2 Corinthians 2:5-8 If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you, to some extent not to put it too severely. The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient for him. Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him.
Commentary:
The Apostle Paul shows us an important attribute when someone has given us cause to be upset (sinned against us), and that is compassion for the individual. How many times have we seen a person punished by the results of his or her own actions, yet we somehow hold on to a continued “you deserve it attitude.” Again, we are reminded that we are to love one another (all of us, not just some of us) and treat each other as we would like to be treated. To fail to forgive someone could also cause him or her to become disheartened and loose hope. In God’s eyes we are like the sinner. However, our God provided us Christ. Christ not only loved us as sinners, He died for us so that we may be considered by God as worthy members of His kingdom. This is forgiveness.
Hebrews 10:17 The he adds: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.”
Commentary:
Of the many assurances given to us by God, this is one of the most important. He has a short memory and does not remember our sins. This is a key attribute to hone in our own personalities if we are to grow in the image of Christ.