Thomas Manton Quote (Forgiveness)

"Let us try who will be the most weary, they in offending or we in pardoning" (Thomas Manton A Treatise of Self-Denial: Ch. Self-Denial and Our Neighbor).

Forgiveness (Colossians 3:13)

"Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye" (Col. 3:13).

It is noteworthy to observe that there is no factor of contingency as relates to the parties in question here. Forgiveness is altogether void of qualifiers. There will be many times that we are offended without any remorse and with seeming impunity as respecting our offender. Whatever the case is regarding the state of the offender - i.e. whether they are sorrowfully, contrite, and truly penitent - it is no less than Christ-like that we are forgiving of one another. The nature of the offense is no matter of importance either seeing that Christ forgave us all manner of sin. It is always easier to forgive those who repent and ask for our forgiveness as opposed to those that do not. But how shall we ever grow in grace if there is no strain on our part? What profit is it if we love only those who love us (Matthew 5:46)? Or if we salute our brethren only (Matthew 5:47)? Should we not rather pursue a higher level of perfection and righteousness than that which the Pharisees had, but only outwardly attained to (Matthew 5:48)? Let us not worry so much about the motives of others, whether they be right or wrong, and instead make sure that our spiritual attitude is one which is marked by that high grace and righteous act (Mat. 5:20 ff) of forgiveness. Let God be the judge of others and we ourselves be as we are: forgiven; and how we ought to be--forgivers of others. Who knows but that grace may be wrought about in those with exceedingly hard hearts? Were our hearts any less hard than others? Are we not at risk of becoming bitter and finding out that our hearts have once more become hardened if we do not forgive? Is not our love of Christ the fruit of him having first loved us? And does not goodness bring about repentance? Were we not such sinners as these when Christ died for us? Are we not still as such sometimes? Let us imitate God on the matter of forgiveness. He so often forgives us and can we not do that which has been done for us? We must do away with any notion of justice on our part when it comes to the grace of forgiveness. What we seek is not justice but vengeance dressed in her clothes. It is not possible to err and go too far in forgiving. But if there was room for error, what a glorious way to err! It is better to forgive than not. And when at all in doubt--forgive. If we don't forgive neither will our Father in heaven forgive us. There is no justice to be had at all when it comes to this subject. We are faced with only three options: that of vengeance, bitterness, and that of forgiveness. Forgive and forget my friends (Isa 43:25).

Timothy Rogers Quote

"It is a strange thing that any good people should be so passionate and hasty as some are. They are quickly enraged, and hard to be reconciled; and there are many who will keep their anger for several months and, it may be, years at a time. Oh, how this is unlike that God whom they call their Father in heaven, who is slow to wrath, and whose anger towards them is but for a moment! And what an honor and a privilege would it be to resemble Him! If He were not more patient with His creatures and His children than they are with one another, what confusions, what woeful punishments would the world be filled with! 'Anger resteth in the bosom of fools' (Ecclesiastes 7:9). ...Hasty, passionate people are commonly the weaker sort of Christians. ...What differences have been kept up in churches, in families, among acquaintances and friends, for a long period of time, whose anger should have been like that of God, but for a moment! We are unwilling to pardon our enemies, or the injuries of our friends; and God is most ready to forgive us all. ...Seeing that the anger of God is but for a moment, then it is better, as for the temporal effects of it, to fall into the hands of God than into the hands of men. (Trouble of Mind and the Disease of Melancholy Rogers 42-45).

Timothy Rogers Quote

"He is God and not man; there is more compassion and real pity in Him than in the most compassionate or tender-hearted man we ever knew. He is God and not man. He whom we have offended, and who can destroy us, is the first to begin to seek reconciliation with us. This is not the manner and way of men, who think that those who have offended them ought to be the first to make advances towards repairing the breach. There is no attribute in the displaying of which the great God glories so much as in this one of mercy; and it is by this that He would be known (Exodus 34:5-7)"(Rogers Trouble of Mind and the disease of Melancholy Pg. 17,18).

Proverbs 19:11

"The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression" (Prov. 19:11 KJV).

Micah 7:18

"Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger forever, because he delighteth in mercy" Micah 7:18).

New Post on the World View Ministries Blog on Forgiveness

Forgiveness.

Jeremiah 31:34

It has been said that "to err is human, to forgive divine." But truthfully it is human to forgive and divine to forget. "I will remember their sins no more" (Jeremiah 31:34).