Forgiveness

The subject is one of the most "critical" subjects for everyone, especially the Christian.  It is a proven fact that harboring bitterness and unforgiveness causes emotional pain and physical pain that can lead to death!  Physical death however, it the least of your concern compared to eternal death!

God is so willing to forgive us our sins and the Bible says that he casts or sin into the depths of the ocean and His memory of the forgiven sin is as far as the East is from the West.  He is willing when we genuinely ask and are truly repentant.

We however, don’t readily forgive like He does.  We have so much pain attached to our unforgiveness that we tend to hold on and “Own” the pain.  We have difficulty releasing pain that we’ve carried for long periods of time and we feel uncomfortable to consider releasing the pain by forgiving someone and mostly forgiving ourselves. 

We don’t want to forgive ourselves because we feel like we are truly sorry for what we did if we hold on to it and suffer longer.  If we are not willing to forgive ourselves, what we are telling Christ is that we don’t believe and accept that His sacrifice on the cross is sufficient and the victory in His resurrection was not truly a victory.  We feel that we have control on the issue and refuse to allow God to be in control.  Remember that He said that His sacrifice on the cross was sufficient and the “work” is complete.

Even “owning” the pain of others' offenses against us and not forgiving them says that you can’t trust God with those painful feeling and He isn’t able to heal you from it. 

His sacrifice is complete.  We ask God to help us to forgive and help us to give the pain to Him even when we really don’t want to or know how to.  He truly understands your feelings and will work with that kind of honest heart. 

Scriptures on this subject:

Matthew 6: 14-15

Mark 11:25

Luke 6:37

Luke 17:4