4 Reasons to Choose to Forgive

The following is an excerpt from Choosing to Forgive that explains four reasons to choose to forgive.

Forgiveness is not normally easy. It can seem much easier to hold a grudge and hang on to past offenses. We feel justified in this because we have truly been wronged, and the sin against us was real and painful. So, why should a believer choose to forgive? Why should we make sure that we let go of bitterness and resentment and release those who have wronged us? I will cover four significant reasons below.

1. Acknowledging Our Own Forgiveness

When you choose to forgive, you are doing it in response to the forgiveness you have received from God. The apostle Paul put it this way: “…bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do” (Colossians 3:13). Believers in Christ are the recipients of God’s forgiveness. This is not a forgiveness that we earned or deserved. It is the gift of God’s grace made possible by the blood of Jesus shed on the cross.

When we extend forgiveness, we are doing it from the place of one who has been forgiven a debt that we could never repay. The fruit of receiving God’s forgiveness is that we are able to extend forgiveness to others.

 2. Following Jesus’ Example

When you choose to forgive, you are following the example of Jesus. He not only taught forgiveness, but He also modeled it for us. In the midst of the horrific trauma, suffering, and humiliation of the crucifixion, Jesus made a point to extend forgiveness: “Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do’” (Luke 23:34). Perhaps it could be said that we are never more like Jesus than when we choose to forgive. He set forth the example for us to follow, forgiving the most unjust and heinous acts committed against Him.

To be a believer is to be a follower of Christ—and to be a follower of Christ is to forgive. Walking in the footsteps of Jesus means that we choose to forgive even when it is difficult to do.

 3. Obeying God’s Commands

When you choose to forgive, you are obeying God’s commands. Consider again the following passage that we looked at in a previous chapter.

And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses. (Mark 11:25-26)

We’ve already seen Paul’s exhortation to forgive in Colossians 3:13, and he gives a similar admonition in Ephesians 4:31-32 (emphasis added):

Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

We are not to allow bitterness or hatred to occupy a place in our hearts. The consistent teaching of the Bible is that God commands us to forgive as we have been forgiven. When you choose to forgive, you are walking in obedience to the Lord.

4. Walking in Freedom

When you choose to forgive, you are setting yourself free from a spiritual prison. In a typical prison, inmates do not hold the key to their own freedom. But when unforgiveness is the prison, forgiveness is the escape.

In Chapter 2 we looked at Jesus’ parable about forgiveness in Matthew 18. The servant who was forgiven by the king but refused to forgive his fellow servant ended up being handed over to torturers. Then Jesus spoke the sobering words, “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses” (Matthew 18:35).

In Chapter 3 we looked further into the subject of how unforgiveness opens the door to various types of torment and demonic influence. This is a reality that is rooted in Scripture and that I have seen confirmed many times over while ministering deliverance over the past two decades. The bottom line is that unforgiveness puts you in a spiritual prison while choosing to forgive opens the prison door so that you can go free.

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We live in a fallen world that is full of broken people. It is inevitable that as we walk through life, we will experience hurt and be sinned against by others to one degree or another. How we respond to these situations has a dramatic impact on our life, relationship with God, and destiny.

Choosing to Forgive gives biblical teaching and encouragement to help you release the ones who have hurt you so that you can walk in the freedom that God has for you.