Love to Forgive -- article

LOVE TO FORGIVE! Then, reap the freedom of joy, peace & love that is beyond man's understanding & definition.

Love to Forgive
©copyright 2006 Bonita M Quesinberry, R.C.


First God, then Jesus, said, "Love God with all your heart and mind and soul and with all your might; and, love your neighbor as your self." Also, God's Word teaches, "Forgive, so you might be forgiven." From Genesis throughout the Bible, God consistently speaks of forgiveness for others; both His forgiveness and the requirement that we also forgive.

First, it should be obvious we must truly love even our enemies in order to be able to forgive those who sin against us. Jesus did say, "Love thine enemy. If thine enemy thirst, give him water; if he hungers, give him food; if he is naked, give him clothing." This is not to say we should consort with our enemies; rather, it is to "give good for evil," and by those good acts a wicked person might be saved: having seen, through our example, God's unfailing love and mercy.

Where true love does not reside in our hearts, there also is no power to forgive others. Yes, it can be easy to love and forgive those whom we love; but, the test of true, godly love is whether or not we forgive our enemies, those who might have wronged us in unspeakable ways. This is the only kind of love wherein God sees Himself.

However, there is one more thing we must do in order to truly forgive; which is to both understand, accept and admit that we are no better than the worst sinner in this world: the only difference between a true sheep and a lost sheep is the former now bears only scars of sin, having repented and sins no more, while the latter still bleeds profusely from their ongoing sinful wounds. Then and only then can we love to forgive.

There is no doubt Jesus gave us the most beautiful living example of godly love for us all and His enemies, the latter of whom He forgave even while hanging on a cross. Since then, we've not seen a love to forgive in such a highly visible way, perhaps only in small ways in each individual's life: UNTIL the recent slaying of Amish children in their classroom, afterward the shooter taking his own life.

The Amish loving to forgive has broadcast around our planet since that horrific day, stunning the majority of people and still spoken of almost daily. In fact, all who say they cannot forgive certain things done by specific people should have been mightily shamed by the recent Amish example of forgiveness.

The Paradise, Pennsylvania, Amish community not only forgave Charles Carl Roberts IV for killing five (5) of their children and leaving six (6) others in critical condition, they then attended his funeral to grieve with Roberts' wife and his three kids, who are as innocent as those slain or injured. The Amish even were saddened by Roberts' suicide; for in their mind, he no longer has opportunity to repent of his sins.

This latter, of course, is not necessarily true. After all, his own wife characterized Roberts as a wonderful, loving husband and equally wonderful father; she did not recognize the man who killed those children. Therefore, it is conceivable that Mr. Roberts may have looked around himself, became truly sickened by the devastation he had wrought from a mind that had, for some inexplicable reason, snapped, asked the Lord to forgive him, then took his own life.

Be reminded of "if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out; if thy hand offend thee, cut it off." This may have been exactly what Mr. Roberts did in the end; albeit, we will never know until we reach heaven and God's books are opened to us: although, we might find Charles Roberts standing right there with us.

Nevertheless, everyone should adopt the Amish example, or we might not be forgiven of our own sins. Accepting who we once were, abominable sinners, or who some might currently be, unrepentant sinners, is the first step to recognizing that not one human is better than another. As God advised, "There is no sin greater than another."

We all share the same enemy, Satan. By recognition and admission, love can begin; but, only if we possess "The Mind of Christ" (see entitled article). Therefore in recognition, acceptance, admission, repentance, and a growing love, anyone can love to forgive; for in having the mind of Christ, we can and do love forgiving others just as He did.

It is rewarding to forgive, but it is so deadly to hate and/or seek revenge. There is joy and freedom and peace to be found in eagerly forgiving; whereas there is only death in anger and hate and revenge. Why could the Amish so easily forgive? Why can this writer so easily forgive the worst things, as once said of her by a lifelong friend? There are more answers to this question than just loving their fellow humans. They each understand what the first death means: it is not death at all; it is merely the shedding of a tattered garment, then resting blissfully until Christ calls.

The Amish understand that Charles Roberts gave his control over to Satan yet did not even realize he had made such a deadly choice. Think hard on how sad it is to see anyone blindly give their power of dominion over to the Devil, never realizing what they have just done. For pity sake, do YOU not see that they NEED OUR PRAYERS AND FORGIVENESS!

Yes, the Amish miss and grieve the loss of their children's physical presence, just as this writer misses the physical presence of her two youngest daughters. Neither this writer nor the Amish, however, grieve their deaths; we know they are not dead. What we would grieve terribly, however, is if our children were slated to die a second death; therefore, it is vital to raise up our children in God's ways and to set like examples for them to follow. If we cannot readily forgive, then neither will our children; and, this is to set upon our selves and our children a second death sentence.

It is so important to understand the first death according to God's discernment; and it is as equally important to comprehend the second death pursuant to God's definition. This latter is death in every sense of the word: it is utter destruction of both body and spirit; to never more be remembered; to be reduced to ash upon which Christ's sheep shall walk.

It concludes that, when we truly love God and man as well as understand God's two classifications of death, we should find it easy to forgive even the worst sins committed against us. It is to understand this world's temporary nature, to fully recognize temporary evil currently reigning in our midst. It is to understand some "vessels are made for honor and others to dishonor." It is to comprehend the "wicked do what they do because they don't know to do differently." Recognize that "they don't know what they do!"

To forgive is to take on the character of God and Christ, therefore loving to forgive as much as God loves to give mercy and forgiveness to His children. "Forgive, lest ye be forgiven."

Do you want to be forgiven of your sins? Then, forgive even the worst things, knowing that in God's eyes you are no better than the one you forgave. You were once just as lost as he or she is currently lost; perhaps, in a different way but every bit as lost and separated from God. Love and forgiveness find lost sheep; love and forgiveness and warning can snatch them from a fiery, permanent death.

If you were standing on the precipice of God's fiery pit of brimstone, reserved for the wicked and filthy, wouldn't you want someone to forgive you and literally snatch you from that fiery death? Even more so if you didn't realize where you were standing? When we forgive even the worst offenses, God then can see Him self in us; which assures our redemption. So much the better if our forgiveness and warnings redeem another.

LOVE TO FORGIVE! Then, in forgiving, reap the freedom of joy and peace and love that goes beyond man's comprehension and definition.

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