On Forgiveness – February 13, 2026

From the Notebook

Forgiveness is never a one-time thing.

Forgiveness is at the blood level.

What does this mean?

Medieval folks who take offense demand satisfaction, leading to duels to the death. Warring tribes demand pigs for a truce, or demand that someone dies to settle a serious matter.

It’s said in Scripture that without the shedding of blood, there can be no forgiveness of sin.

I suppose we can also say that without the shedding of blood, there can be no satisfaction of vengeance.

And speaking of vengeance, God says this to those who lift up grievances to Him – ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay.‘

But we ought to consider that at the cross, Christ shed the blood only He could shed, that all satisfaction would be met, all disputes, matters and offenses be settled, and all vengeance be met.

To the degree we have been forgiven, we ought to think twice before we say ‘I will repay‘, because Christ said, ‘it is finished‘.

Indeed, because of the obedience of one Man, many shall be saved, because the Law of the Lord has been satisfied. We claim this promise and declare that by the obedience of Christ, our families, and everyone we think about shall be saved… by the reliability of the Word, the finished work of Christ, the grace of our Father, and the power of the Holy Spirit.

Meanwhile, in our own lives, even as offense and transgression abound as the darkness grows, we continue to give thanks, for this revelation:

Bitterness manifests. As we often say, hurt people (also) hurt people. But here’s the thing: Forgiveness also manifests. Forgiven people may forgive people, but it doesn’t just flow out, but INTO us. Tension is released, and peace of mind eventually translates to peace of body.

We have a precious currency and commodity in the body of Christ; We have forgiveness.

So I tell myself: Forgive. Start living. Start loving! Start reveling in the Light!

I tell myself: Forgiveness is a currency, and we have an unquantifiable, infinite Source of Forgiveness. With that in mind, I give as I have received. I forgive as I have been forgiven.

2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

Fruitful Growth in the Faith

5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.

10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; 11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.2 Peter 1:2-11

Forgiveness is our foundation. There was forgiveness when faith was authored into us. When we remember how we have been so greatly forgiven, we grow in virtue unto knowledge, knowledge unto self-control, self-control unto perseverance, perseverance unto godliness, godliness unto brotherly kindness, and brotherly kindness unto love.

I remember writing about this before – WAY before, even before I fully took in the finished work of Christ. And now that I recall, it sounded more like a course detailing efforts WE needed to exert, to ‘reach’ love.

Now I’m just saying – You can’t go wrong with the forgiveness and the relative salvation we have, not by our works, but by Christ and His finished work.

It’s come to a point that we just go ahead and realize that forgiveness is actually more than a work, but just that ingrained into our identity. We are forgiven in Christ.

‘I will repay.’

‘It is finished.’

‘I am forgiven.’

Thank You, Lord. Thank You for the revelation of Your forgiveness. Thank You that You have founded our salvation, established our faith by proclaiming our forgiveness. Thank You for the Holy Spirit that constantly reminds us, consistently convicts us of our forgiveness.

As we conclude this week, and as we celebrate love from so many perspectives, may we never lose sight of the everlasting love of God… both established and guaranteed by way of our forgiveness on the cross. Thank You, Jesus.

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