A Heart Made Whole

Forgiveness can begin once we admit our failures. If we cannot do that much, we can neither give nor receive forgiveness. We cannot receive forgiveness without acknowledging our need for it, and we cannot extend forgiveness without admitting that because of our imperfect condition, we have no right to withhold forgiveness from anyone else. Forgiveness is non-negotiable for Christians; it is the essence of our faith. There's no denying that forgiveness requires us to give up attitudes and actions that are important to us. Forgiveness is an act of obedience, not a tool of manipulation. It is a way of cleaning up the grudges and resentments that damage us. I Forgive You looks into the heart of forgiveness, trust, reconciliation, and how forgiving can transform our lives. We forgive by faith, out of obedience. Since forgiveness goes against our nature, we must forgive by faith, whether we feel like it or not. We must trust God to do the work in us that needs to be done so that our forgiveness will be complete. In A Heart Made Whole, The Cross and Courage to Forgive looks at how we are able to move from understanding forgiveness to granting it; we must move from the mind to the heart, from simply accepting the idea of forgiveness to embracing it and making it truly a part of us. In other words, we must move beyond an understanding of forgiveness to an attitude of forgiveness. This is what Jesus meant when he warned that we will not be forgiven "...unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart" (Matthew 18:35). God delights to forgive, and he forgives abundantly and graciously. These qualities, and many more, show us what it means to "forgive from the heart." To truly and deeply forgive someone, and ourselves, from the heart.