Only God gives free grace
God made me and knows all my weakness
He knows where I come from, good and bad
And my sin, being hurt then hurting you.
Although he knows me, his love never ends.
In his love, he sent us his only son
To heal our hurting and sinful souls
Made one in him, to bring us love and peace
Because he paid the price, he always says
“I forgive you.”
Your brother comes to you seeking mercy.
Jesus did not pay my price for your sin,
Nor pay, you may now say, your price for mine.
Jesus did not cover my pain and loss.
Your words and acts brought me great suffering
God’s gifts of love and peace within me died
And left me only pain and fear of you.
You can be sure my price is very high!
Nothing is free in this life.
But you have now lost any value to me
If I thought you might be in my future
Jesus’ blood might cover your debt to me
Or I might let you pay me full price.
But you are now useless to my future
The pain of keeping you is just too great
So you will never pay me any price
Except the one thing you are still good for:
We all need somebody to hate.
I have made myself fully blind to you
All that remains is my bitter memory
How can I ever forgive you, seeing
To me you will never again exist?
A life of quiet, hidden bitterness
Is worth it, if I can hold you to pay!
I have been told that everyone does it
No one forgives unimportant people.
No one is free in this life.
Friend, my life is now near reaching its end
Your life has only just barely begun
You do not yet know the great destruction
Quietly harbored bitterness can bring.
For my few short days I will mourn daily
The destruction I have brought to your life
Praying you will someday say to me
The most blessed words I shall never hear:
“I forgive you.”
© 2025 by Ian Bruce Johnson
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