Verily, thou mayest have observed that those lacking in forgiveness oft possess retentive memories. Some may cling to resentments for the duration of their existence. Love, however, doth never inscribe a ledger of transgressions. It forgiveth and is incapable of further contemplation upon them.
Such was the sentiment Paul sought to convey when he declared that love "doth not take into account a wrong suffered" (1 Cor. 13:5). The Greek term rendered "take into account" was formerly employed in the ledgers of a scrivener. Those entries served to jog the memory of the scrivener regarding the nature of each pecuniary transaction. In stark contrast, love neither inscribes nor holds others liable for their transgressions.
The preeminent exemplification of such love is God Himself. Romans 4:8 proclaims, "Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account." Second Corinthians 5:19 further avows, "God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them."
Each transgression we, as believers, commit is an affront unto God. Yet, He imputeth them not unto our ledger. We abide in Christ, who bore our penalty upon the cross. When we transgress, we are promptly pardoned.
If thou dost harbor affection for others, thou shalt forgive them as God hath forgiven thee. Rather than holding them answerable for their transgressions, thou shalt gaze beyond their iniquity to their potential in Christ. Attend to Paul's counsel to "be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also hath forgiven thee" (Eph. 4:32). Such is the essence of genuine love.
Petitions for Supplication:
- Art thou withholding forgiveness from someone? If so, acknowledge it as sin and confess it unto the Lord. Then, reconcile with that person without delay.
- Express gratitude unto God for His refusal to record thine iniquities (cf. Ps. 130:3).