What is Forgiveness?

Imagine that you are a judge, seated high up on your platform, gavel in your hand, ruling over your courtroom. You hold the power of decision, determining whether a person is guilty or innocent and what punishment they deserve according to the severity of their crime.

Slowly the door cracks open and in walks the first defendant. You look up to find someone who has horribly wronged you. Then behind them a whole line of people come streaming in, each one having injured, offended, or defrauded you. And one by one you get to decide what kind of punishment each person deserves. Now’s your chance to get them back for what they did to you! They’ve hurt you and now it’s your job to make sure they get what they deserve.

In this scenario, would you be a fair judge? Probably not. As the memory of pain and anger rises to the surface, you’d probably deal out quite a harsh punishment.

That’s revenge. Revenge means getting someone back for what they’ve done to you.

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Now imagine that you’re the one on trial. You slowly crack open the door and walk down the aisle toward the defendant’s chair. Looking up, the person sitting in the judge’s seat is someone you have wronged. Would you want them as your judge? Don’t you think they would be as unfair to you as you would have been to the people who wronged you? Wouldn’t you say, “Wait, I want a different judge! This person won’t give me justice. They’ll punish me worse than I deserve!” Wouldn’t you try to appeal to someone who is impartial, unbiased and fair?

The truth is the only person who can be an impartial, unbiased and completely fair judge, the only one who knows all our motivations and everybody’s back story, is God. He knows the truth, and He will judge justly.

Forgiveness, then, is giving up your “right” to revenge, releasing all your hurt and all your pain into the hands of the only just Judge, and allowing Him to do what is best.

That’s forgiveness.

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But let’s not stop there. You may still be counting on God to deal out the proper punishment you feel this person deserves. Only then will justice be done.

But would you be ok with God taking all that punishment, all that hurt and vengeful payback they deserve, and pouring it out entirely upon Christ on the cross?

If you can say yes to that question, then you truly understand forgiveness.