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Cold shoulder Quote by Voddie Baucham Jr

“If we refuse to forgive, we have stepped into dangerous waters. First, refusing to forgive is to put ourselves in the place of God, as though vengeance were our prerogative, not his. Second, unforgiveness says God’s wrath is insufficient. For the unbeliever, we are saying that an eternity in hell…” quote by Voddie Baucham Jr
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““If we refuse to forgive, we have stepped into dangerous waters. First, refusing to forgive is to put ourselves in the place of God, as though vengeance were our prerogative, not his. Second, unforgiveness says God’s wrath is insufficient. For the unbeliever, we are saying that an eternity in hell is not enough; they need our slap in the face or cold shoulder to “even the scales” of justice. For the believer, we are saying that Christ’s humiliation and death are not enough. In other words, we shake our fists at God and say, “Your standards may have been satisfied, but my standard is higher!” Finally, refusing to forgive is the highest form of arrogance. Here we stand forgiven. And as we bask in the forgiveness of a perfectly holy and righteous God, we turn to our brother and say, “My sins are forgivable, but yours are not.” In other words, we act as though the sins of others are too significant to forgive while simultaneously believing that ours are not significant enough to matter.””

Voddie Baucham Jr

About This Quote

Source Sermon: The Power of Forgiveness, Voddie Baucham Jr., 2015

Refusing to forgive places us in a god‑like stance of vengeance, showing arrogance and undermining divine grace. It escalates conflict and prevents healing.

In simple terms: Refusing forgiveness is arrogant and harmful.

Key Takeaway

Embrace forgiveness, release pride.

Themes

forgiveness humility spirituality conflict resolution

Mood

reflective serious hopeful

Type

theological ethical inspirational

When to use this quote

  • marriage counseling
  • church conflict
  • family disputes
  • personal resentment
  • workplace tension

Key Concepts

arrogance grace justice human frailty

Questions to Reflect On

  • What does holding onto grudges cost you?
  • How can you practice forgiveness without enabling abuse?
A Different Perspective

Forgiveness does not excuse repeated harmful behavior; boundaries may still be needed.

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