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6. Forgiving comes naturally to the forgiven. Nothing enables us to forgive like knowing in our hearts that we have been forgiven. This is probably why Jesus taught us to pray: "Forgive us our debts, [but only] as we forgive our debtors" (Matt. 6:12). Jesus implies that it is unthinkable for a forgiven person to refuse to forgive. If we do refuse, he says later, we have no claim on God's forgiveness. But remember, he does not expect perfect forgiving; he is the only expert at it. We are poor duffers trying to treat others as he treats us.

Lewis B. Smedes is professor emeritus of theology and ethics at Fuller Theological Seminary and author of The Art of Forgiving: When You Need to Forgive and Don't Know How (Ballantine).

Ask a Question, Get a Gift Send your questions to Good Question, Christianity Today, 465 Gundersen Drive, Carol Stream, IL 60188, or to cteditor@christianitytoday.com. If we use your question, you will receive a free copy of The Story of Christianity: 2,000 Years of Faith, a beautifully illustrated history of the church.

Copyright © 2001 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

A ready-to-download Bible Study on this article is available at ChristianBibleStudies.com. These unique Bible studies use articles from current issues of Christianity Today to prompt thought-provoking discussions in adult Sunday school classes or small groups.

Read quotations to stir the mind and heart about confession and forgiveness.

Christianity Today reported last year that forgiveness may help lead to emotional and even physical healing and wholeness.

Miroslav Volf is known for grappling with matters of grace and forgiveness in the face of great pain and transgression. His widely read 1996 book Exclusion & Embrace probed theological implications of reconciliation in a fractured world. After the attacks of September 11, Christianity Today interviewed him about reconciliation.

The Web sites for the Campaign for Forgiveness Research: and the International Forgiveness Institute have information on what forgiving is and the effect it has for individuals and the world.

Lewis B. Smedes is Professor Emeritus of Theology and Ethics at Fuller Theological Seminary.

Christianbook.com carries several books written by Lewis B. Smedes.

Smedes earlier answered, "Can God Reach the Mentally Disabled?," "Who Are We to Judge?," and "Is Suicide Unforgivable?"

Earlier Good Question columns include:

Who Are We to Judge?

Should We File Lawsuits?

Can We Expect God to Forgive Unbelievers Who 'Don't Know What They're Doing'?

Is the Stock Market Good Stewardship?

Is Satan Omnipresent?

Is Suicide Unforgivable?

Was Slavery God's Will?

A Little Wine for the Soul?

Should We All Speak in Tongues?

Did Jesus Really Descend to Hell?

Take, Eat—But How Often?

Is Christmas Pagan?

Are Christians Required to Tithe?

Is Revelation Prophecy or History?

You're Divorced—Can You Remarry?

If Grace Is Irresistible, Why Evangelize?

Does the 'Bible Code' Really Exist?

What's the Unforgivable Sin?

What Bible Version Did Jesus Read?

Did God Die on the Cross?

You Must Be Born Again—But at What Age?

Was the Revolutionary War Justified?

Can the Dead Be Converted?

What Is the Significance of the Shroud of Turin?

Is Hell Forever?

Why Are There Denominations?

Did Paul Baptize for the Dead?

Do Demons Have Zip Codes?

What Is the Gospel of Thomas?

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December 3 2001, Vol. 45, No. 15