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Forgiveness
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Contents
TOC \o "1-3" \h \z \u Introduction PAGEREF _Toc30928291 \h 3
Forgiveness in its Earliest Context PAGEREF _Toc30928292 \h 3
Forgiveness in the Old Testament PAGEREF _Toc30928293 \h 4
Forgiveness in the New Testament PAGEREF _Toc30928294 \h 4
Universality of Sin PAGEREF _Toc30928295 \h 4
Nature of Sin PAGEREF _Toc30928296 \h 5
Consequences of Sin PAGEREF _Toc30928297 \h 5
Moral Impotency PAGEREF _Toc30928298 \h 6
Reciprocity of Forgiveness PAGEREF _Toc30928299 \h 7
Forgiveness in Luke’s Sermon on the Plain PAGEREF _Toc30928300 \h 8
Relationship between Forgiveness by God and People PAGEREF _Toc30928301 \h 8
Who Deserves Salvation PAGEREF _Toc30928302 \h 8
Forgiveness in a Broader Context PAGEREF _Toc30928303 \h 9
Interpretation of Forgiveness in Multiple Perspectives PAGEREF _Toc30928304 \h 10
Heidegger’s Expression PAGEREF _Toc30928305 \h 11
The Need for Forgiveness PAGEREF _Toc30928306 \h 11
Forgiveness transforms the Self and the World PAGEREF _Toc30928307 \h 12
The Psychology of Forgiveness PAGEREF _Toc30928308 \h 13
Forgiveness gives Meaning to Life PAGEREF _Toc30928309 \h 13
Motives for Forgiveness PAGEREF _Toc30928310 \h 14
Conclusion PAGEREF _Toc30928311 \h 16
Forgiveness
Introduction
Forgiveness is an act of God that gives people hope of salvation. The humans have an innate tendency of committing evil deeds. The challenge for humanity is to decline the temptations of evil-doings and become good in every aspect. However, their natural tendency toward evil does not allow them to remain consistently good. Therefore, the situations arise in mutual relationships of people where they are supposed to perform deeds of forgiveness. While carrying out forgiveness, people find certain difficulties due to the pain they had received by the evil-doer. God wants His people to overcome their weakness and carry out forgiveness at large. The religion, science, and mutual kindness among the humans provide many motives to people to demonstrate forgiveness in their lives. It gives meanings to life and increases the chances of salvation. Thesis Statement: Forgiveness being a part of salvation has its inevitable significance in giving meaning to life and transforming individuals, relationships, and societies.
Forgiveness in its Earliest Context
The story of Adam and Eve has proved to be an esteemed way of expressing the salvation logic in the religion of Christianity. This is because of the idea inherent in this myth that evil prevailed on the earth because of the free choice given to the humans for choosing from good and bad. Forgiveness becomes a necessity when it is considered that humans make choices against the will of God due to their natural weakness and because they get tempted by the materialistic things. When Adam and Eve could not keep their promise that they had made to God, they repented in the true sense and found no way to overcome the consequences of their act except to seek refuge in God’s mercy. Hence, forgiveness becomes their utmost necessity and they sought God’s forgiveness heart and soul. God has all powers, and it is He who takes the initiative first to grant redemption to human beings. He confers forgiveness on His servants.
Forgiveness in the Old Testament
The Old and the New Testament give evidence that God is Merciful. His mercy has certain implications that must be considered while studying the topic of forgiveness in the light of the Testaments. God wants His servants to turn to Him in all aspects and circumstances of life. He loves his people when they come to Him in the pursuit of forgiveness and salvation. He, in fact, does not approve that His people ignore Him in the activities of their life. Instead, He urges them to seek forgiveness from Him and become His faithful servants. The Old Testament explains God’s forgiveness by saying that He is Gracious, He is Merciful; His anger is not abrupt; His love for people is abundant; He does not want to punish His people unless they deserve that punishment (Jonah 4:2b). Another aspect of this discussion is that human beings are supposed to take a further step in the way of forgiveness. They should imitate God in the act of forgiveness, they should demonstrate a forgiving behavior with one another in their social and professional life.
Forgiveness in the New Testament
Universality of Sin
Forgiveness can be considered as a part of the broader concept of salvation, which encompasses all blessings of God. In order to understand the significance and role of forgiveness in the religion of Christianity, certain things need to be understood clearly. Sin is universal, and Paul’s letter that he wrote to the Romans considers this fact with full awareness. The major religious populations of the world are all under the power of sin, whether they are Jews or gentiles. Jews have violated the laws and commands given to them by God through Moses. Gentiles have also violated the laws of God, which He has written in their conscience. The same is the case of Adam and Eve who could not resist eating the fruit of the tree of moral sense, knowledge of good and evil. Therefore, all humans come under the influence of sin.
Nature of Sin
The very nature of sin is to turn away from God. This consideration is evident in the descriptions given by Paul. Adam and Eve forgot the promise they had made to God. They, although not intentionally, ate the forbidden fruit because they were trapped in the logic given to them by the serpent. The gentiles proved from their actions that they turn away from God. It has been recorded in the Book of Romans that the gentiles did not honor God despite the fact that they knew him very well; they even could not be thankful to God for His countless blessings; instead, they could not be able to think in a useful manner; darkness fell on their minds (Romans 1:21). The Jews did not follow what God has commanded to them. Hence, all came under the power of sin. The point here is that sin is a representative word for the act of turning away from God, either deliberately or inadvertently. It is clear that turning away from someone means breaking the relationship. Consequently, sin is an act of human beings that breaks their relationship with God. This is when God’s forgiveness comes in and lends a supportive hand to humanity to come out of their moral deprivations.
Consequences of Sin
Sin has consequences that are universal. When Adam and Eve came under the power of sin, they lost their closeness with self and God, which they had earlier. They were exiled from the Garden of Eden, and they had to undertake the responsibilities of life on this earth. They bore hardships in the form of childbearing. They had to till the soil. Sin had affected the human relations from the beginning of history. The murder of Abel by Cain is an example illustrating how sin makes the life of humans devoid of all moral, ethical, and human values. The consequences of sin cause devastation of human relationships. When the consequences of sin are traced among the gentiles, it becomes clear that their minds went blunt, and their sense of self was declined to the extent that they found pleasure in the most useless involvements, such as impurity, lust, idolatry, and besides these, humiliating their own bodies in front of each other. Jews also bore the consequences of sin as revealed by the Law.
Moral Impotency
The crucial point regarding the implications of turning away from God is that human beings find it impossible to reverse the consequences of sin. For instance, one significant effect of sin is that human beings become morally impotent. They can see the difference between good and evil and know that the good must be chosen when there is evil as another option, yet they find it difficult to choose the good over the evil consistently. Paul has narrated that he can intend to do what he thinks is right but he cannot do it; he commits evil that he does not want to commit; and he does not perform the good deed that he always wants to do (Rom 7:8b – 9). God’s grace is His gift to humanity that transcends human will by enabling it to actually choose what it wants to pursue. Through Christ, God sent His grace to the people. The Christians must believe in the true sayings of Christ that God’s salvation will come to them as Abraham believed that the promises of God regarding the fruitfulness of righteous efforts would be fulfilled. The domination of sin over the Christians can be overcome by believing in the teachings of Christ.
Reciprocity of Forgiveness
The Christians have to strive to demonstrate that they can confer forgiveness on those who have sinned against us. This practice has evidence in Christ’s life; when his disciples requested him to teach them the way they should pray to God, he told them to praise to God for long time and ask Him for bread. Then, they should ask Him to confer on them His forgiveness so that they may get released from the power of sin. Forgiveness seems to be conditional according to Matthews where the followers of Christ pray to God by saying that He should forgive their debts as they had forgiven their debtors (Matthews 6:12). This calls for an imitation of the action of God, which is the highest motivation for humans to carry out an action.
Jesus did not only want that people should forgive each other occasionally, he actually wanted them to carry out the practice of forgiveness persistently. When Peter asked Jesus how many times he should forgive others, Jesus responded as many times as it is called for (Matthews 18:21 – 22). Jesus also told the parable of that king who forgave a person the debt owed to him, with an intention that the person will do the same to his fellow beings. But, when that person did not forgive other person’s debt owed to him, the king was angry and he ordered to capture and torture that person until he returns all debt owed to the king. This implies that the people must be seriously concerned with this teaching of forgiveness, and they should exhibit a forgiving behavior unto others so that they may get grace, salvation, and forgiveness.
Forgiveness in Luke’s Sermon on the Plain
In Luke’s Sermon on the Plain, the teachings of Jesus regarding the act of forgiveness have an extended vision of a universal love that calls for forgiveness to be given to friends as well as enemies (Luke 6: 17 – 49). Jesus has clearly stated his vision of forgiveness that people should listen to their enemies; they should love them; good is to be done in any case even it is reverted with hate; people should bless others even they get cursed by others; one should pray for others no matter others abuse in return (Luke 6:27 – 28). Jesus declares the reward for this kind of moral behavior by saying that the reward of such forgiveness would be great and the doers would be regarded high near Him Who is the greatest of all; this is because He Himself is kind to those who are wicked and ungrateful; people should be merciful unto others as their Lord is Merciful to them (Luke 6:35b – 36).
Relationship between Forgiveness by God and People
Luke has not only described the things necessary for salvation, but he has also explained the actions of God related to forgiveness. He has also shed light on the relationship between the acts of God and the deeds of human beings, related to forgiveness. He explains that the wicked and ungrateful commit evil and deserve God’s punishment, yet God shows His Mercy and forgives them. This gives hope of salvation to all humanity. The point of consideration in this regard is that people should imitate God in their acts of forgiveness so that they can become His beloved.
Who Deserves Salvation
Luke and Matthew explain the act of forgiveness in the way that not only tells the reader what people should do so that they can get salvation, but also what they should become to win salvation. It has been given in the beginning of Luke’s Sermon on the plain that the poor are the ones who are blessed as they will win the kingdom of God; and the rich will have woe in the long run as they have already received their consolation (Luke 6:20b; 24). By this statement, Jesus meant actually that his believers should not be superficial in their understanding of faith. They must value morality, and therefore, he degraded intentionally the value of worldly things such as wealth. Jesus inverted the thinking of people by giving value to morally lofty deeds such as forgiveness. Since the poor are away from the luxuries of life, their hearts are relatively purer than the rich. They have an increased moral potency to choose the good over the evil, and they can forgive others easily. Jesus has told his people in this saying who are those to get salvation in the end. Those who manage to get more wealth are not supposed to win eternal salvation. It is only a superficial approach to construct a belief if someone compares salvation with wealth. Jesus clearly explained that salvation will be conferred on those who believe in moral values and possess good characters such that they can forgive all people as their Lord blesses everyone with forgiveness.
Forgiveness in a Broader Context
Forgiveness can be understood in a broader perspective that comprises intimacy with self, intimacy with God, and intimacy with neighbor. This begins with the initiation of the moral sense in human beings. As soon as a human acquires the moral sense, he or she is on the verge of intimacy with the self. The moral sense allows a person to become closer to self. This intimacy needs to be disposed of to get closeness to God. When a person becomes forgetful of self, he or she is capable of doing deeds by transcending the self. These deeds of sincerity and selflessness makes the person closer to God spiritually. Finally, the spiritual closeness of a person to God will direct him or her to understand and help the neighbors or the fellow humans. To conclude, it can be said that forgiveness is a deed of high morality, and a person needs to raise above the self to be able to do that. Forgiveness is not an easy thing to demonstrate in one’s behavior. It actually originates from a character and mindset that have been developed through efforts done on multiple levels of consciousness. It has been said that knowing oneself is the key to know God. When someone is able to know the self, truth becomes clear in front of that person. Abandoning oneself for the Will of God allows one to be able to deserve the Grace of God, and the God’s Grace bestows the ability to forgive others, whether they are the friends, strangers, or enemies. In the teachings of Jesus, one can get sufficient insight of what is to be done to become able to forgive others. The teachings sufficiently elaborate the process of personal development and discuss human nature from multiple perspectives. For instance, Jesus says that those who claim to love God without showing any affection toward their brothers and sisters are lying actually because a person who cannot love lose whom he or she can see cannot also love God Whom he cannot see (1 john 4:20). This is a clear evidence of how Jesus has reflected on human nature and psychology in respect of their ability or inability of doing a good deed such as love or forgiveness. Ultimately, salvation is bestowed to those who can prove themselves that they really deserve it.
Interpretation of Forgiveness in Multiple Perspectives
Forgiveness in Christianity, as explained in the above-said discussion, has been taught to the highest level of practice. It is very fortunate for a person if he or she can manage to follow that high standard of moral competence. However, it is also fruitful to discuss the act of forgiveness in the light of other sources of knowledge. If forgiveness is studied by putting in the reflections on experiences and deriving the related psychological wisdom from them, it can prove to be literally helpful to extend the understanding in this regard. People change with the changes occurred over time in social, cultural, and psychological aspects. Therefore, it is useful to interpret universal ideas in a way that is more acceptable to them according to their present terminology and mindset.
Heidegger’s Expression
Heidegger describes forgiveness as a way of life that has its particular expressions of repeated acts of forgiveness. According to him, forgiveness is not a one-time job; it is a recurring attitude and behavior that allow a person to develop a life-long forgiving character. Habits are not developed in a day or two. It takes long periods of consistent activity and repetition of the same thing to be instilled deep down in one’s mentality. People indulge in doing good things, but mostly, they cannot do those good things consistently. This is because they cannot overcome their weaknesses all the time. Therefore, it is suggested in Heidegger’s discussions about forgiveness that a person should continuously practice the act of forgiving until it becomes an integral part of his or her personality. The beginnings of forgiveness are usually fragile, and then it gradually blossoms to become a full flower through frequent repetition of the act.
The Need for Forgiveness
A fundamental concept that needs to be explored in the way of understanding forgiveness is that forgiveness is the building block of every society. No matter how much it is easy or difficult to practice in mutual interactions of people, it is inevitable to demonstrate a forgiving attitude and behavior in day-to-day activities. Forgiveness lets people live in coordination with each other. It opens the passage to unity and discipline for the people in a society. No human beings can be found with an ideal level of practicality and social exchange. Humans are bound to err, and it is their mutual forgiveness that keeps them contributing to the society in an uninterrupted manner. Without forgiveness, no society can thrive to the full extent of growth and development. Forgiveness is not only a goal that humans have to achieve in the struggle of their life. It is also the need of every human cohabitation to practice forgiveness for the attainment of their individual as well as collective interests.
Forgiveness transforms the Self and the World
It has been clinically proven that forgiveness is the way to transform the self and the world. Many behavioral problems such as anxiety, stress, and relationship problems occur due to the incompetency to overcome one’s anger. If people can learn how they can come to terms with strife and anger, they can efficiently manage their relationships to the satisfactory level. Dr. Worthington presents an evidence-based approach towards understanding and practicing forgiveness that is applicable for all – individuals as well as societies. He discusses relationships with the perspective of mutual coherence, role of emotions, and specific personality traits related to forgiveness. He presents his theory to improve intervention strategies and inform scientific research. To conclude, it can be said that this clinical approach to promote forgiveness can give the people a practical, easily perceivable, and motivational way to proceed in this direction.
The Psychology of Forgiveness
Forgiveness can be analyzed as a psychological process involving different stages. Three stages have been described in the process of forgiving. First, forgiveness helps a person to lay down the burden from mind and heart. When a person carries out the act of forgiveness, the burden of anger, anxiety, or frustration escapes from the mind and heart, and the person feels relaxed in true sense. Second, forgiveness keeps a person healthy. Clinicians have found adverse effects of remaining stressed with anger or hatred. Forgiveness enables a person to get rid of these negative effects. Third, forgiveness restores the injured relationships. People can make their relationships stronger through forgiveness. It acts as a mediator that provides the basis for mutual understanding, connection, and confidence. Those who research in theology should understand and evaluate these concepts of psychology to explain forgiveness in this perspective. This approach provides a step-by-step development of the thoughts and actions related to forgiveness. The same psychological process of forgiveness can be explained by discussing the shame caused by an injury, followed by anger, and reconciliation in the last.
Forgiveness gives Meaning to Life
Close relationships in life of a person are a source of meaning, and people are often seen to damage these relationships due to interpersonal offenses. The interpersonal offenses occur because people cannot tolerate each other’s mistakes or shortcomings toward them. Therefore, the need for alleviating these interpersonal offenses arises so that the life can be spent with an understanding its true meanings. It has been established through research that forgiveness acts as a mechanism that give meaning to the mutual relationships of people. This is because forgiveness helps repair the damaged relationships. When the relationships are restored to their natural and harmonious form, they start giving meaning to life, which eventually becomes fruitful for a person. Studies have proved that forgiveness given after an incident of offense is positively related to giving meaning to the life of a person. Those who are in a habit of forgiving their partners have reported to have an increased meaning in their lives. Forgiveness helped those couples even to recover the lost meanings in their life, by strengthening the bond or relationship between them. The research evidence strengthens the result that forgiveness helps people to recover a sense of meaning in their lives after they have experienced certain interpersonal offensive experiences.
Motives for Forgiveness
Forgiveness can be made easier by understanding and promoting its motives. One of the motives that urges a person to carry out forgiveness is the repentance of the injurer or evil-doer. If the one who has done the injury seeks apology with sincerity, the one who has been injured by the offense find it easy to carry out forgiveness. People are good at heart in general. They are moved by true feelings of repentance and sincere apologies. Hence, the first and the strongest motive behind forgiveness, prevailing universally in human societies, is the sense of repentance and feeling ashamed and guilty over an action.
Al humans have an innate tendency to commit evil deeds. When people start recognizing this fact, they will find it easy to carry out forgiveness toward one another. The concept of original sin also refers to this natural tendency that has been planted in human beings as part of their existence. Everyone can indulge in evil-doing unless he or she controls their inclinations and sticks to the principles of morality. The whole human history is an evidence of this fact. It is also suggested clinically to inculcate a recognition of this basic fact related to human nature into the minds of the subjects. Recognition of a fact can increase the positive response toward it significantly while the same level of understanding cannot be achieved vice-versa.
God has the power to derive the good from the evil. This conviction can give the people a hope of betterment in the worst situations. Many incidents have happened in the history of mankind when people lost all hope and God created the best solutions out of their miseries. This can be seen in the hardships that all prophets of God had borne, and they all eventually succeeded in their missions. Many times the evil-doers achieved the light of truth and faith after they have committed severe offenses against the believers. The patience and forgiveness of the prophets helped them overcome their evil tendencies and get included in the group of the righteous people.
Finally, the conviction that God forgives human beings even when they commit sins proves to be the ultimate motive for forgiveness. All people are a creation of God, and being the Creator of all of them, He has the same relationship with all people, regardless they are good or bad. Therefore, He keeps the door of confession and repentance open to all. Humans are existing in this world because God loves them. If humans are considered good, it is because God loves them. Hence, humans should also follow the will of God and keep the act of forgiveness alive in their mutual interactions.
Conclusion
Forgiveness has its origin in the act of God when He conferred it on Adam and Eve after they committed His disobedience. Through the history, humans have continued to commit evil deeds and god has kept conferring forgiveness on them. In the Old and the New Testaments, sin has been discussed in great detail by explain its causes, effects, and implications. Moral impotency can be treated by carrying out forgiveness. Salvation is given to those who forgive others. Forgiveness is a holy act of imitating God’s act. Forgiveness is easy for those who forget their self and surrender to the will of God. Forgiveness is a need of the society. It transforms the world. It gives meanings to life. Its motives exist everywhere – in religion, science, and life.
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