SHOULD WE FORGIVE WHEN THERE'S NO "I'M SORRY?"

Here's another thing that I have heard in the last year or two: The Bible never teaches that we must forgive if the other person doesn't say, "I'm sorry."

I did not have to even spend time thinking this through. I can hardly believe such a thought. The Bible is FULL of God's forgiveness with no "I'm sorrys." And if there were no other verse but the following one, it would be enough.

"Forbearing one another and forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you."

Christ pronounced forgiveness from the cross long before I was born. He forgave me long before the words, "I'm sorry," ever left my lips or my heart. He forgave me because He loved me deeply. That is where the trouble lies, I think; we don't love deeply enough to generously pour out forgiveness on each other.

Keeping in mind that Ken is not here to tell stories of his own, please let me tell you that there was enough in our marriage for me to withhold forgiveness based upon the statement in my first paragraph. It took long, long years before Ken was able to say, "I'm sorry." I think that came from way back in his growing up years. Nevertheless, if I would have based forgiveness on the words, "I'm sorry," from him, we would not have been married 42.5 years! I can honestly say that I forgave him because I loved him deeply...and--very importantly--I knew that I had my own set of sins and issues in my own life.

Romans 5:8...But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." The forgiveness of Jesus came to us while we were unsaved, unlovely, unworthy. Do you not think that we should sincerely and with finality, forgive those who keep hurting us or sinning against us?

You know, I've done so many sinful things, and lived periods of life when I was not what I should have been at all. When I stop to think of my own wickedness, I know that I cannot withhold my full forgiveness to those who hurt me or sin against me and do not say, "I'm sorry."

Don't get me wrong. The ideal thing is when we do say we're sorry, when that person who is constantly hurting you does say, "I'm sorry." Then the apology and the forgiveness work together for an awesome relationship restored. In the meantime, at least for me, based upon my own struggle with still getting things wrong and saying the wrong things, commissions and omissions, I wish for full forgiveness to be something I want to freely bestow.

I need the same from you.