Forgive from the Bottom Up

From Extreme Righteousness: Seeing Ourselves in the Pharisees:

Perhaps an even more telling gauge of our self-righteousness is the stance from which we offer our forgiveness to those who have wronged us. Is our forgiveness offered from a pedestal?

When sinned against, it is easy to occupy a superior position, extending forgiveness like a benevolent dictator to those who demonstrate their sincere repentance. Our stance is top down; our demeanor is paternalistic; our attitude is self-righteous.

In Matthew 6:1-18, Jesus contrasted true piety with people-pleasing religiosity. Speaking about prayer, Jesus delivered a stern warning about forgiveness. Forgiveness, he said, is a natural and necessary fruit of our having been forgiven by God. We must forgive those who sin against us, not like benevolent dictators from the top down but rather as fellow sinners from the bottom up.

(HT: What's Best Next)

Chris Brauns on Unpacking Unforgiveness

Chris Brauns, author of Unpacking Forgiveness: Biblical Answers for Complex Questions and Deep Wounds, shares some helpful insights about the need for Christ and his word in dealing with unforgiveness:

His audio from the recent Peacemaker conference on Forgiveness can be downloaded here.