Forgiving is an essential and necessary Christian attribute. It is so important to our discipleship that Christ portrayed the ultimate example. At the same moment that forgiveness is at the pinnacle of the important characteristics that we should possess; most might say it is one of the most difficult virtues to learn and to practice consistently and wholeheartedly.
Forgiving requires that you cancel the debt of another and treat that individual as if they never owed you anything. That is unnatural. In fact is is supernatural. It is spiritual. Forgiveness requires maturity, acceptance and trust in God. Forgiveness is another chance. Which means that you entreat the individual who you feel wronged you and you restore them to the place they were before the harm. Forgiveness is a by product of love and usually accompanies sincere self reflection. When we look at what God has to forgive us for regularly, our inconsistency, our unwillingness to change, our behavior, our iniquities and sins, our actions in spite of knowing better; when we look into ourselves and see all that God has forgiven of us, then to forgive each other should result. Restoring one another should become a duty. Consider the scripture below and ask yourself if you've canceled the debt.
Matthew 18:21-35 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" (22) Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. (23) "Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. (24) As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. (25) Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. (26) "The servant fell on his knees before him. `Be patient with me,' he begged, `and I will pay back everything.' (27) The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. (28) "But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. `Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded. (29) "His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, `Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.' (30) "But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. (31) When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened. (32) "Then the master called the servant in. `You wicked servant,' he said, `I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. (33) Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' (34) In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. (35) "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."
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