“Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.” — Romans 12:1 (BSB)
“Be kind and tenderhearted to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you.” — Ephesians 4:32 (BSB)
“Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with hearts of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with one another and forgive any complaint you may have against someone else. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” — Colossians 3:12–13 (BSB)
“Bless the LORD, O my soul, and do not forget all His benefits—He who forgives all your iniquities and heals all your diseases…” — Psalm 103:2–3 (BSB)
Forgiveness also demands that I forgive others. The same mercy that was extended to me is to flow from me. I cannot cherish the grace of God and withhold it from my neighbor. This response is not rooted in duty alone but in grateful love—as Jesus said, “he who has been forgiven much, loves much” (Luke 7:47).
Article XII of the Thirty-Nine Articles states that good works are “the fruits of faith, and follow after justification.” Forgiveness does not end in pardon alone—it leads to a life of holiness, service, and spiritual joy.
Bishop J.C. Ryle wrote, “A true Christian is not only forgiven, he is also thankful. Gratitude for pardon is the mainspring of obedience. The heart that knows it is clean will seek to stay clean” (Holiness, 1877).
Canon Dr. Ashley Null (Diocese of Western Kansas) explains, “Grace is not permission to sin, but power to live a new life. When the heart is captured by mercy, it is released from slavery to self and set free to love” (Reformation Anglicanism, Vol. 1, 2016).
Archbishop Foley Beach (ACNA) teaches, “The proper response to forgiveness is worship—wholehearted surrender, joyful obedience, and a desire to serve others with the same grace that has been given to us” (Provincial Address, 2020).
Rev. Dr. Stephen Gauthier (ACNA) writes, “Forgiveness is never earned, but it is never without effect. When God forgives, He also transforms. We love because He first loved us, and we forgive because we are forgiven” (Anglican Perspective, 2020).
Bishop Julian Dobbs (Diocese of the Living Word, ACNA) states, “The cross changes everything. Once I have been to the foot of the cross and received mercy, I cannot go on living for myself. I must walk in humility, gratitude, and grace” (Diocesan Address, 2021).
To be forgiven is to begin a new life. It is to be freed from guilt, restored to communion, and invited into a holy walk of love, worship, and discipleship in the fellowship of the Church.
St. Cyril of Jerusalem (c. 313–386 AD): “Do not forget the One who forgave you. Live no longer for sin but for righteousness, that your life may be praise to the One who pardoned you.” — Catechetical Lectures, 2.6
St. Basil the Great (c. 329–379 AD): “Having received the cleansing of forgiveness, let us no longer return to the mire. Let the forgiven man live as one restored, showing mercy as he has received it.” — On the Human Condition, Homily 7
St. Irenaeus of Lyons (c. 130–202 AD): “The grace of God does not leave us as it found us. It pardons to purify, it heals to strengthen, it redeems to glorify.” — Against Heresies, IV.13.4
An Anglican Catechism (Expanded) offers over 350+ Scripture-based answers to the core truths of the Christian faith. Each entry includes biblical texts, theological insight, and reflections from historic and contemporary Anglican voices. Rooted in the classical tradition, it is designed for teaching, discipleship, and spiritual formation.
An Ancient Worship Movement invites readers into the rich, historic worship of the early Church rediscovered through the Anglican tradition. This book calls believers into a deeper, Spirit-filled encounter with Christ through timeless practices.
St. Thomas Church
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St. Thomas Church is a Church planting movement in ancient tradition.
