The Power of Supernatural Forgiveness

“And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’ And when he had said this, he fell asleep.”  — Acts 7:60

“To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.”   — C.S. Lewis

Forgiveness is not natural — it is supernatural.

Jesus modeled it perfectly on the cross when He prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Stephen followed in His steps. As stones were crushing his body, he fell to his knees and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”

This same act of radical forgiveness carried the power of the gospel straight to his greatest persecutor — Saul of Tarsus — who would later become the Apostle Paul.

We often get angry at the militant persecution of Christians around the world. But the true mark of a Christian is not anger or retaliation. It is forgiveness.

We cannot truly forgive others until we have deeply realized how much we ourselves have been forgiven. Once we understand the depth of our own sin and the greatness of God’s mercy toward us, holding bitterness against others becomes impossible.

That is the power of the cross.

Let’s show this supernatural love and forgiveness to a broken and hostile world around us.

Because when Christians forgive like Jesus and Stephen, the gospel advances — even through persecution.