A national religious leader declared the number one sin in the church is unforgiveness. Let’s leave the term “sin” for now and say the number one problem is unforgiveness.

The remedy for unforgiveness is forgiveness. But how do you let go of hurt, abuse and injustice? The human condition is insecurity. We feel threatened, inadequate, alone and unloved. History and culture do not promote peace. Matter of fact, we look back and across and the divides only get wider. When all of us get together, you have a seething mass of prickly ends that never seem to mesh.

What are we doing about all that? We congregate and seek common ground, but we never seem to come together. The walls just get higher.

When you view society horizontally, it appears hopeless. The answer is, look up. At the risk of over-simplification, maybe there is an answer. Maybe the highway to unity, peace, and joy has already been built. Maybe we have missed the turn onto the road that will truly bring us all together.

Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He walked this earth as a man and taught His followers a prayer. In the middle of that prayer He said this: “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us” (Matthew 6:12). This prayer is to Almighty God, the creator of the universe. We’re taught to cry out to Him for forgiveness.

Many of us believe that God could not forgive us because we are not worthy of love or grace. That is exactly right. That is what makes the whole concept so great.

We have no inclination or power to forgive another person. Almighty God set the process in motion by making the first move. We committed wrongs against God that had to be made right. We could not get to God, so He came to us. God sent His son Jesus Christ into the world to live and love. Jesus Christ was misunderstood and maligned. He was put on a cross and put to death. It makes no sense to us how one act of violence against Jesus can make all other bad things right, but Jesus dying in the place of mankind was our means of obtaining forgiveness.

God raised Jesus from the dead and declared that the way of forgiveness for all of us is complete. The sacrifice of Jesus on our behalf satisfies God and makes His forgiveness available to us. If God can love us and forgive us when we crucified His Son, what prevents us from accepting that forgiveness, and granting to all others who are as undeserving, as we are, the same forgiveness?

When you look at the cross and the gross injustice there and realize that God provides the means of release for all of us from any guilt or blame in all that, how could we hold a grudge against anybody?

God made the first move; now it is our move. Forgive that person who hurts you the most and work your way down the list from there.

 

Dan Puckett works with road team operations at Life Action Ministries in Buchanan, Michigan.