What is forgiveness?

To forgive is to sacrifice what is taken away from us in order to help those who hurt us. For example if someone insults us we feel that our pride is taken away. To forgive in such a situation is to sacrifice our pride in order to bring healing to the person who insults us. Sinners are people who disobey God and go against Him. Yet Jesus came into this world to bring healing to sinners (Luke 5:32). He forgave His executioners (Luke 23:34) and sacrificed His life so that they may have eternal life. He did this, because, His loved them unconditionally. He, therefore, was not concerned about Himself; rather, He was concerned about their eternal life. Forgiveness, therefore, is an act of unconditional love. Jesus, therefore, tells us to, “Love our enemy, do good to those who hurt us and pray for our persecutors” (Luke 6: 27-36).