Photo: Jesus and the woman taken in adultery.

I was talking with a friend recently and they asked my opinion whether I believed there would be anything beneficial gained from doing an anger management counselling course… because they are going through life angry.
Taking this course was to be an act of ‘self-help’ because they wanted to overcome their anger and ‘find peace’.
Having done an anger management course myself many years ago I said that I benefitted from it, and that she probably would too.
It was then that she confided in me what was the chief source of her anger… a shocking, callous act of double betrayal… Infidelity.
I believe this took place along while ago, yet she has been carrying this stone in her heart for a long time.
She’s had enough and is now looking for a way to unburden herself from the deep anger and hurt: explaining to me that talking with her son he said to her “…I hope you find peace Mum…”
She replied… “I’ll never forget this… I’ll never forgive it, and when I die I won’t be at peace…”
The way she expressed this… that she would carry this grievance to her grave caused me to stop in my tracks (mentally speaking) for she was talking about *very heavy* moral realities.
I could see the pain she was still feeling… and burden of carrying this conviction of having been grievously wronged.

Now after hearing the sordid story, and seeing my friend does not like what her bitterness is doing to her life… I shared with her my Christian perspective hoping that might provide a pathway whereby she might find peace.
This conversation is the reason I have written this Blogpost.

It is the Christian perspective on Forgiveness.

Before I lay out the central principles, let me state that what happened was wrong, and she is justified in feeling hurt and betrayed. Trust was broken, and so it is easy to see why on these facts some might say she would be fully justified in taking her anger to her grave… yet what does this anger achieve?
It does nothing to solve the hurt… in fact carrying this perpetually only adds pain and misery upon herself.

Carrying anger and unforgiveness is a form of self-torture!

The issue is… can any valid reasons be found to forgive the wrong she has suffered?
Is there any way my friend can put down this heavy weight and enjoy the future free from anger and hurt…and at the appointed time… go to her rest with peace in her heart?

I began to share my Christian perspective on forgiveness…

Forgiveness is a fundamental tenet of Christianity as it lies at the heart of Our relationship to God.

The Bible tells us We are sinful and fallen beings in jeopardy of God’s judgement for our evils.

“There is none righteous, no not one.”
Romans 3vs10
“For all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God”
Romans 3vs23

This is one of the primary facts we must admit *about ourselves* if we are to any hope of ending our separation from God… *We ourselves* are sinful, imperfect and have committed evils against God, and our fellow man.

Never be so self deluded into assuming our own sins we’ve committed against others as being ‘Far less wicked’ than any sins we have suffered from others.
Satan laughing spreads his wings!

How then… given this is true about ourselves… how can we possible stand in self-righteous Judgement of others?

We can’t.

Jesus said ‘that by the same measures we use to Judge and condemn others… God shall use to judge us our selves!
So that by coldly judging others… in fact we condemn ourselves for we are guilty of the same kind of things… ie we are not perfect… we have committed evils we ought to answer for… even if they are not identical to evils we have personally suffered at the hands of others.
We have done despicable things and hurt others too.
Realising our own imperfection, and our own guilt…. from this we discover *our own need for God’s forgiveness*… and the forgiveness of others we have wronged.

We must never forget that we ourselves actually deserve to face Divine judgement. We have all stolen things that don’t belong to us… We have all told lies and deceived others… we (adults) have all committed various types of sexual immorality, for many of us that includes Adultery… yet in spite of all this Evil on our own part, The incredible message of the Bible is that God has loves us and want’s to forgive us all!
We can escape the just judgement of the Almighty… Why? How? Because God is not merely a Righteous Judge. He is also a Loving Father… and full of Mercy and grace!

The Christian Gospel tells us that… “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son [Jesus] that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life…”
John 3vs16
The Apostle Paul say’s “God commendeth his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us…”
Romans 5vs8

Christ paid the penalty for our sins on the cross, so justice has been served in Gods eyes… as far as our sins are concerned. He settled our debt to God. He’s already satisfied God’s justice!
Jesus was sinnless… yet he died for My sins… he died for your sins… he died for everyone’s sins whosoever will look to his cross in faith.
When Christ rose from the dead, this testified to his victory over sin and death.

So believing this good news, I now have faith that when I die I shall not face judgement for my many evils. They have been paid in full by Jesus. and my loving heavenly Father [God] did all this so he could forgiven me!

” For by grace are ye saved, through faith. and that not of yourselves [our own faithfulness and righteousness] *it is the gift of Gift of God*.
Not of works lest any man should boast…”
Ephesians 2vs8,9.

“Whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved…”
Romans 10vs13

So many people do not understand who the Lord God of the Bible is! They think he is a nasty Cold vicious Judging God, when in truth he is Love and full of grace!

Don’t let Satan deceive you about the true nature of the God of the Bible.

Receive God’s gift of grace and have assurance of God’s forgiveness for our wicked deeds. Believe the gospel and you shall be forgiven.

“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us…”
Titus 3vs5

And having received to forgiveness of God… by pure grace… how then can we remain unforgiving of others whom have wronged us?

Remember what Christ said to his disciples when he taught them to pray…

“Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory,
forever and ever.
For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
Amen.”
Matthew 6vs9- 14

Now it is important to know that under our gospel given to us via our Apostle Paul that our salvation is a free gift and not dependent upon us ‘forgiving others’ as Jesus taught his Jewish disciples, for we Christians live today in a different part of God’s plan, and are under a different gospel to the one Jesus offered to Israel… yet reading Jesus words we can still clearly appreciate the hypocrisy that is involved when believers who hope for the forgiveness of God for our trespasses yet we ourselves are not prepared to forgive others whom have trespassed against us!

Who pretends to have lived a sinless life?
Who among us have not learned terrible lesions the hard way?
Who has not in the past done things which today they deep regret and had they opportunity to turn back time… they would not repeat those grave errors?
Who among us have not repented in our hearts for our wicked deeds?
Who among us could stand were we to be held to account for every great evil we ourselves have committed?
Who among us does not need forgiveness and a second chance to be better people?

Knowing the grace and mercy of God toward us ought to fill us with wonder thanksgiving, and humility.

To anyone who wrongs us we ought to say “We are fortunate that Jesus has paid for all the evils you and I have committed, and has provided a way for us to be forgiven by God… therefore for his sake and the great mercy he has shown me, I likewise forgive you for I cannot remain hard of heart in the face of God’s grace and mercy towards myself.
Trust in the Lord and the Salvation of his Cross, and you too can be forgiven by God for your sins.

Thus it is knowing the richness of God’s grace towards ourselves, we ought to be able to find the High Path… the better way to live… to chose to be like our Good and loving and wise Heavenly Father… Like Jesus Christ himself.
Become a vessel of Grace!
This is the will of God.

Now I hope in considering these Christian truths than my friend will appreciate why she ought to unburden herself from harbouring unforgiveness… Jettison That cold hard stone in your heart!
Free yourself… rest in the peace of God Almighty.

I will finish with Christ’s most famous of sayings when the Pharisees brought before him a woman caught in adultery to test him saying the Law of Moses says she should be stoned to death!
But What sayest thou?

Jesus said “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone…”
John 8.
King James Bible.

Amazing Grace!
How sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found.
Was blind but now I see.

And let us never forget the chaos and hurt our evil deeds cause to God, and our fellow man…

Tim Wikirwihi
Christian Libertarian.

More from Tim…

HELL IS FOR THE SELF RIGHTEOUS, HEAVEN IS FOR SINNERS.

CHRIST’S WORK OF SALVATION ON THE CROSS… THE GREAT EQUALISER.