Week 5. Forgive – Love and Fury

As we’ve discussed in this series, the vertical dimension to forgiveness is our starting point. It is God’s own extension of mercy to us that serves as the motivation for our forgiveness of others. An important aspect of this vertical dimension is the nature of God’s love. In His perfect love, God demonstrates wrath against sin, which is an affront to His perfect holiness—we also see how sin hurts those God loves. This anger toward sin shows us that anger is not inherently wrong, but for us, it can often be the result of entitlement or self-interest. The cross puts our anger in perspective, as we remember that God, who suffered the ultimate offense of our sin, lovingly spared us from His wrath. We can also demonstrate justice and mercy as we acknowledge the cost of sin yet move toward others in love and restoration.

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