The Promise of Forgiveness

As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. —Psalm 103:12

Forgiveness is a promise to never bring up that sin against that person again—not to God, not to the person who committed it, and not to anyone else. It’s a deliberate decision to deal with another’s sin by doing away with it. With the promise of forgiveness, we relinquish our “right” to punish the offender or to make him pay. His record has been cleared.

Sometimes a woman will come to me and say, “I’ve forgiven so-and-so”—and then she’ll begin listing all the hurtful things that person has done to her. While I can applaud her for recognizing what she needs to do, her own words reveal that she hasn’t truly, fully forgiven—because forgiveness is a promise.

It’s a promise God has made to us. Yes, what we did to Him was real. What we continue to do against Him is real. But by the atoning blood of His Son, God has chosen not to remember our offenses. He has put them behind His back.