thoughts on good friday

I had a heated conversation with a friend yesterday, who was making an argument that I should forgive and forget, because that's when God would forgive me.
I thought about this for a moment - and couldn't help but see the glaring theological hole in their argument.

I replied:

"God doesn't require me to do anything in order to be forgiven...He takes me as I am, bubbling anger, frustrations intact, emotional struggles included. There is no condition for His forgiveness! THAT is the beauty of grace. God's grace doesn't judge me for my iniquities...instead it embraces me, encourages me, and heals me. I'm not saying that I shouldn't forgive, in fact the Lord's Prayer demands exactly that, and God demands that of me when I make the decision to follow Him. But to say that I need to forgive before God forgives me would mean that there's a condition to grace...and my oh my...there isn't! How amazing is that?"


Even I was surprised by my own words...who knew that you can go from defensiveness to awe so quickly?