The way people typically attempt to assuage their troubled conscience is by minimizing their guilt. “Sure, I’m far from perfect, but…” It is foolhardy, for two reasons. First, it denies the reality of how often and easy we sin and how devastating that sin is to others and, indeed, to our faith. Minimizing our guilt is like putting perfume and makeup on a corpse and saying, “See! Not that bad.” But secondly, minimizing our guilt demonstrates a lack of understanding of how forgiveness works. It’s a simple concept. Those who think they have been forgiven little love little. But those who realize they have been forgiven so much by their gracious God in turn love God from the very bottom of their forgiven heart. This week, we give our undivided attention to the power of forgiveness. God’s forgiveness doesn’t just give us peace. It gives us power—the power to love.