Before You Forgiveনমুনা

If you want to develop the capacity to forgive others, there are three places you can start. Over the next three days of this plan, we'll examine one each day.

First, you must face your sin and brokenness. I want you to say three words: "I'm not perfect."

The Apostle Peter had a blind spot. He thought that he was incapable of betraying Jesus. We often have similar blind spots. We think we're incapable of terribly sinful moments.

But Jesus never shies away from our brokenness and sin. In Matthew 26, He told His disciples they would all fall away because of Him—He literally predicted it.

Peter responded that even if everyone else fell away, he would never fall away. Jesus famously told him, "I tell you this very night before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times."

Just a few hours later, Peter did exactly what Jesus said he would. Humans are capable of incredible self-deception. We think, "There's no way I could ever do something that bad." Then we go and do something awful. We tell ourselves, "I'm not that kind of person." Then, we're shocked to learn we are sinful, broken, and capable of terrible decisions.

I often read stories about other pastors fired for sexual misconduct, toxic leadership, or addiction issues. In my 20s, I sat with a much older pastor I admired and respected. He told a group of younger pastors like me that we are all one dumb decision away from ruining what we've spent years building.

He also told us about his "scary folder." For several decades, he put every story about pastors who had affairs, stole money, or abused their power. He shared that he read through that folder two or three times a year to "scare" himself and remember that "I am no better than those men."

We're all capable of deceiving ourselves and thinking we're better than those who hurt and wounded us - when we aren't!

Jesus hung on the cross for their sins and ours, too. We are far from perfect. When I think about my imperfection, I think of the two things Timothy Keller said about the Gospel.

First, he said, "The gospel is this: We are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe." We call the gospel good news, but before it's good news, it's terrible news. It's bad news because this is why Jesus had to come. He didn't have to come because we had some ideas wrong, and He needed to correct our thinking. No, He came because we are more broken and sinful than we can comprehend. When you deceive yourself into thinking that you no longer struggle with sin and you're no longer broken, you become the kind of person someone else has to forgive.

The good news is proclaimed in the next part of Tim Keller's famous quote. Keller doesn't stop at how broken we are but continues toward hope: "At the very same time, we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope."

What Jesus offers us is real forgiveness for our actual sins. We will never be able to forgive someone else if we think we don't need forgiveness ourselves. That's why the first step in this process is to face our sin and brokenness. If we don't do this, we cannot forgive somebody else.

On the following day of this plan, we will examine what it means to truly accept Jesus' forgiveness.