The necessity of forgiveness #2: ditching the superiority complex

God has used a recent situation where someone I know and love very much wronged me to show me how much of a superiority complex I have. Let me explain.

When someone hurts or wrongs you, and you're the 'victim', the innocent party, it's easy to slip in to a proud, Pharisaical mindset. You know you have to forgive them, and you do so out of a condescending 'I would never have done that' spirit.

But that's not the kind of love and forgiveness Christ has shown to us, and it's not the kind we should show to others either.

The story Jesus told of the unforgiving servant is particularly chilling in the cold way that the forgiven man demands such a small amount of money from the one in his debt who begs to be released (Matt 18:21-35). Had he learnt nothing from the grace he had been shown? And yet that's exactly what I'm like if I look down upon a fellow human being, a fellow sinner, and secretly desire 'justice' for them rather than mercy.

In the story of the prodigal son (Luke 15), I am the elder brother. I'm the one who feels has 'got it right' and why should I celebrate that the rebel is restored?

I miss, then, how much of a sinner I really am too.

For me, you read the Scriptures and the question is raised clearly: How can we withhold forgiveness when God has shown so much grace towards us?

'Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.' Col 3:12-13

If we refuse to forgive, it's because we see ourselves as superior. And that's a superiority complex we have to ditch otherwise we haven't truly understood the gospel.

As Paul writes in Romans 3: 'all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one;no one understands; no one seeks for God..." For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus'.

This passage reminds me, you think you're good enough for God? You want to stand before Him with your own righteousness? NO WAY!!! I need Jesus' blood as much as anyone else. That's why I have to forgive; because I am just as much in need of forgiveness as those who wrong me.