Forgiveness for the Sinner

Part I

2 Cor. 2:5 I am not overstating it when I say that the man who caused all the trouble hurt all of you more than he hurt me. 6Most of you opposed him, and that was punishment enough. 7Now, however, it is time to forgive and comfort him. Otherwise he may be overcome by discouragement. 8So I urge you now to reaffirm your love for him.

9I wrote to you as I did to test you and see if you would fully comply with my instructions. 10When you forgive this man, I forgive him, too. And when I forgive whatever needs to be forgiven, I do so with Christ’s authority for your benefit, 11so that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes.

What a powerful force is forgiveness!  It is most powerful when God extends it toward us but it is also powerful when we extend it to others.  When God forgave us, an He did so completely through Jesus’ sacrifice for us on the Cross, He did so by a decision.  He did not forgive us based on our actions.  He simply but profoundly forgave us without reservation.  He did it without measure.  If it had been done because of our actions then redemption would not have been necessary.  He simply gave to all who believe on the work of Jesus His full forgiveness and reconciliation. 

Paul here is telling the church at Corinth to restore a sinner among them.  This sinner was of such a sort that his vile sin was that of incest.  He had been put out of the church and regarded as a non-believer because of his sin and his resistance to repentance.   Now the actions of the church in putting him out had accomplished repentance and sorrow on behalf of the sinner.  Now is the time for restoration.  Now is the time to do the harder thing than excommunication.  Now is the time to welcome him back in restoration.  Not only has he suffered and shown fruit of his repentance but he is grieving greatly.  How hard it is to now face the one who has so openly sinned and receive him back as “one of us.”  Yet, that is exactly what Paul was instructing the church to do.  It has been said that “it is human to ere but forgiveness is Divine.”  Forgiveness always begins with a choice.

Part II – Next writing