It has the power to transform
And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. (Ephesians 4:32 KJV)
I once read a definition of forgiveness that said that forgiveness is to make it as if the wrong had never happened. That sounds like God’s definition of forgiveness. Picture a field of pure white snow, and smack-dab in the middle of that field, a pool of blood. Gruesome, I know. It’s also very noticeable. The red against the white is pretty hard to miss. Along comes a fresh snowfall, and all that blood is covered up, just as if it were never there.
That is how God forgives; He makes it as if the wrong had never happened. “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool”. This is a passage from the first chapter of the book of Isaiah, where God is rebuking Israel for having turned away from Him, rebelled, and basically become like Sodom and Gomorrah.
But after 15 verses of telling them that they have turned away from Him, the message abruptly changes to one of redemption. He tells the people to make themselves clean, learn to do good, seek justice, and finally, that even though their sins are as scarlet, He will make them white as snow.
Forgiveness brings newness of life and liberation for you, and it has the power to transform the life of the recipient of your forgiveness. [1]
Forgiveness is unlocking the door to set someone free and realising you were the prisoner! — Max Lucado
[1] Anchor The Forgiveness Challenge
