Forgiveness (Christianity)

In religious terms, offending against the holiness of God by human offence leading to guilt and enmity between God and man. This enmity can only be set aside by God's forgiveness of the offence. The need for assurance that sin has been pardoned and right relations restored has led to rituals of actual or symbolic cleansing both at the individual and the collective level. The setting right of the relationship is what is termed [justification]

, while the result of this fact, the actually restored relationship, is termed [reconciliation]

. The two may be considered to form part of forgiveness, which is the divine and human practice both of the setting right and the resultant restored relationship. In Christian terms, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the atonement (at-one-ment) between God and humanity. Humanity no longer needs to get right with God. The freedom this brings makes it possible to trust God, to trust neighbours, to trust enemies.

The relationship between forgiveness and justice and love is at the very centre of Christian ethics. It provides the context for human freedom and human responsibility in renewal and fulfilment. God's presence and grace are a sign of His love; His pardoning or doing away with of human disbelief and violation of this loving initiative is forgiveness; His presence underlying human aspirations and struggle to be human, experienced as the setting right the wrongs in human interactions, is justice. This practice of love through the means of forgiveness and justice is expressed in the individual through his behaviour towards God and towards his fellows, in the intention that God's will should be done and in the knowledge that it is done through God's power.