Why are we called to forgive? Does forgiving someone mean forgetting their actions or words? What does forgetting mean within forgiving someone? These are questions many of us ask when we talk about forgiveness. Let’s take a quick look at why God forgives and use His example as the model for our own forgiveness.

God always forgives us. God knows we are incapable of being perfect, so He forgives us for any discretion. In fact, He is such an equal forgiver that no matter what you have done in life, He gives you the same amount of forgiveness as anyone else. If you are a mass murderer who asks for His forgiveness just before you are put to death, He will forgive you. He will also hold you as high as the man who has been serving Him in ministry his whole life. Why does He forgive this way? So that no man can boast.

Does God forget your sins? Of course not. God knows all. Does God ever bring your sins up again for discussion, count them against you, or to expect that you will always be that way with resentment in His heart? No. The Lord forgives us, and encourages us through His word to give grace to others as He has given us grace. He knows that we are incapable of being perfect, and He wants us to expect that of others as well.

So how should we forgive others? We should let go of our resentment and not bring old things back up again. If we have not let go of that resentment, have we forgiven them? Does that mean we forget? Of course not. We are incapable of forgetting, but we do not bring those sins or wrong doings back up against that person again. We are to extend the grace, given to us, to others.

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