This week’s message explores different models/views on forgiveness that are popular today. Those that refuse to understand the costliness of grace (as shown by the Cross) distort the reality of what forgiveness entails. As opposed to forgiveness being blind, transactional, therapeutic, weaponized, or withheld, forgiveness is a reflection of God’s own forgiveness of us in Jesus. In Jesus, we see that forgiveness is costly, sacrificial, and restorative. The Gospel grants us both humility (because of how we have sinned against God) and assurance of His full forgiveness and restoration of us.
Human forgiveness is dependent on divine forgiveness. There is a vertical aspect of forgiveness that starts with God’s forgiveness of us that translates into an internal aspect as we understand God’s forgiveness. That leads to the horizontal aspect which results in how we offer forgiveness and reconciliation others. Our society’s anxiety and confusion regarding forgiveness is real, but our world cannot live without forgiveness and that is why this series is so important.
