Free Falling Forgiveness

I have friend, Bill Gnade, who has a blog called "Contratimes." He has asked for a response to his blog posted on August 20. It would be beneficial to read his entire post but here in essence is his question:

"Do I, as a person who seeks to be approved of God by His grace and mercy and love, forgive others ONLY if they are repentant and contrite: do I forgive them ONLY if they ask for it? Or do I just forgive liberally, without condition?

If I do forgive without condition, do I forgive like God forgives? But we already know God forgives conditionally: He will not forgive those who do not forgive others. Does God forgive those who do not want to be forgiven? Does He forgive those who do not believe they've done anything wrong or that they have any debts?"


Here is my response:
To all of the questions that you ask, I would answer with a resounding yes. Yes, I forgive those who are repentant and contrite, that’s a beautiful thing, Yes, I forgive them if they ask for it, this makes one smile. Yes, I forgive liberally and without condition. This is tough but yes, I forgive! I am free to forgive and the focus is on the freedom.

We have been offered freedom. We are free to operate in love that enables us to cut an ugly cord of bitterness that desires to strangle, kill, and defeat.

Freedom to forgive offers me the opportunity to view the world, a group, a family, a person, a situation with a perspective that allows me freedom to love. The bondage of bitterness inhibits my ability to move freely through a given day.

The mechanics of forgiveness are beyond me as is the mechanics of the car I drive, the air-conditioner in my home offering me relief, the computer that I use to communicate. I marvel at how the internal workings of my person can shift and move in a new direction with the utterance of these three words: I forgive you. I am awed that I am free to utter these words, the very words that change the internal structure and inner workings of my being and allow a complete perspective change within myself. The mechanics are all about the life hid in Christ…

There was one day in history when Jesus offered me freedom. The significance of that day is beyond beyond and the freedom of that day is tsunami like. Overwhelmingly encompassing, grace like and endless as a roaming field bathed in the setting sun.. He loved me that day, loves me this day and my love for Him is expressed by using my gift He offered me, the freedom to forgive.

His weakened body on that curse-ridden, God-awful tree powerfully created peace. That one day in history everything changed. I’ve often wondered what amazing light show beyond light show those with spiritual eyes were able to witness on that day. It was that day our physical eyes spared us from the spiritual blaze and reality that occurred. Two men were morphed, melted, fused into one and peace resulted. Up until this point in history no one had been able to accomplish this, life waited for this moment. (Eph 2:14-17)

The result of His death ushered in peace. He had forgiven all. We continue to fight forgetting peace has been created, we worry forgetting peace is here. We refuse to forgive because we are waiting for perfect alignment of circumstantial specifics completely forgetting peace has happened. There is peace and this peace allows us the freedom to forgive.

It is no longer a pursuit of peace it is the presence of peace and the infusion of peace which allows us to actively practice the forgiveness that Christ offered through reestablishing peace.

When everything is boiled down to its essence you ask yourself what is it that makes a life, a year, a month, a week, a day, a moment a good one. It is this, freedom to love, the freedom to offer forgiveness.

The freedom to love, to offer forgiveness is truly a gift. I did not work to accomplish this feat; I have no impressive degrees to dust off to show anyone the work it took me to get to this status. I can only point you to the one who accomplished what it took for me to operate in freedom, the freedom to forgive.

He loved me, he created peace for me. When I forgive I am only doing what falls in line with the biggest event in history, I am only doing what makes the most sense as a result of His tragic, forgiveness forging death…I am loving Him by forgiving you. To God be the glory great things He has done! I am free to fly above circumstantial evidence, I can forgive you.