Forgiveness
If you've been following Christ for any time at all, you learn that forgiveness is part of the gig. It comes with the territory. But, it is so difficult! It often feels like the unfair gift we have to give to the person who hurt us the most.
In order to understand forgiveness, we first need to understand what forgiveness IS and what forgiveness is NOT.
Forgiveness is not:
-Saying that hurtful/harmful things are ok
-The same as reconciliation
-Permission to receive the same treatment/hurt again
-Something that requires anything from the other person
-A feeling or tied to our feelings
-Leaving us vulnerable to future attack (letting down our walls we think protect us)
Forgiveness is:
-A requirement as a Christ follower (command)
-God's Rx for healing
-The key to freedom (Like giving your pain away)
-Intentional work
-Only possible as the result of an outflow from God
-Cooperation with God in his work in us
What does the bible have to say about forgiveness? A LOT! So we know it is important.
The English word “forgiveness” has different Hebrew words and different Greek words. Of the Old Testament, of the 57 instances that we have, the weight of the usage of forgiveness is an indulgence toward something. It's talking about a heart inclination toward something. What is that toward? It's a release.
In the New Testament, roughly 75 instances, the weight of the usage is to leave or to forgive. Forgiveness needs to be something that the human heart has an indulgence toward. And the New Testament kind of fleshes it out a little bit more. Well, what is the indulgence toward? It's to leave behind something; it's to clear a debt.
There is no exception clause in scripture that gives a circumstance in which we are not to forgive. On the flip side, forgiveness is the ONLY conditional statement in scripture. Matthew 6:15,” If you don't forgive, your Father in heaven will not forgive you.”
What does unforgiveness do?
-Tricks us into believing we are punishing the other person
-Holds ourselves hostage
-Drinking poison expecting it to hurt the other person
-Leads to bitterness (consuming)
-Unforgiveness begets further unforgiveness (blood in the water)
-Gives a stronghold to the devil for further sin
-Hurts God
When you linger in unforgiveness you are allowing the person who wounded you to hurt you 2x. The original pain, and then the pain of hijacking your ability to heal and move forward.
As you think about the wounds in your own life, who is it that you need to forgive? As you do the work of forgiveness with the Lord, be prepared to receive the freedom God so wants you to have!
