"Forgiveness
is not a spiritual gift, a skill, or an inherited
trait. Forgiveness is a choice. Jesus looked
down on those who had ruthlessly and mockingly
nailed Him to a cross, yet He cried out: 'Father,
forgive them, for they do not know what they
do' (Luke 23:34). How, then, can we refuse to
forgive those who have committed offenses against
us?" Henry Blackaby
Some
time ago, while in Germany, I had the privilege
of teaching a session on forgiveness as a part
of a training course for individuals who are serving
God in many nations. The course was called "Face
to Face." It was about coming face to
face with God in intimacy and face to face with
one another. Forgiving others who have hurt us
is a personal choice. Truly forgiving can be very
difficult for our flesh; however, it is one of
the greatest ways we can ever show the reality
of our walk with God to others.
In order to come close to God in intimacy, we
must learn to walk in forgiveness. Unforgiveness
keeps us from God and hinders our prayer life.
Living in forgiveness is key for each of us who
want to grow in prayer and intercession. We want
intimacy with God, so, let us break every barrier.
We naturally want to blame others and to take
revenge. I am sure you will agree that choosing
to forgive is an act of the will against human
nature.
We see forgiveness demonstrated in the life
of Joseph. He is a tremendous example of choosing
to forgive family members who had deeply hurt
him. Through Joseph's act of forgiveness, God
used him to bring about a great deliverance in
the lives of his family. He had every reason to
be bitter. He lived in prison for years because
his brothers had sold him into slavery, however,
he chose to forgive and to be reconciled to his
brothers. He was so full of forgiveness that he
begged his brothers to forgive themselves. He
said the following, "Do not be grieved
or angry with yourselves, because you sold me
here; for God sent me before you to preserve life…
and to keep you alive by a great deliverance."
(Genesis 45:5,7)
"There
was no bitterness, no revenge, and no angry
last word preceding his forgiveness. There was
only the foretaste of Christ's own unconditional
forgiveness to every self-condemned sinner.
Indeed, like Joseph, every time we forgive,
we too 'preserve life.' We restore our brethren
to wholeness 'by a great deliverance.'"
Francis Frangipane
Hindrances
to Forgiveness
"There
is nothing so deeply imbedded in your heart
that God's grace cannot reach down and remove
it. No area in your life is so painful thatGod's
grace cannot bring total healing. No offense
committed against you is so heinous that God's
love cannot enable you to forgive." Henry
Blackaby
- Lack
of understanding of God's judgment and righteousness
- We think we must take the matter into our
own hands. If we don't think that others are
being punished properly, we try to help God.
We must leave the dealing with God, trusting
Him as judge.
- Pride
in our life - We want to be right. We don't
think others deserve forgiveness. We may think
that there is no need to forgive. We forget
that we, ourselves, have already experienced
the rich, undeserved forgiveness of God through
Jesus' sacrifice. Now we are called to walk
in that grace towards others.
- An
unwillingness to face the pain of the offense
- We must know that we can bring the pain of
offense to Jesus. "But he was pierced
for our transgressions, he was crushed for our
iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace
was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed."
(Isaiah 53:5)
-
Bitterness in our heart - We may hold
revenge and want to punish. Do not forget that
bitterness and unforgiveness bind us to the
offender. We must cut the rope, and be set free.
-
Not regarding sin seriously enough -
Sin is serious business. We must come to grips
with our hurt and forgive the offender. We cannot
rationalize nor try to explain away a sinful
response on our part. Unforgiveness puts a barrier
between us and the Lord.
We
need God's help to forgive. Jesus knows the
pain of betrayal. He understands humiliation,
misunderstanding, shame and hurt. Jesus is the
greatest example of one who forgave others freely
and fully. Our Father God develops and shows His
character in and through us by allowing us to
experience difficult situations, His grace enabling
us to walk out responses that give Him honor.
As a result, we can walk in righteousness, peace
and joy, demonstrating the life of Jesus here
on earth.
"The
choice to forgive opens my own prison doors.
When I choose to hold someone in my debtor's
prison, I am the captive. My mind is occupied
with justifying why they are there. I become
obsessed with their punishment being carried
out. In choosing to become their judge, I become
their jailer and ironically enough, their captive.
We all know that whatever we focus upon becomes
the center of our lives." Dudley Hall
To
learn more about the freedom of forgiveness and
the power of forgiveness, purchase our book called
Intercessors Arise!
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