Forgiveness

The Lord told His followers to forgive.  Why is it so important to forgive and who benefits from that act of obedience?  I think the Lord stressed this because it is not easy to forgive many of the things that have been done to us by others and unforgiveness puts us in bondage.  Forgiveness is done through the act of the will because it is a choice and each person has been given a free will to choose.  Another thing is that if we don’t choose to forgive, we can become very bitter and that bitterness can destroy our relationship with the Lord and cause us much sorrow in our own life.  If we allow a root of bitterness to spring up within us, we can become very miserable people and affect everyone that we come into contact with.

Please read Hebrews 12:15-16, “Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.” 

Now please read Ephesians 4:31-32, “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.”

If we allow a root of bitterness to reside in our hearts, and out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks, that is what we will end up spewing from our mouths; bitterness, anger and unforgiveness.  If you allow all these things to fester within, it may even cause you to be sick and a very resentful person and you take a chance on losing all the people that care about you and it could get much worse. 

When we forgive others it not only sets them free, it also sets us free like the Word of God says, “if you know the truth, the truth will set you free.”  But I think we need to put these things into practice, then we will be set free, praise the Lord.  Peter said to the Lord, how often shall I forgive my brother up to seven times, and that was being generous, the Jews thought that forgiving someone three times was enough, but the Lord told Peter no not up to seven times, but seventy times seven. 

I have been talking about forgiveness but what are the main reasons why we should forgive from the heart and not just let it be words.  This is the main reason we should want to forgive; just think of what the Lord Jesus went through to buy our pardon and our forgiveness.  Don’t forget we were all guilty of sinning against God multitudes of times and we sinned many times against others also.  Now think of this, God in His mercy and grace and unconditional love made a way where there was no way for us.  Yes, it was us who deserved the punishment and disgrace and all the pain and suffering and humiliation.  But God sent His only begotten Son to experience the things that we deserved, a man who had no sin was willing to lay down His life taking our sins upon Himself shedding His blood for us so that we could be in right standing with God, praise His precious Holy name!!  We deserved death and an eternity in a place called Hell, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.  But God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believed in him would not perish but have everlasting life.  God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world but through Him the world might be saved. The Lord suffered the worst pain and suffering that the Romans could think of in that day, the crucifixion, which was used for murderers and the like, so that we could be forgiven.  He spared nothing for our pardon even to the point of shedding His blood.  Should we not pardon and forgive all those who sin against us?  

Jesus became the sacrificial Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world and we all should praise and thank Him for His love and grace and mercy!!  Plus, it is imperative that we forgive from the heart, which I take to mean sincerely, all those that have or will sin against us in the future, if we want to be forgiven!!  I think I have said enough.  May the good Lord bless you and yours and may each of you have a super, super day!!