2 Corinthians 2

As Christians, Christ calls us to forgive others as he forgave us - to love and counsel others in spite of the sins that they've committed. We see in this chapter the Corinthians punishing a certain individual for causing pain within the church. Now, Paul asks the church to deal with the situation, but we have the church seeking punishment in the form of vengeance. Paul urges the church to forgive and comfort the man so "he is not overwhelmed by excessive sorrow." Obviously, the punishment given had it's intended effect on the individual and he had repented.

I find that many Christians today act as the Corinthian church did. We seek to rebuke a particular person for their sin, and while we outwardly say "I forgive you," I find that most people hold grudges. When we forgive, it's ceasing to feel resentment against the offender. There should be no asterisks attached.

Christ forgives us 100% anytime we ask and repent sincerely. We all sin, but God is ready to shower us with his mercies. With that, we need to reflect God's unconditional love for us.