Forgiveness: Weakness Of Christianity?

Forgiveness can be a powerful catalyst for change, benefiting anyone who hopes to let go of the past. People often sees Christians as weak simply because we obey the teachings and principles of Christ which is based on forgiveness and love.

Forgiving others may seem to be a choice, and in one sense it is a choice, but God has been very clear about forgiveness. He has given us specific direction in numerous Scriptures, all of which can be summed up in just one word -- forgive! God's Word says, "And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins" (Mark 11:25). "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven" (Luke 6:37).
It doesn't mean that you have to become friends with the person who's injured you.

Forgiveness doesn't mean that wrongdoing is ignored or condoned

It doesn't mean that feelings of anger and bitterness magically go away.

It doesn't also mean that you trust someone again just as you trusted them before.

It doesn't mean that you won't be hurt again.

Forgiveness can be very, very hard especially if the injury someone has done us is deep and lasting, the feelings of hurt and anger might keep coming back. We often assume when Jesus told Peter to forgive 77 times that he meant 77 separate offences – an extreme way of saying that there's no limit to the number of times we ought to forgive. But maybe he's also acknowledging that there's no limit to the number of times we might have to forgive the same offence. What has been done to us keeps coming back: the memory of injury or betray rises in our minds again, for the second or the 10th or the 50th time, and each recollection requires a fresh act of forgiveness.

But for Christians, forgiveness is more than setting aside revenge and more than just moving on with our lives. We aren't just called to forgo revenge against our enemies, we're called to love them. Loving forgiveness is an intention. Resolving not to take revenge is at best neutral. Resolving to follow in the footsteps of Christ, who even when he was dying on the cross prayed that God would forgive those who crucified him, involves a movement of the heart towards the other person – and that isn't possible without the work of the Spirit within us to transform us into the likeness of Christ.

But forgiveness, at whatever level, has to be free, or it isn't real.