Forgiveness in the body of Christ is painful, especially within the context of a church. Forgiveness is required by God, as it is written,
Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you(Col 3:13). However, we also must maintain Authenticity. This means the consequences of our actions are real and must be taken into account. When David sinned, violence never left his house as promised by God (2 Sam 12:11-14). When leaders have a moral failure, they generally should step down. However, what about poor judgment - for example, spending too much money on a church project or not following through on a request?
As Christians, many of us easily get hurt when someone in the church lets us down or does not meet our desired expectation - they should visit me, or they should help me in this way, or they should do things in a particular way. In these cases, although the expectation may be incorrectly placed, the pain is real. Ideally, believers should not place unrealistic or unreasonable expectations on each other, however, if there is no blatant egregious sin involved, then not only forgive the person but continue in high spirits to work together as the family of God.
