The Simplicity of Forgiveness

Written by Dennis and Dr. Jen Clark
July 25, 2011

How hard is forgiving your enemies?

Evidently Jesus expects us to forgive even the hard to forgive. If He tells us to do something, He gives grace to do that very thing. Why then do so many people struggle with forgiving even the petty and insignificant? Perhaps believers do not understand how to enter into the simplicity of forgiveness.

True story: Candice, a 60 year old woman, had been gang raped as a young girl by Nazi soldiers in Germany during WWII. Her parents had warned her to stay away, but curiosity enticed her to disobey. Ever since that time, Candice had worn guilt and shame like a garment. The sense of violation gnawed at her every day. For 50 years Candice had tried to suppress the pain, but it was always there right below the surface.

Candice volunteered to receive prayer in front of a large group of people attending a seminar. Not only did she desperately want to be free, but she was willing to expose her hurt that others might learn. Dennis and Dr. Jen prayed with her and in under 10 minutes she was completely free.

At long last she was emotionally healed. The pain was gone. Candice had learned how to present her deepest wounds to Christ the Forgiver and experienced the freedom of forgiveness. Dennis and Dr. Jen saw Candice the next day and she was radiant. Candice said that it was like a new beginning for her. A brand new life without torment!

How could this happen?

Could Candice have forgiven her her rapists? No, even though she knew it was the right thing to do. Why not? Only Christ the Forgiver can truly forgive. Candice was emotionally healed from her traumatic past because she literally experienced God forgiving her enemies. That’s what God does. That’s Who God is.

Everyone faces pain, fears, and difficulties in life, from the death of loved ones to the daily stress at work, home or school. We feel hurt, or irritated, or anxious from time to time. It is all a matter of degree. Some suffer terrible tragedies, while others suffer the daily grinding pressure of living with a hostile spouse, a monotonous job, or financial pressure. Everyone suffers to some extent. Even if our troubles are relatively minor, we all encounter stress.

Forgiveness may be the answer, but forgiveness has been difficult for many Christians. While it is true that some believers have truly suffered terrible wrongs, most have difficulty dealing with even small offenses.

The problem is believers have been trying to forgive through their own efforts rather than relying on Christ the Forgiver. After all, nothing is hard for God! Consider the Apostle Paul's words to the Galatians: 

"How foolish can you be? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort?" (Galatians 3:3 NLT)

We may believe this Biblical truth of forgiveness in principle, but if we struggle with any measure of toxic emotions or stress, from minor worries to deep-seated bitterness, we have not learned how to forgive.

Forgiveness is not just saying the words, “I forgive them, Lord” or “Forgive me, Lord.” Mere mental assent is not sufficient. Nor are mere feelings of regret, even accompanied by tears. Neither is forgiveness a mere decision of our will. We may say, “I choose to forgive them, Lord,” but still harbor hurt in our heart.

If you feel any measure of unpleasant emotion when you think of or picture any person or situation, present or past, then you still need to experience Christ the Forgiver. Ask yourself a few questions:

Do I feel hurt because of what someone did to me in the past?

Do I feel angry about an injustice done to me?

Do I feel intimidated or afraid in certain situations?

Do I put up a “wall” in my gut when I think of certain friends or family members?

It takes complete forgiveness, not partial forgiveness, to deal with these emotions once and for all.

When you received forgiveness from Christ at salvation, did you have to fast and plead? Was it a long process? Not at all! When you were born again, you didn’t have to work for forgiveness or beg God for it, you simply received His free gift with childlike faith. You opened your heart to Him and instantly experienced salvation, accompanied by peace or joy. You yielded your heart and received forgiveness as a gift. And so it is with encountering Christ the Forgiver in daily life: He instantly replaces pain with His peace—with no “process” required.

Could it be that the doctrine that promotes forgiveness as a process originated because we just didn’t understand how to forgive? When we know how to forgive the right way, the process is immediate and permanent, just like our salvation.

Yield, or open to Christ the Forgiver in your heart. Receive forgiveness as a gift. Experience peace. It is that simple!

"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him” (Colossians 2:6 NIV)