Radical Living

“Because He forgave us, we forgive others” Ephesians 4:32. “Because He first loved us, we choose to love others.” 1 John 4:19

Forgiveness…it is the thing we seek for ourselves with a spirit of entitlement but the thing we place conditions upon when asked of us. Notice in the two verses that God comes first in both attitudes, most likely for the reason that He sets the example of how to forgive and how to love.

When left to our own wiles we say I will forgive when they…if they…because they…I will love when they…if they…because they…God doesn’t need our help in defining forgiveness and love. He has made it abundantly clear in the Bible His way. He says I forgive…I love…end of story.

Radical love and forgiveness is when we do it for the LORD not based upon the actions of others. It is a fragrant offering and sacrifice lifted before the LORD out of obedience and respect to Him. Joanna Weaver writes, ‘Choosing to forgive is an act of the will. It is a decision made completely apart from the person or people who hurt us. It doesn’t depend on whether we feel like forgiving or whether the person or people ever repent or deserve our forgiveness. It is a gift we give out of obedience to God.’

It is an 'attitude of gratitude' to God for giving the same to us. Forgiveness is not about being justified in our ‘rightness’ but rather pursuing our ‘righteousness’. It is about believing God at His word and allowing Him the right to rule without our manipulation or calculation.

While we can neither choose our life’s experiences nor 'who does what to us,' we can choose our response to these circumstances. Our responses should always be aligned with the attitude of Christ as He demonstrated while on earth.

Because He exemplified radical forgiveness on the cross for those who were still crucifying we also should. To forgive while we are still being wounded is the same radical action from a radical God. He loved while we still hated…He had no sin but died while we were still sinners…He asks God for our pardon while we still crucify others in our unforgiveness.

LORD, help us to love and forgive in the radical manner in which you love and forgive us. Amen.