What Is Forgiveness?

This question of forgiveness arose in the lives of some Christians that I know, one of whom did a very grievous wrong to some other children of God. There was deep sin involved, including a definite transgression of at least three of the Ten Commandments. There were several friends involved who sided with the transgressor. One of these bystanders talked on the telephone with the Christians who had been sinned against, and in the course of the conversation the latter said, "Of course, we are ready to forgive. . . we must forgive. . ."

Later, the friends were amazed that this forgiveness did not include the condoning of the sin which had been committed. "But you said that you forgave him . . . How can you proceed in this manner when you definitely said that you were ready to forgive?" And so on.

There was no spiritual comprehension of the nature of forgiveness, and the fact that forgiveness may be proffered without being accepted. Even accepted forgiveness demands the righting of wrongs where it is possible, no matter what the cost.

When did the father forgive his prodigal son? The answer is that he forgave him the moment he went to the door to look for his return. That did not mean that the father was to follow him to the far country and feed on husks with him; the forgiveness could not be applied until the son had had enough of his sin and returned to the father. The forgiveness caused the father to look down the road and to run to meet his son. The son rehearsed a longer speech than he got a chance to recite, for his father listened to just enough of the confession, and then forgiveness stopped him with a kiss and would let him say no more. But there could never have been fellowship without the prodigal's mental change and his trip back home.

True forgiveness will not ask for the pound of flesh; it will act in holiness. That which overlooks or condones sin is a mawkish sentimentalism that the world may pass for forgiveness, but it has no kinship to the forgiveness which is from above. The father did not follow the prodigal down the road with offers of rings and fatted calves, but when the heart of the son started home, the heart of the father was all the way down the road to meet him. This is forgiveness in holiness. Nothing else is worth the name.

1. If the Father has totally forgiven us of all our sins, how much more should we forgive our neighbor?
2. Why do you think the Father is so welcoming to the Prodigal Son? Read Luke 15 and try to come up with some conclusions to this question.