FORGIVENESS
"Everyone says that forgiveness is a lovely idea until he has somethng to forgive" (C.S. Lewis)
One of the hardest things we are called to do as Christians is to forgive. It is one of the basics to our Christian life and it is the toughest thing God asks us to do.
The definition of FORGIVE is 1) to give up resentment against or the desire to punish; stop being angry with; pardon, 2) to give up all claim to punish or give penalty for an offense; overlook, 3) cancel or remit a debt.
Forgiveness is a Biblical command. Jesus said, "If you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses" (Matthew 6:14-15).
Forgiveness runs two ways. As Christ declared in the Lord's Prayer: "Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us ..." We need to ask forgiveness of those who have harmed us. As we think about the Lord, we see how He encourages us to turn the other cheek, to love our enemies, and to pray for our persecutors. Only in doing this can we break the chains of hatred. None of this is possible if we rely on our own strength. God knows how we struggle with these things, and He is waiting for us to come to Him for help.
Forgiveness shows courage, frees us from bondage, even sickness and pain, and gives us greater hope to look ahead for the return of Jesus Christ. We all need forgiveness, and sometimes, we even need to forgive ourselves. We must recognize that God has forgiven us, and given us the ability to forgive. If you have not received God's forgiveness through Jesus, go to The Salvation Page.
Jesus wanted His followers to "...be merciful, even as your Father is merciful". Jesus said to "... forgive, and you will be forgiven ... the measure you give will be the measure you get back" (see Luke 6:36-38).
Understanding who you are in Christ is vital to your success at forgiving and in your Christian life.
I AM ACCEPTED ...
* John 1:12 - I am God's child
* John 15:15 - I am Christ's friend
* Romans 5:1 - I have been justified
* I Cor. 6:17 - I am united with the Lord and am one spirit with Him
* I Cor. 6:19-20 - I have been bought with a price; I belong to God
* I Cor. 12:27 - I am a member of Christ's body
* Eph. 1:1 - I am a saint
* Eph 1:5 - I have been adopted as God's child
* Eph. 2:18 - I have direct access to God through the Holy Spirit
* Col. 1:14 - I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins
* Col. 2:10 - I am complete in Christ
I AM SECURE ...
* Romans 8:1-2 - I am free forever from condemnation
* Romans 8:28 - I am assured that all thigns work together for good
* Romans 8:31 - I am free from any condemning charges against me
* Romans 8:35 - I cannot be separated from the love of God
* II Cor. 1:21-22 - I have been established, anointed and sealed by God
* Col. 3:3 - I am hidden with Christ in God
* Phil. 1:6 - I am confident that the good work that God has begun in me will be perfected
* Phil. 3:20 - I am a citizen of heaven
* II Tim. 1:7 - I have not been given a spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind
* Heb. 4:16 - I can find grace and mercy in time of need
* I John 5:18 - I am born of God, and the evil one cannot touch me
I AM SIGNIFICANT ...
* Matt. 5:13-14 - I am the sale and light of the earth
* Jhn 15:1, 5 - I am a branch of the true vine, a channel of His life
* John 15;16 - I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit
* Acts 1:* - I am a personal witness of Christ's
* I Cor. 3:16 - I am God's temple
* II Cor. 5:17 - I am a new creation in Christ
* Eph. 2:6 - I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realm
* Eph 2:10 - I am God's workmanship
* Eph. 3:12 - I may approach God wtih freedom and confidence
* Phil. 4:13 - I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me
The more you realize who you are in Christi, the more your ability to forgive will be reflected.
It doesn't cost nearly as much for you to forgive as it cost God when He sacrificed His Son on the cross. Jesus gave us His example when He forgave those who had put Him on the cross (Luke 23:24). Forgiveness in difficult circumstances still exists today.
Jesus reflects forgiveness. The same Spirit that made it possible for Jesus to go the Cross, now lives in us, reflecting Him. Forgiveness is not an emotion. It is a decision. Forgiveness can only be real with God's help. God alone can give us the grace, desire and ability to release those who have hurt us. On our own, we allow unforgiveness, bitterness and resentment to grow.
Make a list of the peole you have harmed. Look at your relationshps with people at home, work, church, your community and every area of your life. If we ask God to help us, it will become much easier. If we set aside our pride, we will see that the feelings of others are valuable.
Ephesians 4:31-32 says, "Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
Forgiveness is a process ...
1. Don't deny feelings of hurt, anger or shame. Acknowledge these feelings and commit yourself to doing something about them with Christ's help.
2. Don't focus on the person who has harmed you, but identify the specific hurt and recognize that both of you have the same enemy, the devil.
3. Make the decision not to seek revenge or carry a grudge. Seek God and decide to forgive.
4. Establish amotive for forgiveness. "Christ has forgiven him/her, so will I. By forgiving I can experience inner healing and move on with my life".
5. Think differently about the offender. Try to see things from their perspective and from God's.
6. Accept the pain you're experiencing without passing it on to others, including the one who has hurt you.
7. Choose to extend mercy toward them, even though they don't deserve it. Pray for that person.
8. Think about how it feels to be released or freed from a burden or a grudge . Be open to emotional relief, such as tears. See this experience as part of your Spiritual growth.
9. Realize the two side sof forgiveness: as you let go and forgive the offender, you are experiencing release, healing and freedom from the hold the offender had on you.
Finally, pray the prayer of forgiveness:
Heavenly Father,
I thank you for your Kindness and patience, knowing that your kindness led me to repentance.
I confess that I have not extended that same patience and kindness towards others who have offended me, but instead I have harbored bitterness and resentment.
I pray that during this time with you, you would bring to my mind only those people that I have not forgiven, so that I may do so.
I now confess my sin of unforgiveness and claim through the Blood of Jesus Christ my forgiveness and cleansing. I cancel all ground that the devil has gained through my willful involvement in this sin.
I ask this in the precious Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
