5 Truths About ForgivenessSample

Forgiveness Responds to Evil With Good

There’s nothing wrong with encouraging good behavior, but we need to remember it is not our behavior that saves us. One false gospel that is sometimes preached is that we can earn salvation through good works. However, Ephesians 2:8 tells us that we are saved “by grace” and “through faith.” Jesus did everything on the cross, and we get to receive salvation when we believe in Him.

To respond to evil with good, we have to start with this truth: apart from Jesus, we can do nothing (see John 15:5). Ephesians 2 goes on to explain that, when we accept salvation through faith, we are then able to live out the good works for which we were created. Let me say it another way: to live like Christ, we have to allow the gospel to change who we are, not simply what we do.

I’m not making an excuse for our actions never changing. I’m saying that we cannot truly change our actions until we allow the love of Jesus to saturate our hearts and minds. If you have a hard time responding to evil with good, my encouragement to you is to return to the scene of the cross. The Bible says that the cross was God’s demonstration of His love for us (see Romans 5:8). If you want to be sure of how much God loves you, look at Jesus hanging on that tree. Look at the nails in His feet and hands. Look at the spear in His side. Look at the thorns on His head.

It doesn’t matter how long we’ve been saved, we all still need to be reminded of the cross. You still need it. I still need it.

The more our hearts are centered on the gospel, the more we are able to respond to evil the way Jesus did. When others (especially those who have wronged us) see us respond to evil with good, they are seeing the gospel lived out in our lives. They are seeing God’s love in action.