Wow! Ladies, we have covered a lot of ground together in the last two weeks. It is hard to believe that it is almost over but we still have some work to do before we close the door on this subject. Forgiveness is such a formidable topic. It literally spans the entire canon of scripture and it is an issue that affects anyone and everyone. Not only that, it can be such a sensitive issue, but thankfully, I am not relying on my own opinions. My opinions carry no power, effectiveness or transforming abilities but thankfully the Word of God is “living, active and sharper than any two-edged sword!”
Girls, the Word of God is totally able to give you a command, equip you to follow through with it and make it stick! The freedom that God is calling you to in choosing forgiveness is real and accessible. Reach out and grab it with both hands and don’t let go!
We left off yesterday with the unfortunate reality that forgiveness is not always a restoration in relationship. I have heard it said before that sometimes you have to part with the cross between you. Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and the wise counsel of Pastors, Elders and friends in deciding to terminate a relationship that is not God-honoring.
Let’s pick up where we left off:
9)Forgiveness IS good for the body of Christ
Unforgiveness in the body of Christ causes dissension. Have you ever been caught in the middle of two church members who are mad at each other? Is there anything messier and more disgusting then the way these things play out? You’ve got both sides constantly trying to drag others in, always telling their side of the story in order to persuade someone to jump on their bandwagon and overall sucking the Spirit right out of the fellowship. It’s enough to make you want to hurt somebody! And obviously hurting somebody isn’t good for the body of Christ…
A little levity is always good but the truth is that forgiveness restores unity and unity among God’s people is always the ideal! Hebrews 12:14-15, “Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled.” When we choose to harbor unforgiveness and bitterness results MANY become defiled. So, we are to strive for peace with everyone. Selah, girls, selah!
10)Forgiveness IS a spiritual war
There is a great battle going on between the kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness and these battles are fought daily when we choose to forgive or not to forgive. We cannot be ignorant when it comes to our enemy and the tactics he employs! When we withhold forgiveness we begin to see flesh and blood as our enemy. But scripture tells us that we don’t wrestle against flesh and blood. If Satan can get us to hate an unbeliever than we will never share the gospel with them. Likewise, if he can get us to hate a believer then he can cause dissension. Either way, we are rendered ineffective for the kingdom of God. The joke is really on us and we end up losing on all fronts.
I often remind myself when I am easily offended to “consider the source”. Let me explain. If Satan is our arch enemy and we wrestle not against flesh and blood then how is it that we end up fighting with flesh and blood? Do you realize that unbelievers are energized by Satan? Although that statement sounds harsh Jesus Himself said that unbelievers are “of [their] father, the devil. You cannot expect unbelievers to have the same capacity or really any capacity for forgiveness because they have not known the infinite forgiveness of Christ. They are dead and unable to do the things that would lead to restoration.
On the other hand, believers often cooperate with Satan. Even though they can’t be possessed, they can be oppressed by him. Remember we are all sanctified in various times, in various ways and at various speeds. More often than not, sanctification is a lot slower process than we would like it to be. You cannot expect all believers to be on the same “spiritual plain”. It would be best for us all to adopt the mantra: forgive, forbear, restore!
You know, it is exhausting to be consumed with retribution and it is generally never enough. There is such freedom in forgiveness. Don’t you see the deception of Satan here to keep us in bondage to a hurt? He keeps us so bound up that we can’t move on and if we can’t move on then we can’t fulfill the purpose God has for us. We can live wasted lives in unforgiveness. We carry the grudge, nursing it, petting it, feeding it. Now do you begin to see why forgiveness is good – the alternative can be totally consuming! It can take over our lives!
The last basic of forgiveness leads us into our next aspect: Forgiveness IS giving a blessing.
In 1 Peter 3:8-12 we are taught that we are called to give a blessing. In contrast to the world, we do not repay evil for evil. At first glance that seems hard enough but once again, scripture goes beyond what seems good for what is above and beyond. Rather than settle for not repaying evil with evil we are called to bless instead!
The word blessing here is used as a verb and it means “to speak well of, to eulogize.” Examples of blessing our enemies would be:
- Finding ways to serve her.
- Praying for her salvation or spiritual progress
- Expressing thankfulness for her
- Speaking well of her
- Desiring her well-being
(1 Peter 2:23; Lev. 19:18; Luke 6:38; Prov. 20:22)
Why? Because we are called for the purpose of inheriting a blessing. We are to be mindful of the great blessing of salvation rather than judgment. We should pursue the blessing we will receive in giving a free gift of forgiveness to someone who has wronged us!
Ladies, I know this is hard! Believe me, this is hard to do when you like someone much less when you consider them an enemy. I think the key in all of this is trusting in the grace of God to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves and then believing that if He has commanded it then it must be for our good. I do not believe that the Lord has anything but our very best in mind. The problem comes in the discomfort that is required to get to the very best.
In 1850, Florence May Chadwick successfully swam the English Channel and broke the then-current world record. Two years later, she attempted to swim from Catalina Island to the coast of California. As she began, she was flanked by small boats that watched for sharks and were prepared to help her if she became wearied or injured. After about 15 hours a thick fog set in. Florence began to doubt her ability, and she told her mother, who was in one of the boats, that she didn’t think she could make it. She swam for another hour before asking to be pulled out, unable to see the coastline due to the fog. As she sat in the boat, she found out she had stopped swimming just one mile away from her destination. Two months later, Chadwick tried again. However,this time was different. The same thick fog set in, but she persevered to the shore. When asked what was different she said that she kept a mental image of the shoreline in her mind while she swam.
Don’t give up for the fog! Fix your eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith and swim the distance to freedom in forgiveness! Trust in the One who says the waters will not overtake you. Trust in the One who has purchased your pardon; He is ready to enable you to pardon even the most grievous offenses so that you can be free!
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