"And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's hath forgiven you." (Ephesians 4:32).

         It is a challenge and a joy to be able to share the revelation of truth as He quickens it day by day, and to God be the glory and praise. It is also a blessing for us to share betimes in a more pastoral manner some of the instruction which the Spirit opens to our understanding. Thus we give our attention to these brief thoughts on "forgiveness."
         It is interesting that Paul so uniquely positions a word on forgiveness by setting forth the backdrop of kindness, being tenderhearted, etc. and then uses God's example as revealed through Christ. "Be ye kind...." The Greek word is "chrestos," and means: to be useful, beneficial. It. also holds the thought of being mild or pleasant. Kindness is readily seen in the giving of a cup of cold water to the thirsty. It is an action that is useful, of blessing to the one to whom the kindness is shown. So when the word is used in reference to people, it speaks of being benevolent, gracious, while the negative opposite would be that which is harsh, hard, sharp, bitter, without any thought or feeling of kindness. There is no need to illustrate this, we all have been at the sharp and bitter end of someone's criticism. And perhaps there have been moments when a thoughtless, uncaring attitude welled up within us-- as we reacted towards those who were unkind to us, so that it was difficult for us, at the moment, to show a gracious/kind spirit towards them. But kindness is a basic necessity if we would also be of a forgiving nature.
         "Tenderhearted." The Greek word here is "eusplagch," meaning: good bowels, and thus-- compassionate, merciful. The term is Archaic, but it makes reference to the seat of pity or kindness, tenderness. Paul uses the word, "bowels of mercies." (Col. 3:12).There is an inner tenderness, a showing forth of God's mercy and compassion. It speaks of strong inner feelings of mercy and love.
         Kind and tenderhearted-- and then we come to "forgiveness." Here we find three important Greek words translated as "forgive." Charizomai, meaning: to be gracious to.  Aphiemi, meaning: to send or let off or away.  Apoluo, meaning: to loose away. All three words blend together and speak of mercy and compassion which enable a letting go-- let it be-- release it-- and by the Lord's enablement let mercy be the order of the day.
         In His teaching Jesus laid it out very clear, that God "is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil." And then goes on to instruct them, "Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven." (Luke 6:35-37).
         Note the sequence given here, if we would be merciful. "Judge not...." Do not pass sentence upon one another. Do not pronounce an opinion concerning right and wrong. Do not charge them with guilt. "Not imputing their trespasses unto them." (2 Corinthians 5:19). Thank God, He is delivering us from a judgmental attitude. When Adam and Eve partook of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, it immediately placed them in position of being a judge-- and this opens the door to much negativism. No wonder Paul writes "Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand." (Romans 14:4).
         Paul experienced enough judgment of men, yet he wrote, "But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but He that judgeth me is the Lord. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the heart: and then shall every man have praise of God." (1 Corinthians 4:3-5).
         THE LORD WILL COME! "He hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom He hath ordained." (Acts 17:31).
         But do remember, HE is a very merciful God, and HE knows the hidden things which currently we cannot see. When all the facts are revealed, and He judges IN RIGHTEOUSNESS, He shall also reveal the grace of God, and bring US into a place where we are beyond guilt, and become one in Him. Until that day we ought not to judge others, nor even our own selves. Self-condemnation does not glorify God, nor benefit us in any way.
        "Condemn not......" Jesus said, "But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless." (Matthew 12:7). We see in Christ a blessed NO CONDEMNATION realm. "For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved." (John 3:17).To this realm of mercy we are called-- and we would not condemn any man, nor even ourselves.
         So it stands-- when there is no judging, and no condemnation, then there is a readiness for divine forgiving. Obviously that which charges us with guilt is a stranger to that which forgives us. May we be numbered among those who forgive-- forgive others, forgive ourselves, and forgive God.
         Paul writes, forgive, "even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." And Jesus says, ''as your Father also is merciful." No greater standard is found in the Word! "The disciple is not above his master: but everyone that is perfect shall be as his master." (Luke 6:40). What a challenge!
         Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven." Here the Greek word is "to loose." We are encouraged to LOOSE OTHERS, so that in turn we might be loosed, be set free of that which has hindered us from pressing on into God's reality. I wonder how often we have failed to loose others-- as in our own heart we held them bound, shackled by our resentments, constrained by our doubts and fears, and obligated to walk the restricted pathway of our creed and dogma. But there is a loosing taking place these days as we yield ourselves up to God-- forgiving those who took stands against us, in various ways hurt us, spake ill concerning us, etc. And now, as we free them for whatever God purposes in their life, we find anew sense of freedom in our own hearts-- for, having "loosed others" we find ourselves becoming loosed within.
        The first time the word "forgive" is used in the Old Testament, is Genesis 50:17. The record concerns Joseph, and his relationship with his brethren. Joseph was sold by his brothers, and ended up in Egypt. We need not relate the whole narrative, but God ruled and overruled, using amazing happenings in their lives, including a severe famine in the land. Joseph, having found favor with Pharaoh, was made governor over the land, and during seven years of great plenty, stored up much of this bountiful harvest and prepared for seven years of famine. In due time, as the famine spread over all the land, and people heard that there was corn in Egypt, they went into Egypt to buy corn from Joseph. Jacob heard about this, sent his sons to Egypt to secure some corn, and in due time learned that Joseph was not only alive, but in charge of the corn supplies. As God continued to work out His purpose for Joseph's brethren, Jacob, and the families of Joseph's brothers living in Canaan, were moved to Egypt, to be close by, so that Joseph could nourish them through this very difficult time. Joseph's brethren were well aware of their past treatment of Joseph, and with their guilty conscience they had very little peace-- they feared what might happen to them once their father was gone. They judged Joseph by their own standards, imputing to him according to their own evil natures. Finally the time came, "And when Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him. And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying, So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did evil unto thee: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him." (Genesis 50:15-17).
         Trespass-- sin-- evil-- there was no cover-up of their guilt, it was fully exposed, and they were fearful of what might now be the consequence, but they asked for forgiveness. Now we are at a very critical point. We find his brethren "fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants." (v. 18). What was done, was done-- they could not go back and change the past. They were greatly humbled. But they shifted the burden of "what to do?" upon Joseph, as they acknowledged their servitude to him, even while they asked for his forgiveness. It had been a very long road to this point-- heartache-- sorrow-- loneliness-- the processing of Joseph was something to behold, but even more awesome was the development of this man as he grew in understanding of his God, and came to realize that it was all in God's hand, not his. "And Joseph said unto them,  Fear not: for am I in the place of God?" Full well he knew that if there was to be any vengeance it was in God's hand, not his. But he knew something else, too, he knew that God was in control all the way. And so he said to his brethren, "But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive." (Gen. 50:20).
         There was no white-washing of the evil done unto him, nor was it lightly dismissed as of little consequence. Sin -- evil --trespass -- all had to be acknowledged, BUT NOT AS A GUILT TRIP. They thought evil, GOD THOUGHT GOOD. Joseph identified himself with the GOOD, and so forgiveness was given them. They were loosed from that heavy load they had borne all those years. And God alone knows what inner joy and freedom Joseph experienced as he LOOSED THEM. Whatever thoughts and feelings that Joseph might have had were let go. God was in control, He was behind all these happenings, now we shall keep our eye single upon Him. What we do not begin to grasp now, we shall commit to His wisdom and mercy, and just praise Him for His forgiveness to us also. How great and marvelous is our God!
         Peter, in his sermon on the day of Pentecost, faced the people with their negative actions, and God's positive ones. "Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain." (Acts 2:23). Two view points to consider here: first of all, it was sovereignly planned by God, it was according to His determinate counsel. God knew exactly what He was working out through the Cross of Christ. Acts 15:18, Knox Translation. "God has known from all eternity what He does today." Jesus was "The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." (Revelation 13:8). Calvary was rooted in the promise of God, as given in the garden of Eden. The victory, the end, is secure in Him. So from the human standpoint it was all wrong, but from God's viewpoint it was  ALL RIGHT. However, this makes the wicked hands of those who crucified Him no less wicked, cruel, guilty, but God retains the responsibility of what  happened, purposed for the redemption of all mankind. He judged those men for their evil deed-- but He surely worked it into our good. We will not "charge God foolishly." (Job 1:22). However, as Creator, HE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR HIS CREATION, so the ultimate charge is laid at His feet. HE is Lord! (Editor's note: "Hath  not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?" End of note).
         What man means by some of his wickedness, is one thing, but what GOD means by it is a far different matter. And because He is kind, tenderhearted and loving, He portrays His Father in forgiveness. "Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34). Remember what Paul had said, "Be ye kind. ..tenderhearted....forgiving one another." In ways that are beyond our knowing, Paul lived out this very instruction that he gave to us. But Jesus lived it out far more, and in His teaching, said, "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you." (Matthew 5:44). That's the background for forgiveness, for loosing others, that we also might be loosed.
         Stephen was full of the holy Spirit, and declared the Word with boldness, "and bluntly told the religious leaders of the day that not only did they persecute and slay the prophets, but the Just One (Jesus) also, "Whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers." (Acts 7:52). He so stirred up the fury of the men that "they stoned Stephen," but "he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge." (Acts 7:60). He forgave them, he lifted and sent away their guilt. There was in his heart the same kind of forgiveness as was in Jesus. What a testimony!
         "Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it: being defamed, we entreat." (1 Cor. 4:12-13). And we could add, being like Jesus, we forgive.
         Briefly, one more look at the record of Joseph. Not only did he forgive his brethren for what they had done to him, not only did he tell them it was "all in God," and to just see the hand of God in it all, but he went on to say, "Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them." (Genesis 50:21).
 Interesting word "kindly" that is used here. The Hebrew word is "al leb": meaning: "to the heart." This was not a casual, surface contact, It was HEART TO HEART!  He meant what he said, it was a genuine forgiveness which lifted up and away all the remorse and shame that they were feeling.  And he certified the sincerity of his commitment to them, by providing all of the nourishment that was needed for their families. What joy Joseph must have experienced as the forgiveness he extended to his brethren filled his own heart as well. He could not hold anything against his brethren because God meant it for good, and he could not take a stand against that which God purposed, therefore forgiveness was essential, for in God "all is well."
         The first time the word "forgive" is used in the New Testament is found in Matthew 6:12, in the prayer-- "And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors." Tremendous simultaneous inworking of the Spirit of God, that as we are forgiving others, we are also being forgiven. LOOSE, AND THOU SHALT  BE LOOSED!  We need to "let go" the resentments and bitterness which cause the hard feelings-- negatives that war against our peace. We need to be free of the supposed injustice which we have allowed to bind us as fetters. Our main problem is not only what others are doing to us, but what we allow these things to do "in" us. Paul wrote to a people, "Our heart is enlarged. Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels." (2 Cor. 6:12).  It was their personal action/reaction which was binding them into a confined, joyless existence. No bowels of mercy here, no kindness and tender-heartedness. They needed to be loosed-- and this could be done by their forgiving one another, and being set free at the same time.
         Paul's attitude was so precious, he could say," I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved." (2 Cor. 12:15). He did not take it as a personal grievance that the people were not reciprocating with love for him-- he would simply love them all the more-- they would not be straitened in him, he would forgive them, pour his life out for them-- and in so-doing, find his own life in Christ expanding and being enriched.
         But now there is another facet of truth that is seldom taught, and yet we have experienced it in a measure, and are learning of its validity-- and that is that we need to FORGIVE GOD for all that He allows, yes, all that He purposes in our processings. As with Joseph, so with us today, we need to see that GOD "meant it for our good," and that HE is fully involved in all of our progressive happenings, both in our natural living, and in our spiritual walk with Him. Especially is this true in our relationship with other people. People suffer the loss of a loved one, a parent, a marriage partner, children, close friends, etc. They will blame God for their loss but they will not forgive Him for doing so. They grieve continually, and are restricted, afraid of any new relationship lest it also leads to more pain. But those who bow their knee, accept what God does, and learn to see His hand in all that touches their life-- these shall go on from victory to victory and find that God has loosed them, even as they were forgiving Him.
         A strange and unique inworking of God's grace. Certainly He does not need to be forgiven for doing something wrong, for He is righteous in all His ways. But this is something that must WORK IN US, it is a personal sacred processing, that we can bow our knee before Him, confess all of our feelings, disappointments, sorrows, heart-wrenching pain, and rather than holding Him guilty for something we consider a wrong, we freely acknowledge HE HAS DONE ALL THINGS WELL-- and we open our hearts for an ever deepening touch of His grace-- for in our acknowledging of His will we cease to judge Him, and only worship Him, and in this worship find we are free in Him.
         We will not illustrate this at length, for the applications of this truth are as varied as the people involved in the happening. But the necessity of forgiving God is vital to our spiritual growth, as well as to our daily living.  And we become a free arena wherein He can continue to fulfill His plan for us as we say "Father, we forgive Thee for all that has happened. We acknowledge that Your way is best, and You do all things well. Loose us and we will follow you all the way-- we are Yours, work in us Your Will."
         There's another point we would do well to consider, though it be so obvious we almost hesitate to mention-- and that is the need to forgive ourselves. We make so many mistakes, say things that later we wish could be retracted, and in general are ashamed at some of our actions. Paul experienced this, and wrote, "So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin." (Romans 7;25). He would "delight in the law of God after the inward man," but in his flesh there were times which caused him to shudder-- "wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death." The answer was not in the flesh but in the spirit. And then comes the light, the bright beam of truth shining upon his walk, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death." (Romans 8:1-2). Wherein came this freedom from condemnation? How could he be loosed from self-reproach? What would cleanse away all the shame that engulfed him? The forgiveness of God, followed by forgiving himself. He was loosed-- with all sin and shame let go-- so that Christ could fill his life with the joy of his salvation. No, he was not saving himself, but he was yielding Himself to the Lord for His processing unto victory. Far too often people have judged and condemned themselves, and need to come into this realm of blessed forgiveness in Divine love.
         A tremendous example of forgiveness is found in Psalm 78:37-39, concerning Israel, the Psalmist said, "For their heart was not right with Him, neither were they stedfast in His covenant. But He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not; yea, many a time turned He His anger away, and did not stir up all His wrath. For He remembered that they" were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again."
         What compassion, tenderheartedness, under girded His forgiveness, and He shewed them mercy time and time again. He took into consideration that they were but flesh, and that as a wind blew through and was gone, so the brevity of their life hindered them from becoming spiritual giants. They were dependent upon His grace and mercy day by day, and needed Him to forgive them continuously-- forgiveness which He freely bestowed upon them.
         "Then came Peter to Him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin, against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him,  I say not unto thee, Until seven times; but, Until seventy times seven." (Matthew 18:21-22). What a flow of forgiveness! Whatever the extent of forgiveness we feel in our own heart, rest assured, in Christ we have much more. Whatever all the symbol and typology means, it is evident all through the Scriptures that God's forgiveness far surpasses us all. "For Thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon Thee." (Psalm 86:5). Bless His wonderful name!
         "Ready to forgive." There is a readiness that reaches far beyond our grasp of understanding. The Hebrew word here is "mahir" meaning: to be quick, and holds within it the thought of being "skillful," as well as to flow easily. He stands READY to forgive. It flows out of His heart without restraint. Skillfully, in ways that leave us utterly astonished, He draws to Himself and ministers the blessedness of forgiveness. Praise His wonderful name!
         What can I say? what can I tell? He truly doeth all things well. Within the crowd I stand alone-- flesh of His flesh, bone of His bone. He hath redeemed me by His grace and brought me to His resting place. I fit no more with earthy things, and yet my heart before Him sings.
                                          My friend and neighbors stand as mute, to them God's way does not compute.
                                          For I was such an one as they-- determined yet to have my way.
                                          But He had tender cords of love, and drew me to the realms above.
                                          Forgave the sin and shame I felt, and healed me from the loathsome welt
                                          Of selfish pride and lustful gain that only harbored grief and pain.
                                          And I could only bow the knee, to worship Him who set me free.
                                          That He'd forgive one such as I, bespeaks of mercy's vast supply.
                                          As He forgave, now so must I, and in forgiving self must die.
                                          I have no right to seek my own, for I am drawn to His throne.
                                          Praise God, forgiveness now is sweet, and His redemption more than meet.
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(1)Prinzing, Ray and Doris "Letters of Truth"  Boise, Idaho 83705, P.O. Box 5822

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