June 25, 2012
Forgiveness is the foundations of our relationship with God and each other. God has given us so much, when He came in this world as a baby with nothing, so that all men can come to Him. The manger in the stable shows, He is not a respecter of persons (Acts 10:34 Romans 2: 11). Even the poorest of the poor, all strangers, who where in Jerusalem at the time of the census, could find Him.
Even now after His resurrection Jesus is always available, approachable, reachable and obvious to all people. Those who knew the scriptures back than recognized Him and anticipated His appearance.. Today you would say, the ones, who read their Bibles, recognized Him and eagerly wait for His return.
Jesus loves all mankind, regardless of status, religion, looks, hang ups. He came from His heaven for everybody, who can’t save himself. He loves the lost, the wicked, the evil, the depraved. He created everyone, but people make their choices or are influenced by curses (Deuteronomy 28:15-20). It is God’s wish that none of us should die or be unhappy (John 3:16), that we all get along in harmony and unity (Ephesians 4:3).
Since we all are equally important to God, we need to understand it hurts God, if we have anything against our fellow human.
Check out the following verses: (Deuteronomy 15:9, Matthew 5:23, Matthew 18:15, Luke 17:3, Psalm 50:20). This is serious business to God! If we have hatred and unforgivness in our hearts, our fellowship with God is broken. Just because someone wrongs us is no excuse to hold a grudge. God loves that other person very much, even if they don’t walk in the light of understanding, compassion or knowledge. Therefore, if you have any unforgivness in your heart, your relationship with God is hindered. So this really IS a big deal in life, because if we hold on to our past, we cannot be free to enjoy our future.
Often forgiveness is a process and does not happen overnight. I want to urge you to overcome as fast as you can and not make it a long “journey”. Life is short!
In Matthew 18:21 and following Peter ask how many times should we forgive? You can read the account yourself, but in essence Jesus say: Completely! I understand that is a hard lesson to learn, especially victims of crime, innocent children at risk and all other gruesome, wicked things people can condor up to do to each other. We all are under the curse of a fallen, cursed world. We have to understand, that we need to move out of God’s way, so He can do justice and set things right: Vengeance is mine says God. He will repay (Isaiah 63:4 and Romans 12:19) If we hold a resentment, unforgivness or grudges, God is unable to move, because of our own sin. There is no justice in this world. When you were little, you probably ran around and said: “No fair!”
People wonder why their prayers are not answered? Guess what: They have so many hang ups, opinions and expectations, that God’s hands are tied by their choices. Yet, if we approach God with a clean heart and the right spirit, we can ask anything in the name of Jesus and He will give it to us. (John 14:13, John 14:14, John 15:16, John 16:23. and many more). Can you tell by how many references there are which show us, that God longs to give justice? As well as give us the desires of our hearts (Psalm 37:4)?
When we are unforgiving, our fellowship with God is interrupted, because He forgave us, so we have to forgive others made in God’s image.
A good example of how forgiveness works is, if you don’t have any electricity connected to your house. You still have all the appliances and lamps in the house, they were paid for and belong to you, like Jesus paid for your sin and God’s kingdom is yours waiting for you, when you get saved. For a while the food is still cold in the refrigerator and the stove still belongs to you, meaning God is still with you, waiting for you to forgive. You have your salvation. Yet, since you are disconnected from the power source since you have the disrupted connection, due to unforgivness, eventually everything will rot and be worthless. Nobody wants to have what you have until your power is restored. Religion is a good example: Who wants it, if God is not in it?! Jesus says to abide in the vine. It is not worth it to hold on to unforgivness, because you never win or will be restored.
Forgiveness is an unnatural choice in this world under the curse of sin. Our initial and natural reaction is that of hurt or self-defense. The hurt is real: emotional and/or physical and it does not necessary go away, just because we forgive.
(Col 3:13) we are commanded to bear each others burdens, just as Christ forgave us. That is a tall order for a fragile human being! Yet it is necessary for God to work in that persons life and in ours.
We can forgive by faith as an “act of our will”, not by our feelings. We commit the offense to God and leave it there, without looking back at our memories and hurts. No more nursing grudges, but trusting God to see us through! He will do it, even faster than you think.
In this world we shall have all kinds of tribulation but with Jesus we can overcome everything (Philippians 4:7).You have to remember, here on earth all is very temporary: our hurts, our relations, our attitudes. Even if something takes a life time on earth, it cannot compare with the benefits of obedience and future generations will be thankful for your stand for righteousness
Corrie Ten Boom a lady from the Netherlands, who survived the German concentration camps, explains it so simply and to the point: “To forgive someone is to set the prisoner free, just to discover the prisoner was you”. In other words: Unforgivness is sin and when we forgive, we are set free from our sin, along with the one we held grudges against.
I guess, I need to tell you about all the adverse health effects unforgivness has: It affects you digestive system and nervous system, which in turn effects all your major organs, leading to sickness all over you. I wish someone would make a study how cancer is connected to the body in relation to unforgivness. I bet we are getting somewhere towards a healing.
Jesus knows, forgiveness is not easy for us. Often it is not a one-time choice and then we automatically live in a state of forgiveness. Forgiveness may require a lifetime of forgiving, but it is important to the Lord. We must continue to forgive until the matter is settled in our heart.
What if a person doesn’t forgive you? Well, that is not your call. Your obligation is to go to the person you have wronged and apologize to the best of your ability. You might even make restitution, that is between you and God and that person. Forgiving others truly means to love one another as Jesus commanded us. God will help you with it. He knows some people are not all that lovable. Look what humans did to Jesus! Especially the religious people, the Pharisees and Saduccees were the ones you really did a number on Jesus and tried to kill Him all along. As educated in religion as they were, they should have know God much better.
People, who criticize you, ridicule you, will have always the last argument. You can image, how much people “love” us, who tell truth, who give unsolicited statements of what God’s Word says to certain situations in people’s lives. Believe me: it is loving to warn people from wrath to come or make them aware that their way of life is not pleasing to God. That people do not want to hear what I say in the name of God, is always cool with me and I do not expect them to agree with God, but they can’t say, that they were not warned. You see, every action causes a reaction and God wants our best. That is why He sends warning signals to His children, so they will not get hurt. We are God’s hands and feet and some of us have discernment, a gift from God. Yet when I say things to warn people, they get indignant (I would too). However God will use the words in their life IF they yield to the Holy Spirit and change, before punishment comes. Of course the proud and stiff-necked will not listen and often are unforgiving towards the messenger, who warns them. God gave them a choice and I have mine, you have yours. Our connection with God enables us to operate our life with humility in His power, His justice and His love. Too bad people, who think they know it all, hold grudges will miss out and have problems.
So let’s choose to forgive, since we don’t want to mess up our fellowship with God on their account.
Patterns Tried and True 