One man said to another, “I will forgive you, but I will not forget.” How sad! How unlike God, who forgives and then says, “Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more” (Heb. 10:1717And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. (Hebrews 10:17)). Forgiveness must be more than a statement by one who has been wronged to the one who has done him wrong; it is an expression of the heart.
Man is the great debtor to God, against whom every sin is a great offence. God is the great forgiver through Christ, “in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Eph. 1:77In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; (Ephesians 1:7)).
To help us understand this subject, those who have gone before have labeled the different types of forgiveness under the headings of judicial, administrative, restorative and governmental, and brotherly. The first article outlines the different types, and then the others look at each type in more detail.
As we reflect on God’s forgiveness of us, the great debtors, may our hearts always bear a forgiving spirit to everyone. May we never lay our heads on our pillows at night with an unkind thought or an unforgiving spirit toward anyone. If we do, we shall fail of the grace of God, develop a spirit of bitterness and defile many.