The Beauty of Forgiveness

A Gift We Receive, A Gift We Give.

Beloved Friend,

Let’s be honest: imagine if we still had to drag goats, lambs, or pigeons to seek forgiveness for every little mistake. And in this economy? Most of us would be priced out of repentance! The neighbors would see you with your pigeon in hand and think, “Uh oh, what did they do this time?” Thankfully, God spared us from all that. Instead, we have something far better and much less embarrassing. We can just go into our room, quietly ask for forgiveness, and boom! We’re washed clean. No animal sacrifices, no judgmental stares, just the blood of Jesus doing what it does best.

Scripture says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). That’s it. No big ceremony, no price tag attached. His forgiveness isn’t dependent on the “size” of our sin either. He’s not keeping a scoreboard, waiting to see if this one’s too much. Whether it’s something small like a slip of the tongue or something bigger, His grace covers it all.

One of the most amazing things about this relationship with God is that His forgiveness comes without strings. Our flesh is weak, and we’re bound to stumble, especially when we’re just trying to find our footing in Him. Even small acts of disobedience count as falling short. Yet, no matter how many times we mess up, God never shames us or brings up our past mistakes. In fact, once He forgives us, it’s like our slate is wiped clean. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow” (Isaiah 1:18). Isn’t that refreshing?

As Nigerians, we’re all familiar with that moment when you offend your mother, and even though she forgives you, one small mistake can lead to the reopening of the ‘book of offenses.’ You’ll be reminded of every annoying thing you did since childhood (of course, we love our mothers, but you know what I mean!). But God doesn’t operate that way. He doesn’t keep a list of our past sins to pull out when we mess up again. Once forgiven, it’s gone.

Now that we’ve reflected on this beautiful gift of forgiveness from God, let’s talk about something we often forget—forgiving ourselves. Think of the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11). She was dragged before Jesus, with everyone ready to stone her. But instead of condemning her, Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” If Jesus, the One who had every right to judge, chose to forgive her, then why do we find it so hard to forgive ourselves? Once He has released us from our sins, we must do the same for ourselves. There’s no sense in carrying around guilt that Jesus already wiped away.

Lastly, let’s not forget that this forgiveness we’ve received isn’t something we should keep to ourselves. Remember the story of the unforgiving servant (Matthew 18:21-35)? He was forgiven a huge debt by his master but refused to forgive a fellow servant a much smaller debt. The consequences were harsh, and rightfully so. We can’t expect to receive grace but not extend it to others. As we have been freely forgiven, we should be quick to forgive those who wrong us. Holding onto grudges only weighs us down and keeps us from experiencing the fullness of God’s grace in our own lives.

Beloved Friend, the forgiveness we’ve received from God is a precious gift, one that comes without shame or keeping score. Let’s cherish it, forgive ourselves, and extend that same grace to others.

With thoughts of kindness,

ABBA’s Shofar