Page 92 - Advanced Biblical Counseling Student Textbook

12.3 Forgiveness

In Biblical Counseling I, you spent some time understanding forgiveness. You
discussed three ways to think of forgiveness:
1. “Covering” a debt (1 Peter 4:8)
2. “Positional” forgiveness (Ps 32:1-2; 130:3-4; 1 Jn. 1:9, cf. 2:1-2)
3. “Transactional” forgiveness (Ps. 32:3-5; Jn. 1:9)

You also learned that God’s positional forgiveness was conditioned upon Christ’s payment and not at all
upon us (Heb. 9:19-28). In addition, forgiveness is transacted with repentance and confession (Ps. 32:5;
1 Jn. 1:9). 150

Counseling those who hold grudges

If you have lived for a very short time, you will discover that other people will offend you in various
ways. Children do mean things to others. Teenagers become jealous and hurt others. Adults compete
for a better position at the company and sometimes step on others to get there. It seems to be a dog
eat dog world.

How many times have you been hurt by the actions or words of another person in your life? Everyone
we come into contact with has the potential to harm us. And many times, the harm done causes deep
emotional wounds that create persistent feelings of anger, resentment and bitterness. And we know
that holding a grudge does more harm to ourselves than it does to the offending party. So how do we
get over such feelings? How do we keep ourselves from dwelling on these past wounds? How do we
heal and move on?

The answer from the Bible is quite simple: forgiveness. Check these verses out:

Ephesians 4:32 “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God
forgave you.”

Matthew 6:14 “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also
forgive you.”

Colossians 3:13 “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against
someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”

Luke 6:37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned.
Forgive, and you will be forgiven.”

Matthew 18:21-22 "Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, 'Lord, how many times shall I forgive my
brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?' Jesus answered, 'I tell you, not seven times,
but seventy-seven times.' "

150 Kelly, p. 27.

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