Forgiveness

 2 Corinthians 2:5-8,11, "Now if anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure—not to put it too severely—to all of you. For such a one, this punishment by the majority is enough, so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him...so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs."

I think Biblical forgiveness is not something that is well understood by Christians. I was always taught that the person who offended needed to say sorry and ask what they could do to make amends. This was something I was taught from an early age and it seems like the right thing to do. But the more I understand the Gospel message, in addition to Jesus washing the disciples feet, and now Paul in his letter to the church in Corinth, I am finding that forgiveness is quite different from my previous understanding.

I've heard that, when Christ washed the disciples feet, it was not only about showing servant leadership, but also about how to forgive. He was forgiving them before they even knew that they needed forgiveness, before they asked, and without them making amends first. Not only that, but the one who was hurt by the offense (Jesus) was the one who was doing the dirty work and making amends!

And now in Corinthians we see Paul telling the church in Corinth to, not only forgive, but comfort the one who caused the hurt, lest they be overwhelmed with sorrow for their sins. If they didn't forgive and comfort, then Satan would use this to deprive and cheat the church and the one who caused the offense from experiencing the forgiveness and victory of life in Christ. WOW!

This means the next time we receive hurt, we should be the ones to forgive and prepare to make amends. Especially if that means we need to do the dirty work of washing feet. No servant is greater than his master. If Yahweh Adonai, our Lord and Master, did this for us, how can we not do the same?

Now I do understand that this is not meaning that we should embrace unrepentant people as if they were a brother or sister in Christ. But rather, that if your brother or sister sins against you and is repentant, don't withhold forgiveness. Don't withhold forgiveness AND comfort! Comfort the one who sinned against you! And be quick about it before Satan can use this to his benefit. 

Unfortunately I have seen, first hand, the enemy's strategy in this. Marriages torn apart from a lack of forgiveness and comfort, family bonds severed from a lack of forgiveness and comfort, close friendships terminated from a lack of forgiveness and comfort. I urge you, dear brothers and sisters, if you have been hurt by a fellow believer who is repentant, forgive them AND comfort them! Do the dirty work and wash their feet, be ready and willing to lay down your life for them, declare Christ's victory on the cross for your own sins, and deny the enemy his victory while you stand in the power of Christ.