This post is a follow-up message from Pastor Ben's sermon entitled "Steps to Forgiveness". [Watch video]

This past Sunday we wrapped up a mini-series on forgiveness that was based on Ephesians 4:32, “Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” I’ll end with a principle we began with a few weeks back: Forgiveness is costly.

We are to forgive others “because” we’ve been forgiven and “as” we’ve been forgiven. We cannot disengage our forgiveness of others from God’s forgiveness of us, and so we cannot disengage it from the cross. Our forgiveness cost the life of God’s Son. He was humiliated, beaten horribly, and brutally crucified on the cross, all for our forgiveness. It cost a great deal to God, and so should not be taken lightly.

We are not surprised then, to learn that forgiving others is also very costly. It may not be convenient, it may be emotionally draining, it may involve time and energy. For instance, say you need to forgive a family member for something that happened long ago. In this case, you know that you also need to ask for forgiveness. I’ve known people who have been at odds with a family member for a very long time. How tragic that someone hasn’t spoken to their dad or sister or brother for years. What would it take to forgive and be forgiven? It would take swallowing your pride. It would take picking up the phone. It would take the courage to speak. It would mean going over the offense one more time, both in your mind and with your family member. It would mean taking the risk of being shut down and rejected. It would be costly. Would it be worth it? God thought it was worth it, and so should we.