Forgiveness

What gives so much force to the impulse of anger in such cases [of unforgiveness] is the overwhelming sense that the offender does not deserve forgiveness. That is, the grievance is so deep and so justifiable that not only does self-righteousness strengthen our indignation, but so does a legitimate sense of moral outrage. It's the deep sense of legitimacy that gives our bitterness its unbending compulsion. We feel that a great crime would be committed if the magnitude of the evil we've experienced were just dropped and we let bygones be bygones. We are torn: our moral sense says this evil cannot be ignored, and the Word of God says we must forgive.

In his penetrating book, Christian Commitment, Edward John Carnell described this conflict between moral outrage and forgiveness as the "judicial predicament." He said, "We cannot ignore inconsiderate acts in others yet we cannot execute the penalty of law. We have no right to complete the moral cycle... Although we sense no spiritual inhibition against crying out against injustice, the purity of our moral life deteriorates the moment we attempt to administer justice." Nevertheless the indignation we feel usually gets the upper hand and holds onto the offense, because it would be morally repugnant to make light of the wrong.

Now we can see why the biblical promise of God's judgement is so crucial in helping overcome this craving for revenge. It gives us a way out of the "judicial predicament."

God intervenes as the avenger so that we can acknowledge the crime; but also so that we don't have to be the judge. God's promised vengeance removes the moral legitimacy of our personal cravings for retaliation. God's promise says, "Yes, an outrage has been committed against you.

Yes it deserves to be severely punished. Yes, the person has not yet experienced that punishment. But, No, you must not be the one to punish, and you may not go on relishing personal retribution. Why? Because God will see to it that justice is done. God will repay. You cannot improve on his justice. He sees every angle of the evil done against you - far better than you can see it. His justice will be more thorough than any justice you could administer." If you hold a grudge, you doubt the judge."

When other Christians have done you wrong:

"Therefore when God says, "Vengeance is mine," the meaning is more than we may have thought. God underatakes vengeance against sin not only by means of hell, but also by means of the cross. All sin will be avenged - severely and thoroughly and justly

......I don't need to get even, because [the other person's] sin was laid on Jesus, and he has suffered horribly to bear it for him/her - and for me.

Application

It may be that, as you read this, no long-term grudges come to mind. Perhaps God has remarkably freed you from old hurts and dissapointments and given you the grace to lay them down. But be sure to test yourself about short-term anger as well. Are there repeated present frustrations that may not have the character of long-term bitterness, but are like chronic reappearences of the same short-term anger? Are there traits of your children or your spouse or your church or your boss that week after week provoke you so deeply that you grit your teeth and rehearse in your head all the reasons why this is intolerable and should not go on?

My experience has been that there is as much struggle with unbelief in these short-term, recurrent frustrations as there is in the long-term bitterness for some great abuse or betrayal. Here too we need to trust God's promises in a practical, day-by-day way.

John Piper's 'Future Grace'
Courtesy from Derek Dieu