"If God can forgive, what more can we humans? We're only humans".
"To err is human; to forgive, divine." (Alexander Pope)
I don't follow these thoughts.
"We are only humans" is the very reason why we would be less able to forgive than God can.
I mean God is perfect, He has everything, He has no need for anything. If God forgives, what does He lose? Nothing.
If someone steals a wallet, then God forgives him, what is it to God? He doesn't need that wallet, or the money in the wallet... God can afford forgiving.
If the victim forgives the thief, the victim gives something. What if he doesn't get the wallet back? What if he gets the wallet back, but some money is missing, and the thief could be sentenced to prison life? If the victim says, "No need for prison. I forgive you. Don't worry about the money, and I will carry the emotional burden of not having justice served", is it less than what God has done, or is it more?
We are looking at the effort expended here, or the lost possession, or the satisfaction of getting back at the "enemy". God doesn't need any effort, he doesn't need any of those things. At least that's what I think His Perfection means.
Forgiveness is giving an emotional or material pardon. That means if a thing is forgiven, the effort to give that thing back is not expected. It is giving. God has everything to give. Man doesn't have that luxury.
Forgiveness is more than divine.
