Forgiveness is necessary

Something I've learned over the years is that the source of most issues we have as Christians, stems from us having an "unforgiving spirit". That unforgiving spirit is nothing less than PRIDE. Nursing pride, leads a Christian to fall. Prov 16:18 "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall."

Matt 18 is a chapter on Forgiveness and the Christian's responsibility in this. Matt 18:18 says "Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." This tells us that if we hold unforgiveness in our hearts for someone, we bind that person to that unforgiveness and it blocks God from working on them. God revealed this verse to me when I was working thru forgiveness of a person that abused me as a child. I may have shared with some of you before how I wrote that person a letter (that I never sent - just put it in my Bible). It was just the bitter, honest truth of the pain I had felt my entire life over what he had done to me. In the end, I CHOSE to forgive him. Why did I not send the letter? Because he was unsaved and it would have only lead to conflict - something the Holy Spirit revealed to me. However, a month after I chose to forgive him, I received a call that he had accepted Christ as his SAVIOR! Tears well up in me as I think about that day and the revelation that God brought. My forgiveness of his sin against me, wiped the slate clean. Just as Christ's forgiveness of my sins, wiped my slate clean. When I see this person today, I don't even think of what was done in the past. That's the healing power of Christ folks!

Learning the power of forgiveness will bring you freedom like you've never experienced before. Be warned though, once you have this experience, the enemy will be there to try to snatch it away. So determine in your HEART and MIND that forgiveness is a choice you will practice and then just do it.

If you have the Holy Spirit in you, there's no question of whether you can or cannot make right choices. The scripture tells us that we have that ability. 2 Tim 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Anything else is just an excuse to nurse old wounds and God will not be a part of that.

So every injustice you think has been done against you, forgive it. Every hurtful word uttered to or about you, forgive it. Every physical pain inflicted on you, forgive it. The list goes on...

If Christ is willing to forgive us for EVERYTHING, who are we to withhold forgiveness from others. Ask in faith for God to help you in your weakness. Don't be like the man who nurses doubt in his heart - unstable in ALL his ways - and no prayer of his will be answered (James 1:6-8). Instead determine in your heart and mind that you believe and that you will succeed with God's help and then enjoy the ride!

Blessings!

Allison