To err is human and to forgive is divine – Alexander Pope
The life of the Christian is the life of Christ on earth. Paul puts it this way, “It is no longer I that live, but Christ who lives in me.”
For us as believers, Jesus Christ is the example of what life ought to be. But beyond being the example and pattern for our lives, He is our life.
When Jesus says that we should love one another as He has loved us, he is declaring that he has demonstrated true love to us, and we should likewise do the same.
Therefore, in our relationships, we ought to treat one another as Christ treated or treats us.
The quote, to err is human and to forgive is divine, is not in the Bible. It was written by the 18th Century English poet Alexander Pope in his poem, An Essay on Criticism, of which a part reads:
Ah ne’er so dire a Thirst of Glory boast,
Nor in the Critick let the Man be lost!
Good-Nature and Good-Sense must ever join;
To err is Humane; to Forgive, Divine.
Pope is saying people do make mistakes, but our aspiration should be to act as God does by showing mercy and forgiveness to those who sin against us.
We all face challenges with people, but it is those to whom we are closest that their offences do get to the heart.
You might have had issues with someone who offended or continues to offend you and you find it ‘impossible’ to forgive.
Sometimes we hear people say things like, ‘I cannot forgive him. Do you know what he did to me? No, I cannot.’
In my book, Fulfilling Your Destiny, I testify of how, several years ago, some people upon whom I had placed a high degree of trust, did what I deemed to be an unpardonable offence against me. I told of how I found it difficult to forgive them.
To forgive someone is an act of faith. I wrote in the book, Fulfilling Your Destiny, that I mentioned earlier, that:
Forgiveness is not an emotion; it is a decision. Once the enemy observes that you want to ‘feel’ that you have forgiven, he will constantly bring thoughts to your mind to make you feel that unforgivingness is still in your heart. Let me say it again, forgiveness is a decision.
If you have chosen to forgive, hold on to that decision and then by faith, begin to act accordingly.
Because forgiving others is based on the Word of God, forgiveness is primarily an act of faith in obedience to God’s Word.
When you are consistent in that faith-act, your feelings will, perhaps not immediately but ultimately, follow your faith.
God has not called us to easy things. Rather, He has called us to supernatural things. So when a believer says he cannot forgive someone, He is actually declaring that he does not have Christ in his life. That is not true!
As a child of God you cannot declare with one breath that you “can do all things through Christ who strengthens” you and with another say, “I can never forgive him for what he did to me.” That is a contradiction.
Also, to forgive someone is an act of divine love. It is a testimony to who is in charge of your life, either the flesh or the Spirit of God.
To forgive does not mean you have to fraternise with someone who has done you evil. In many cases, the trust will have to be rebuilt for that to be.
But it does mean that you do not treat the person based on his sin against you, but on the love which God has for you, which He has asked you to demonstrate to others, based on His life in you and not because of their actions towards you. He loves you and forgave you of your sins.
Forgiveness is not about what a person has done to you it is about, how you respond to what has been done to you.
Forgiveness is not about you, it is about Christ in you. The fact that you stand as a representative or an ambassador of Christ, means that your character reflects His.
That you love one another as I have loved you.
The matter of forgiveness is so important to the Lord that He said:
And whenever you stand praying, if you find that you carry something in your heart against another person, release him and forgive him so that your Father in heaven will also release you and forgive you and forgive your faults. But if you will not release forgiveness, don’t expect your Father in heaven to release you from your misdeeds.
Jesus made this statement in Mark 11, as part of a teaching on faith and prayer. In other words, all exercise of faith and prayer is a waste if you do not forgive others.
Friend, forgiveness is an act of love as much as it is an act of faith. You are declaring that Christ is in you; that you walk in the spirit and not in the flesh. For us as believers, our faith works by love.
All that matters now is living by faith that is activated and brought to perfection by love.
Self is the greatest hindrance to forgiveness. Forgiving others often means to die to oneself.
Following Christ involves carrying a cross. The Cross is a place of death, not a place of fun and excitement. The Cross is where self dies.
Pride, which is a manifestation of self and a work of the flesh, can get in the way and hinder your propensity to forgive.
Pride precedes destruction; an arrogant spirit appears before a fall.
Pride destroys. To protect you from the destruction that pride brings, pride will have to be broken in your life.
Your heavenly Father, who loves you, will see to it as a matter of discipline, that pride is broken from your life. You can choose to make it a lengthy and painful process by being unyielding in your unforgiveness or an easy one through obedience.
We all remember the parable of the unforgiving servant, which the Lord gave in response to the question Peter asked about how often he should forgive his brother. Up to seven times, and He said no, seventy times seven.
The master of a servant as a matter of compassion (love) forgave the debt of a servant who owed him a large amount, but the same servant refused to forgive his companion who owed him far much less.
It is not about the number of times or the gravity a person may have offended you, but about your commitment to loving others through forgiving them because Christ has also forgiven you.
What do you choose? Let us choose His word. Let us walk by faith. Let us walk in love. Let us forgive.
Now I tell you to love each other, as I have loved you.
Thank you.
Do not forget to keep Living, Loving and Learning.
References:
- Galatians 2:20; John 15:12; Mark 11:25-26, TPT, Galatians 5:6, TPT; Pro 16:18, ISV; John 15:12; Matthew 18:21-35.
- Alexander Pope: An Essay on Criticism, Part II, 1711.
- FULFILLING YOUR DESTINY: Breaking Away from Your Past into Fulfilling God’s Plan and Purpose for Your Life, 2004 by Solomon A. Aror: Wordworth International.
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