I was thinking last night about how were are often told that we benefit when we forgive others, more than the person we forgive. If this is true for us is it true for God? Is he the beneficiary when he forgives or are we?
That’s an interesting question. When we don’t forgive, we store up bitterness inside ourselves. We are being unloving–concerned more for our own hurt than for the other’s righteousness.
I don’t think it’s the same with God. The way I understand it, God loves the sinner and His wrath is out of the desire to see His child righteous. He’s not harboring a personal resentment, but he’s not going to look with favor on anything evil just because he loves and desires to forgive. His love motivates his wrath. “Whom the Lord loves, he disciplines.”
Sonia