Forgiveness

To me forgiveness is a necessity, but I have a knack for holding onto grudges. It has been something I have been working on for a while.

I have been reading in 2 Cor 2:1-11 about the people of Corinth and how forgiveness is a witness of the love you have for others. In verse five and six we read “But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part: that I may not overcharge you all. Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many.” This, to me, is talking about guilt. The guilt which is felt when we choose to wrong someone, or even when we wrong someone and then apologize and they do not forgive us; that feeling is such a downer.

The blessings we reap from forgiving others is forgiveness for our own sins. Also, with the gift of forgiveness comes the power to defend against Satan, as it reads in verse 10 and 11: To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ; Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices. However, if we do fail to forgive, we will be taken advantage of by Satan.