Is there a secret to forgiveness? Maybe. Think for a moment how you would react if the following people wronged you…
Your boss
Your best friend
Your mom
The guy in the office across the hall who tells the inappropriate jokes
Your kids
Your teens
The jerk at the so-called customer service desk
Your spouse
Your government officials
Your church family
Your sworn enemy
Which ones would be the easiest to forgive?
I would guess that without exception your answer will be those who are easiest to forgive are the ones you love the most. Because of your love for them, the broken relationship is too steep of a price to pay.
The lightbulb moment comes when you connect the idea that the more you love someone, the easier it is to forgive them. That’s the secret to forgiveness.
Now consider what God does.
He deals with His enemies.
That’s us.
We usually like to think of ourselves as rating somewhere between “kids” and “best friends.”
In Christ, it’s even better than that, but I’m talking before salvation.
Before salvation, we’re enemies.
But Ephesians 2:4 talks about His mercy and His vast incomprehensible love for us.
It’s that love that impelled Him to find a way to satisfy His justice without condemning us for all eternity.
The broken relationship was too great a price.
The death of His son was not.