Forgiveness is not primarily a self-centred activity for our own psychological well-being. It is so that we can be reconciled with others, and so that we can be obedient to God. The fact that being obedient to God, and loving to others has a beneficial impact on how we think and on our outlook on life, is really a secondary matter. The fact that we are blessed when we forgive should not be the primary reason to forgive. It is not meant to be a self-centred activity, but one that is focused on the other person. We should be forgiving people “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Luke 6:37–38, NIV-84) “Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.” (Matthew 6:9–13, NLT) “But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.”” (Mark 11:25, NLT) The NT Greek word most often translated ‘forgive’ means more literally ‘to let go’ or ‘to leave behind’. Forgiveness is ‘letting go’ of something. There is something about having a forgiving heart which resonates with the heart of God. He so loved the world that he did all that it took to forgive people – Jesus death on the cross… ““For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16, NLT) “We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us.” (1 John 3:16, NLT) We ought to forgive others, at a personal level. We can do so without worrying that truth and justice will be compromised, because these are the proper responsibilities of the civil authorities, church leadership, and ultimately God on the judgment day. Those authorities have the responsibility to ensure that truth is uncovered and justice is applied, with church discipline being a special case where fellowship is based on Jesus having taken the sinner's punishment - if they are repentant, they can be reconciled to the fellowship of God's people. Individuals don't have the proper responsibility to seek justice on their own, and are therefore free to forgive personally, to let matters go, and trust that civil or church authorities will deal with them appropriately, and that ultimately God will provide eternal justice - or forgiveness, if people accept that Jesus died on the cross for their sins, meeting the demands of justice there.