Personal Relationships
Forgiving has several synonyms, each with a slightly different meaning. Excuse means that we overlook an action without demanding punishment. Pardon is a non-emotional legal term that means we absolve someone of a just penalty. Condone means that we tolerate an act, while not agreeing with or appreciating it. But none of these measure up to the idea of "forgive." When we forgive, everything is considered: the act, the offense, the penalty, and the future relationship. God called our acts sin, willingly paid for them with the highest of prices, and then re-established peace with us. We are not called upon to pardon, excuse, or condone another's sin, but to forgive.
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