Forgiveness: what lies within it ’s power, when one trangress’ against another is sorry ever enough? What damage has the transgression done to others heart and who then can bring that healing to those damaged hearts?
Everyday there are battles and battles lines drawn, mother against daughter, son fighting father, husbands hurting wives, wives breaking husbands hearts. Some through choice, some through error, others through confusion, some who simply do not care. The result remains the same someone will end up broken hearted. Although we have dealt with healing for the broken hearted it seems as important as ever to remind ourselves that the power that is most important to bring that healing is the choice to forgive.
Forgiveness is not an emotion, in fact our emotions will speak strongly to us not to forgive. Forgiveness first and foremost is a choice. When we make that choice is are first speaking to our heart, saying things like “heart you will be whole for I have chosen to walk a path that is higher than the hurt you are experiencing now.” Forgiveness has the power to bring much more than just that healing though, first it addresses all the hurts deep within and sees to it that they are eradicated from our heart, there maybe never be forgetting but the mind is so much weaker than the heart and once it has been healed the memory of the injury becomes less painful each time it is renewed or rebooted in the computer of the mind.
Our example of course is Christ and the Father Psalms 86:5 For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.
It becomes easy for the “churchy” person to quote scriptures as the above and expect to receive the forgiveness of their trespass allowing them to continue to operate in their wicked ways. No the truly repentive person does not seek forgiveness they seek how they may bring healing back into the relationship they have just injured. The forgiveness is for the gift the injured person offers for his or her own benefit, the one who has caused such injury simply becomes the benefactor of such.
Our relationship with God is in crisis when we retain the injury and chose not to to forgive. Matthew 6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. Every injury has a price therefore every injury becomes a debt and our freedom from the bondage of “debtor” is the path of forgiveness. Notice however that it subject to one tiny two letter word, “AS” another way of reading this scripture would be. Forgive us our debts in the same manner and after the likeness that we forgive those with whom we have a debt.Notice that God is willing to forgive us but the qualification is that we set the terms and the conditions as to how we will be forgiven, as. we forgive. What we retain is retained unto us what we release is likewise released from us. The greater is to be free and willing to release the injury no matter how severe and move forward. Matthew 6:14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
It of course is never the action we want to offer in the middle of our injury, we want to lash out and magnify the hurt cause the trespasser to experience as much pain as we just have. We ask such questions as” how could he do that to me, does she not realize that our friendship is now over, but I never did anything to deserve this kind of treatment? Our questioning just leads us deeper into the the injury and thus deeper into a pit of that has many more traps lying in wait for us.
Our minds so want to be a judge and when the injury is against our person then we want to be judge, jury and the one who administers the punishment. But that really is contrary to healing and will drive us deeper into the injury and whatever consequences that may lie therein. Luke 6:37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:
So then our hearts are subject to our actions and even when we are wronged and believe we are right in retaining our injury we must offer and operate the spirit of forgiveness. Ephesians 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. Notice the word kind, many associate with a feeling of sympathy yet it’s meaning really is to be “useful” to one another. In other words together you find a way through the maze that injury has caused. For if the the two parties will be “kind” to one another then when the end comes (as it must) it will be one of joy and victory for both.
The one who causes the injury has the responsibility to confess not just to God but to the injured soul, for together healing has more power. 2 Corinthians 2:2 For if I make you sorry, who is he then that maketh me glad, but the same which is made sorry by me? So then sorry truly can be enough and so very much more.
Here is the catch so to speak, can you believe?????????????? Once you have sought and received forgiveness from both God and the soul which you have injured can you really live with yourself? Many people have the gift of forgiveness granted to them on;y to reject it and live a life in torment and turmoil because they have not moved forward with their own lives.
At this point one must ask themselves are they close to the “unpardonable sin” what is the this any how. “Matthew 12 :31: Wherefore I say unto you all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.” Wow, what could this mean, it is really simply, once you know what God can do for you, Do you deny His ability to perform it? If He say “I forgive you” do you receive His forgiveness, or just fall into the trap that your not worthy of the forgiveness.
When Christ gave His life to make you worthy of all that God has to offer THEN YOU ARE WORTHYstop using your error as your weakness, begin to believe all the LOVE that has been granted to you. Sure your sin may be great and terrible in your sight but is it greater than God the creator of heaven and earth, or greater than His Son who gave His very life so you may live in the that LOVE that you never knew before. Stop denying God and begin to enjoy all that is yours.
You must at all times keep the price that Christ paid foremost in your mind and heart, as we go into the Resurrection week we keep in our heart the Cross and the freedom that Jesus’ offering brought into our lives. His forgiveness to us cost Him and His Father the highest of prices then whatever price we pay to grant forgiveness pales in comparison to theirs.
Many have an issue of what Jesus suffered on the Cross so I need not go into those details except to say, it was more than enough. Many are our errors, and those hurt by them, sometimes it is crushing to both ourselves and those injured, alone, WE CANNOT CORRECT WHAT WE HAVE DONE, we cannot erase that which has already been commited, so it is imperative that we forgive like Christ and quickly. Forgiveness is for our own freedom as much as it is for the injured one. Forgiveness allows both to walk free.
