Forgiveness is an integral component of Christianity and can be found throughout Scripture and prayers, such as Lord’s Prayer. Therefore, exploring it further should not be neglected.
This article explores Jesus’ teaching on forgiveness found in Matthew 6:14-15. We’ll begin by considering its immediate context before discussing several different interpretations and finally offering our own take.
The Bible
Forgiveness is at the center of our relationship with God and blessed life, showing the world His love in action and expanding His kingdom. If a brother or sister refuses to forgive others, their prayers won’t be heard by Him and instead allow them to walk in an unforgiving spirit until they repent and come around again.
The Bible makes it abundantly clear that forgiveness is central to Christianity, as demonstrated by its message and Jesus himself. Unfortunately, some passages in Scripture seem to limit or restrict God’s forgiveness.
One passage addresses unpardonable sin in Matthew 12:31-32 and Hebrews 6:4-6 where forgiveness for certain types of sin cannot be invoked in prayer. Davies and Allison speculate that Matthew’s passage relates directly to Lord’s Prayer since communities that pray with power must also be forgiving communities.
The purpose of forgiveness
Forgiveness serves a multitude of functions, such as repairing relationships damaged by wrongdoing and alleviating negative emotions like resentment. Furthermore, forgiveness enables us to release control over any form of revengeful act, making forgiveness an act that empowers both victims and wrongdoers alike.
The traditional conception of forgiveness emphasizes its role as the restoration or resumption of relationships strained by wrongdoing (Hampton 1988). Such an account requires forgiving parties to let go of resentments or other morally charged anger against one another in order to forgive.
Performative accounts should not misconstrue “I forgive you” as possessing only one kind of illocutionary force; rather, its power lies in multiple contexts (Warmke 2016b). Thus forgiveness’s most essential quality lies in its forward-looking character rather than emotional or behavioral components.
The process of forgiving
Forgiveness involves several steps. The initial one should involve taking time to reflect on any hurtful experiences or actions which have been done, how it has affected you or those around you, and its meaning in terms of impact or significance for yourself or those close to you. Once this step has been completed, determine if forgiveness should take place or not.
Step one in forgiving someone else involves overcoming angry reactive attitudes. This can be accomplished through contemplative activities such as meditation or prayer; alternatively, positive emotions like love or compassion could help. Some emotion theorists suggest that what really drives forgiveness may be revenge-aversion (Garrard & McNaughton 2002).
Step three of forgiving lies in relinquishing hostility and anger toward those who have done you wrong, viewing each transgression as part of life that cannot be avoided.
The person who needs forgiveness
Being honest with ourselves about how we have been wronged is central to forgiveness, even though it can be challenging. Being open about your pain will bring greater peace. Instead of trying to suppress or “numb out” feelings that arise due to being wronged, let your emotions out safely such as writing in a journal or talking it over with trusted Christian friends – tears may flow as normal responses; tears or feelings of rage, resentment and hatred should not be ignored but expressed instead in constructive ways such as journal writing or talking with an understanding Christian friend will be most welcome when speaking out against being mistreated in these circumstances.
Misunderstanding forgiveness as meaning that it means accepting what someone did is incorrect; rather, forgiveness means choosing not to hold anything against them in the future, regardless of what may happen next.
One example is found in Joseph’s story from the Bible, when God took advantage of his brothers’ sinful acts to turn them to His good purpose. Forgiveness should always be an act of the will rather than feeling, and only when our wills surrender themselves fully can true healing begin.
