My whole study blog is all about getting to know Jesus. We do this by studying everything we can to get to know Jesus and his characteristics. One of those characteristics is forgiveness. 1 Peter 5:6-7 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: casting all your cares upon him; for he careth for you. When you have made the decision to be born again and to follow Christ Jesus, you put away the old fleshly earthy man and the attributes of that person. Some of these old fleshly earthy attributes are listed in Ephesians 4:25-31 which is lying, stealing, bitterness, wrath, anger, clamour (shouting) and evil speaking. Vs. 22 lets us know that we should put off the old man that is corrupted and be renewed in the spirit of our minds. Vs. 32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. As a born-again Christian we confessed our sins, we gave them over to Jesus as 1 John 1:19 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
What does forgiveness mean? It is to pardon an offence or debt.
Forgiving a person who has done something hurtful to you is first releasing yourself from the bitterness, pain, anxiety, depression, and anger that is hurting. It hurts you more than it is hurting or affecting the person who has wronged you. To not forgive sets your mindset to be trapped in a negative loop that is harmful to yourself as you replay the event over and over. When you learn to forgive you are no longer trapped and can finally feel free.
Secondly, when you pray and give that situation and that person to God it releases that person to have to deal directly with God, because he knows just how to deal with them. Is it just that easy to let go? My experience is it was not easy at first, but the closer you get to Jesus the easier it is to learn to let go as your trust grows stronger in Jesus. We cannot do anything on our own and we usually make things worse if we try and do things ourselves. If we had just put our faith and trust in God to begin with. He usually knows the whole situation much more than we could ever know and he knows just how to handle it.
As a new Christian you have just experience God's forgiveness of all of your trespasses as mentioned in Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace. His grace is what is going to help you learn how to let go and forgive others. When Jesus taught his disciples how to pray in Matthew 6:12 forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. This teaches us that we are free to forgive not like the world but like Jesus. The world says they forgive but still wants to hold the trespasser accountable for their action. This is without grace. Jesus teaches us to forgive with grace as we live by faith under grace. Scripture also states in Colossians 3:13 that if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.
The enemy would like for you to believe that forgiveness is just not possible, please let me remind you of Philippians 4:13 I can do ALL things through Christ which strengtheneth me. It really takes a strong person of coarse not by our own strength but through the strength we receive from Christ. There is a passage of scriptures in Titus 3:3-6 We were once foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hatefully hating one another. But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit. Even when we were at our worst Jesus forgave us. John 3:16 For God so loved the world that HE GAVE his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. Our forgiveness to others is thankfulness to Christ who has been the ultimate example and has forgiven us. Once we understand forgiveness is a direct result of thankfulness to Christ for his sacrifice of love it becomes easier to let go of our bitter feelings towards someone who has wronged us then our hearts begin to heel from the hurt, pain, and whatever negative emotions it has caused us and we are able to enter into rest with God.
My prayer for you is that you are able to take that first step of forgiveness towards someone who has hurt your deeply and free your heart, soul, and body from the imprisoned heart of negative emotion and enter into God's restful peace and love. God Bless.
Next Study: Learning the Characteristics of God
Learning the Characteristics of God (sylviasjournalandthouhts.blogspot.com)
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