Forgiveness is NOT mentally trying to reduce someone’s offense (reframe it, excuse it due to past trauma, etc.) to the point where we can humanly swallow it and “let it go”.

Forgiveness is facing the full awfulness of the offense against us and acknowledging the full punishment deserved for it… then accepting that the punishment has already been carried out in full, leaving no debt still due to us.

The cross leaves us free to forgive the most heinous offenses. How can we not?

Surely he took up our pain
    and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
    stricken by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
    he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
    and by his wounds we are healed.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
    each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
    the iniquity of us all.

Isaiah 53:4-6

© 2015 Deborah Morris

Questions or Comments?