In Chapter 3 (“The Lord’s Prayer and Forgiveness”) of Total Forgiveness, R. T. Kendall describes the first step in the forgiveness process: “We must begin by not judging. It is not for us to judge another’s motives. Reserving judgment for God alone shows that we are already beginning to forgive.”
Rev. Kendall goes on to note that Jesus is talking about a chosen privilege, citing Matthew 6:14, the verse following the Lord’s Prayer- “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”
This privilege is more spectacular in God’s eyes than any amount of earthly glory. Proverbs 19:11 reminds us: “A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense.” This is not humanly possible. It requires that we connect with God through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to establish or reestablish intimacy and fellowship with God.
