The Power of Forgivness
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16.
God’s forgiveness in Jesus Christ is absolute, eternal, and an expression of His love.
God’s forgiveness penetrates our heart and transforms our soul.
Forgiveness is more powerful than we realize, because it operates within the spiritual realm. What’s more, forgiveness operates in three different spiritual dimensions— where each type of forgiveness enables us to more fully know and experience God’s heart.
These three different forms of forgiveness comprise the content of this lesson, and is depicted by the triangle to the right:
1. We must be forgiven by God.
2. We must forgive: a. Others b. Self c. God
3. We need to be forgiven by those whom we have harmed.
We Must be Forgiven
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23
The mystery of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is we are freely forgiven—not by what we do—but by the grace of God. This is difficult for those who are not born again to grasp because it conflicts with our human rational thought process—which is based upon everything we earn and achieve in life is based upon what we do. No one gives us anything of value for free…especially eternal life…which cannot be purchased (it has already been paid for by Jesus). As we read it in Ephesians 2:1-10 , Psalm 103:11-12
We Must Forgive
God is very straightforward about forgiveness for those who are born again: because we are forgiven, we must forgive. The following words spoken by Jesus Christ reveals His truth regarding the importance of forgiveness. Although we are forgiven and will live with Him for eternity…to not forgive someone has many undesirable consequences that stifle our internal peace, joy, happiness, and spiritual growth. As we read in Matt 18:21-22
Consequences of Unforgiveness
When we hold onto unforgiveness, we will also experience anger, bitterness, hatred and a desire for retribution— which results in:
• Distress to our body and mind.
• Continued aggravation of our internal “scars” cause by the one who harmed us.
• A “restricting filter” between us and God.
What’s more, the day-to-day internal suffering and pain associated with unforgiveness soon becomes “normal” to us because we forgot what it was like to live without the internal turmoil.
Meanwhile, the never-ending boil of caustic rage continues to fester to the surface in what we say and do.
In addition, when we hold onto unforgiveness:
• We are held in bondage by the person(s) who committed the offense against us.
• Their crime continues to influence our ability to live life to the fullest by limiting all that there is to experience in our walk with our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ.
However, when we are able to stand back from a distance…and look at everything that has occurred to us from an eternal, spiritual and “big picture” perspective—and reflect upon the grace and forgiveness God has given us in His Son, Jesus Christ—is when we are able to begin the process of breaking the stronghold and chains of unforgiveness.
It is safe to say those who harmed us do not deserve to be forgiven.
However, it’s also safe to say we did not deserve God’s forgiveness in Jesus Christ. God’s desire for us is to:
• Let go of that which continues to destroy us from within.
• To forgive as He has forgiven us—as a reciprocal act of His love, His mercy and His grace.
Forgiveness—the deliberate act of relinquishing (surrendering, abandoning) our feelings of resentment and/or vengeance towards someone who has harmed us—is biblically mandated. But there is a very good reason—because forgiveness is much more powerful than we realize in that it can heal the internal “damage.”
Forgiveness:
• Is a powerful spiritual weapon.
• Will restore our body, heart and soul from the devastating harm caused by trauma, such as:
o Verbal abuse.
o Mental abuse.
o Physical abuse.
o Sexual abuse.
o Domestic violence.
o Parental separation.
o Loss of a loved one.
• Takes power away from Satan and his demonic minions.
• Changes our perception of:
o Those who have harmed us.
o The world around us.
Jesus Christ was a perfect reflection of God. As such, consider some of the last words spoken by Jesus…after he had been rejected, accused, and abused…as He hung on the cross dying, He said “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” Luke 23:34 It is these words that provide spiritual insight into the nature of God’s heart, and words that provide us with guidance in how to respond to a dark world.
Prayer:
According to Colossians 3:12-17 , Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ I come before Your throne of grace and mercy to find help in my time of need. Thank you, Jesus, for dying for me and paying the price for my sins. Your word says that we are to forgive others as we have been forgiven. However, Lord, I have been deeply hurt and I am having difficulty in forgiving because of what was done. Holy Spirit, I give you my heart, I give you my soul, I give you my emotions, and I give you my pain—because only You can change me from within. Help me to forgive as you have forgiven me. Amen.
Sol.Olivia