You of all have the most to forgive." "Ah, and if so," he responded, "I have the most blessing to receive after I've done so."

Thus the call to follow Christ always means a call to share the work of forgiving men their sins. Forgiveness is the Christlike suffering which it is the Christian's duty to bear.

Never judge a stranger by his clothes.

Our relationships are often harmed when we try to atone for our own sins while condemning the other person for his.

The decision to forgive is first a heart transaction between you and God. It is a willingness to give up your desire to hold onto (and in some way punish the person for) his offense against you. Instead, you entrust the person and the offense to God, believing that he is righteous and just. You make a decision to respond to this person with an attitude of grace and forgiveness.

holding onto an offense will make you a bitter and unloving person, and you will inevitably damage all your relationships.

Even if he never does this, I am called to maintain an attitude of forgiveness toward the offender.

When we choose to practice true forgiveness, the relationship is not just brought back to where it was before the offense; it actually moves further down the road to maturity.

Forgiveness Involves Canceling a Debt

Forgiveness Is Costly, But Not Forgiving Is More Costly

An entrenched refusal to forgive is a sign that you have not known God's amazing forgiveness yourself.

A failure to forgive someone will change you