Forgiveness —
The more that I understand how forgiven I am in Christ, the more that I see all that He is, all that He has, and all that He does on my behalf, the more that I want to share with people all the great things that are in store for them when they forgive others and let God's grace flow in their lives.
I cannot say this enough. All the teachings on forgiveness focus too much on ending the pain that we are enduring because we cannot let go.
One classic teaching says:
Bitterness and resentment is like drinking poison so that the other person will die.
So, when we tell people that they need to forgive because they are hurting themselves, we are in effect bringing them under bondage. Now I am hurting myself as well as being
Let us take a cue from Paul:
"And be ye kind one
to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake
hath forgiven you." (Ephesians4: 32)
Do you know how much God has forgiven you? One example states that God has paid off a billion dollar debt, so why would we begrudge someone who owes us, say, one hundred thousand dollars?
Yet the Bible teaches that God's grace is more than that:
"7But if we walk in the
light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood
of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." (1 JOhn 1: 7)
His blood keeps on cleansing. His grace keeps on releasing on us. We are invited to keep receiving His grace:
"For if by one man's
offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace
and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ." (Romans 5: 17)
This verse has done so much for me when it comes to releasing all the upset and hurt and displeasure which had so upset me in years past:
"7And lest I
should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there
was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest
I should be exalted above measure. 8For this thing
I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 9And he said
unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in
weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the
power of Christ may rest upon me. 10Therefore I
take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in
distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." (2 Corinthians 12: 7-10)
Peter tells us that we are called to grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord (2 Peter 3:18). We do not have to look to ourselves or run to others for help. The hardships that tempt us actually lead us to rest more in Christ, who is our life, and by His grace we triumph all the more in our lives as His life is made manifest in us and blesses us and others!
How many of us have a messenger of Satan who give us "a hard time"? As Paul said, and as I wish to emphasize, this messenger is not set upon us by God. God has no condemnation, no death, no evil to impart. However, these upsetting hardships lead us to give up in our strength and trust that God in His grace will do more for us than we can in our own efforts. We were dead in our trespasses before we receive His grace through faith. If God gave us His own Son, and eternal life with Him by the power of the Holy Spirit, then can we presume on our own efforts to get, achieve, or maintain anything else in our lives?
"He that spared not
his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also
freely give us all things?" (Romans 8: 32)
We have received the Spirit of God, and through Him we can know and believe that all things are freely given through Him:
"Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of
God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God." (1 Corinthians 2: 12)
Since everything is given to us freely in Christ, it makes no sense to hold a grudge against anyone, because whatever they may take, God supplies freely all the more:
"But my God shall
supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4: 19)
What is this all about? Our comfort? The well-being of others? Much more:
"Now unto God and
our Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen." (Philippians 4: 20)
Forgiveness glorifies God! Glorifies His Son, who forgives us according to the riches of His grace, not just out of his grace, like some poor widow, but according to, as the King and fulness of the Universe is in Him.
Forgiveness, then, is not about staunching greater losses, but rather about freeing ourselves up to recive more of God's grace in our lives. When we forgive others, not only are we set free, up God remarkably restores and over-blesses us for all that we have suffered — the double portion!
"For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall
rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double:
everlasting joy shall be unto them." (Isaiah 61: 7)
and
"Turn you to the strong hold, ye prisoners of hope: even to day do I declare
that I will render double unto thee;" (Zechariah 9: 12)
How do we receive double? Because first all our of our sins, all of them, have been paid for, sent away, never to return! This in turn renders us ready to receive Himself into our lives, and all of his infinited power within us then breaks forth! Imagine that! When man hurts you, that's more grace for you! More glory for him, and for our enemies the shame that of a good man maligned brings more to see the goodness of God, that leads them to repentence, to receive His grace, and to release His grace in turn in the lives of others!