Why Forgiveness Is Vital For Christians!
Let’s talk about forgiveness and unforgiveness! The mere fact that you are reading this blog post, means God maybe dealing with you and he wants to help you clean your slate.
for·give
verb
stop feeling angry or resentful toward (someone) for an offense, flaw, or mistake.
stop feeling angry or resentful toward someone for (an offense, flaw, or mistake).”he was not a man who found it easy to forgive and forget”
cancel (a debt).”he proposed that their debts should be forgiven”
re·sent·ful
- feeling or expressing bitterness or indignation at having been treated unfairly.”he was angry and resentful of their intrusion”
bit·ter
(of people or their feelings or behavior) angry, hurt, or resentful because of one’s bad experiences or a sense of unjust treatment
Now, this next statement is going to bold and kind of harsh, but it’s the truth. Unforgiveness is going to make a lot of Christians miss heaven because, they simply could not let go of this deadly invisible sin. Nobody can see the heart but God. You can hide unforgiveness from man but, you can’t hide it from God. So it’s important to dispose of it today!
Right now, take a second to search your heart. Ask God to show you who you haven’t forgiven. When a person comes to your mind, write their name down. What if God brings someone to your mind and you say Lord, I thought I’ve already forgiven them? He is showing you that you swept the situation under the rug, but you kept the offense in your heart.
So how do you know if you have unforgiveness in your heart? I have listed some symptoms of unforgiveness below. If ANY of these apply to you, then you have to deal with this today!
Symptoms of Unforgiveness
- You talk about the affliction/situations every chance you get
- The emotion of anger or rage show up when you see them or someone brings them up
- You have a need to be petty with them
- You want to make them feel the same way they made you feel.
- You have health issues from bitterness
- Every time you speak of them its nothing good
- You replay the situation over and over and over in your head
- You’ve been telling people that same story of what they did to you every chance you get
- You blame them for where you are in life
If you identify with any of these signs keep reading!!
YOU HAVE TO FIND IT IN YOUR HEART TO LET IT GOOOO!!!!! I know that there are unfortunate and unfair situations that may have happened to you. Situations you may not have had control over. There may have been a situation where the other party was absolutely wrong! God will deal with them, that dealt with you! However, you cannot let the things that happened in the past, steal your future! No one is worth your anointing!! No one is worth your spot in heaven!
Matthew 6:14-15 For if you forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Let’s look at some ways that our role model showed forgiveness in the Bible.
Jesus
Jesus knew the sole purpose of Judas, yet he still chose him. Jesus knew all along that Judas would be the one to betray him to the Romans, to be tormented until death but yet he still chose him to be a disciple. Jesus broke bread with Judas and allowed him to be over the money bag, even though he knew he had thief tendencies.
He even gave Judas power to cast out demons, heal the sick, and raise the dead. Jesus never treated Judas any different from the others. Even on the cross, Jesus asked God to forgive them because they didn’t know what they were doing. You also are expected to forgive just as Jesus forgave.
Joseph
Joseph’s mother Rachel, was his father’s favorite wife. Joseph was the first son his father had from his mother. He was the eleventh brother of twelve, and his brother’s hated him. He was their father’s favorite son so, his father gave him a coat of many colors. Joseph’s brothers hated him even more. They were plotting to kill him, but his older brother intervened and stopped them.
So they decided to sell him. His own brothers sold their baby brother and made it look like he was killed by an animal. Now separated from his dad and only family, he was now a slave in a foreign land. Then, he was promoted to be the king’s right hand man and the king’s wife set him up to be jailed because he did not want to sleep with her.
Jailed again, he began to interpret dreams and was promoted once again to be another king’s right hand man. A famine came, and the king put Joseph in charge of distributing the food to the people. He was calling shots from city to city because no one had food. No one including his brothers. The same brothers that sold him and caused his downfall, came begging for food. You know what Joseph did? He could have gotten even but he didn’t, he forgave them.
What do we get from both stories… FORGIVENESS IS A CHOICE. Choosing forgiveness will free YOU not them!
How To Dissolve Your Unforgiveness
If you’ve identified with any of the signs of unforgiveness above, you should consider speaking to the person to resolve any issues. If they are deceased write them a letter or journal about the offense.
Write down every detail and feeling you had during the offense. Then write down how and why you are forgiving them. If the individual is still living, and speaking to them is not an option, you have to pray for them everyday until your heart changes and the unforgiveness breaks.
You will know that the unforgiveness is gone because you will not feel any of the symptoms above. Prayer is going to be key to breaking the spirit of unforgiveness off of you.
What The Bible Says About Forgiveness and Unforgiveness
Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.
Matthew 18:21—22 Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy seven times.
1 John 1:9 – If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Colossians 3:13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
Jeremiah 31:34 No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the LORD. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”
Proverbs 28:13 Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.
Psalm 32:5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin.
James 5:16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
Luke 6:37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
Ephesians 4:31-32 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Isaiah 43:25-26 25 “I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more. 26 Review the past for me, let us argue the matter together; state the case for your innocence.
I want to reiterate that you cannot allow the past to lock down your future. You can do this. Pray and ask God to bring every person that has offended you to mind. Write these people down and start praying and asking God what should you do to get the unforgiveness out of your heart. Depending on the situation, He may lead you to call them, fast, or simply pray for them.
Choosing forgiveness displays a level of maturity mentally and spiritually. I know you will make the right choice! I hope this blessed you the way it blessed me!
With Love,
Your Sister, Tiffani!
