True or false: most Christian pastors and counselors agree on what forgiveness is and how it should take place." The answer is false; the truth is that pastors and counselors disagree profoundly on this subject. And so do the people at your office, in the pews of your church, and maybe even within your own home. Unpacking Forgiveness, by Chris Brauns, opens with an eight question, true-false quiz designed to guide readers to the heart of our confusion about forgiveness. But where the quiz raises questions, the book provides answers.

What is most true about forgiveness is that it can only be understood in light of Scripture. "Only God's Word can unpack forgiveness," explains Brauns. "The wounds are too deep for us to find healing on our own, and the questions are too complex to be unraveled by anything but the wisdom of God." Unpacking Forgiveness may surprise you, because it goes beyond a feel-good doctrine of automatic forgiveness, balancing the beauty of God's grace and the necessity of forgiveness with the teaching that forgiveness must take place in a way that is consistent with justice.

Unpacking Forgiveness examines God's Word to form a sound theology of forgiveness, helping readers move beyond the wounds and baggage of bitterness, disagreements, and broken relationships. It is a helpful resource for pastors, Christian counselors, and anyone who has been burned and struggles to extend forgiveness.

On the "Knowing The Truth" Radio Program today my guest will be Chris Brauns. Chris is senior pastor at the Congregational Christian Church in Stillman Valley, Illinois. He has studied and spoken extensively on the topic of forgiveness.