In Christianity, forgiveness begins with God’s own forgiveness. Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates His love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” God’s action in reconciling humanity to Himself through the death of Jesus is an initiative of forgiveness and the restoration of the relationship between Himself and humankind. In fact, even before Jesus became the atoning sacrifice for human sin, the Garden of Eden had borne silent witness to the pouring out of divine forgiveness. Humanity, who should have died immediately after eating the fruit, instead received God’s mercy, with death executed long after their expulsion from Eden. Beyond Eden, the rainbow that appeared after the flood adds to the long line of God’s initiatives throughout Scripture to forgive humanity and thus allow it to continue existing before Him. Forgiveness, in its various forms, begins with God Himself.
Not only does forgiveness begin with God, but it is also centered on Him. This means that from that forgiveness, human beings then have the responsibility to do the same toward others as an expression of gratitude for the forgiveness God has given. Forgiveness must be reciprocated to God through mercy toward others. The Lord’s Prayer describes this explicitly: “And forgive us our trespasses, as we also forgive those who trespass against us.” The parable of the unmerciful servant (Matt. 18:21–35) also shows that forgiveness granted by God must be responded to with reconciliation toward others. These two passages clearly indicate that forgiveness toward others is never confined solely to human relationships. Our forgiveness of others affects our relationship with God Himself. Therefore, in essence, forgiveness is always God-centered. We forgive because of God, and we can also forgive because of Him.
This foundation of Christian forgiveness—which begins with God and is centered on God—has substantial implications for us. The first implication is that Christian forgiveness is not merely the release of a mental burden. The psychological element in forgiveness cannot be avoided, but it does not end there. Forgiveness is also a theological matter—our business with God. The health of our relationship with God is reflected in our openness to forgive others. Even if it is not always instantaneous, at the very least the direction of one’s heart—whether willing to ignore or not—is laid bare before God. We need to realize that forgiveness is a condition for connectedness with God. At the very least, a willingness to open one’s heart toward forgiveness is a sign that we have a healthy relationship with God.
The final implication, no less significant, is that Christian forgiveness is not done alone. We are accompanied by a Person who is gentle, understanding, and compassionate. He knows very well that forgiving can sometimes be a tough decision and can place us at our lowest point. Therefore, He does not come with a face of judgment, but with a face of strengthening. He does not hastily demand that we release forgiveness as if we had no feelings. Instead, He shares in the pain of our wounds and helps us to acknowledge them fully. Little by little, He binds us up, brings comfort and the necessary events to dress those wounds, and imparts inner strength for us to go through it all. Without realizing it, we begin to open our hearts toward those who have hurt us and forgive them. We cannot do it on our own. But because forgiveness is founded on and centered in God, we are accompanied by His Spirit. This is the good news of Christian forgiveness: forgiveness is not only a personal decision, but also a process of the birth of new awareness, midwifed by God Himself.