We are never more like Christ than when we choose to forgive. Every lasting relationship we have will, at some point, need to experience forgiveness by one or the other persons involved, probably by both.
Mark 11:25-26 “And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.”
Jesus not only told us to forgive, but he also modeled it for us when he was on the cross.
Luke 23:34 “Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.”
So, when Jesus tells us we must forgive, he has already experienced one of the most brutal acts of forgiveness. Forgiveness that transcends all others. A perfect and Holy God, the creator of the offender, forgave the enemy. He, the giver of the law, could have wiped man off the face of the earth and started over, but he chose to forgive.
When you forgive someone, you release them from any obligation to make the hurt disappear. You are releasing them from what you feel they owe you. You no longer are trying to get even. You do not want to see them suffer for what they did. You are giving them freedom.
Through forgiveness, you also release healing into your own life—healing of your soul, followed by the potential for healing in your relationships. It all starts with one simple yet difficult choice: to forgive.
When you choose not to forgive, you are hurting yourself deeply. First, you are not obeying Christ, and every time God deals with you about complete surrender, the Holy Spirit will bring it to your mind. You will never make great strides in your spiritual life until you get past this sin. Yes, I said sin because an unforgiving spirit is wrong, even if only towards one person.
Luke 11:4 “And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.”
When we don’t forgive, we are leaving ourselves wide open for a deeper sin, the sin of bitterness. The progression, according to a psychologist, goes something like this. First, we are hurt. We cradle that hurt and nurse it like a baby. It’s a form of self-pity that we feel is justified. If not dealt with, it will lead to anger. Anger is always wrong unless it is righteous anger, meaning anger against sin. Anger not resolved will lead to bitterness. Bitterness is one of the hardest sins ever to overcome. It will dig its roots deep and hide until you are in a weak moment, then it will raise its ugly head, and you will be back where you started. When you are bitter, you are smoldering resentment. Bitterness takes hold of us and causes us to blame everyone else for the things wrong in our lives. We essentially become our own victims, feeling justified by deceiving ourselves. Bitterness is an inevitable result of becoming obsessed with blaming someone else for our misery.
If we want to be forgiven, we must forgive!
