understanding. Be as ready to forgive others as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:32 PHILLIPS)

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John Perkins is a powerful example of the power of forgiveness. Perkins experienced first-hand the hatred and abuse of racism, yet he never lost his sense of purpose and compassion. Following one civil rights demonstration, Perkins was nearly beaten to death in a Mississippi jail, but even in that tortured state he refused to surrender to hate. Perkins writes of that experience:

The Spirit of God worked on me as I lay in that bed. An image formed in my mind. The image of the cross—Christ on the cross. It blotted out everything else in my mind. This Jesus knew what I had suffered. He understood. And He cared. Because He had experienced it all Himself. This Jesus, this One who had brought good news directly from God in heaven, had lived what He preached. Yet He was arrested and falsely accused. Like me, He went through an unjust trial. He also faced a lynch mob and got beaten. But even more than that, He was nailed to rough wooden planks and killed. Killed like a common criminal. At the crucial moment, it seemed to Jesus that even God Himself had deserted Him. The suffering was so great, He cried out in agony. He was dying. But when He looked at that mob who had lynched Him, He didn’t hate them. He loved them. He forgave them. And He prayed God to forgive them. “Father, forgive these people, for they don’t know what they are doing.” His enemies hated. But Jesus forgave. I couldn’t get away from that.…

It’s a profound, mysterious truth—Jesus’ concept of love overpowering hate. I may not see its victory in my lifetime. But I know it’s true. I know it’s true, because it happened to me. On that bed, full of bruises and stitches—God made it true in me. He washed my hatred away and replaced it with a love for the white man in rural Mississippi. I felt strong again. Stronger than ever. What doesn’t destroy me makes me stronger. I know it’s true. Because it happened to me. (John M. Perkins, Let Justice Roll Down, p. 196-196)

Refusing to retaliate isn’t easy, but extending forgiveness after such abuse seems impossible. Yet, with Christ’s strength Perkins forgave. Guess what? With Christ’s strength you can forgive too. You don’t have to hold on to unforgiveness. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.