FORGIVENESS - A way to freedom from the pain cause by our offenders

In the last series on forgiveness we checked its benefits and now let's look further on how forgiveness set us free as an individual from pain of a broken trust from those we love, an abuse, evil done by our closest relatives and so on.

Apostle Peter asked how many times should I forgive, Seven times? And "“No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!" Matt. 18:22 (NLT).

Now ponder on this seventy times seven is equal to four hundred and ninety times, that's too long to count for me as a child of God before I stop forgiving my brother. Now what is the Lord Jesus trying to teach us.

First, men hurting or sinning against you will be so much that you will eventually lose count, or how could a man whose heart is filled with seeking God, loving Him, making sure His will is done on earth and fulfilling God's purpose for his or her life will still have time to be counting and documenting an offence of one against him up to four-hundred and ninety times out of the multitude of people in the world He or she deals with, that will be burdensome and you loose focus on the best of yourself God wants to bring out in you. People will always offend you, why? 

Man imaginations are evil: Gen. 8:21 "...the Lord said to Himself, I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the imagination (the strong desire) of man’s heart is evil and wicked from his youth; neither will I ever again smite and destroy every living thing, as I have done." (AMP). 

God confirmed that everything a carnal man (man who has not given his life to Christ) desires is evil even from his youth and this is the reason why people and even the ones you love and the ones you supposed have given their life to Christ but have not will hurt you in one way or another, that's why they will cheat when you do business with them to have more gain than you, that's what causes terrorism, rape, human trafficking because they do not consider others all they are concerned with is their personal gain.

And Christ wants us to know that evil is their nature, John the Baptist call them "generation of vipers" Matt. 3:7. And if it is their nature as their father Satan is then we must see that:

A. There's nothing we can do that can change them except they encounter Christ. 

B. It is not willfully done and sometimes not planned but the nature manifests itself irrespective.

C. We must possess an Higher nature of forgiveness which is of Christ and can be expressed only through the Holy Spirit.

D. Compassion through Christ for all men must be the way we deal with people when we see that they are the ones that really needs help to be free from wickedness not us to stop forgiving. The state of having compassion on all as Jesus did His accusers set us in motion with the help of the Holy Spirit to create space for forgiveness in our heart and letting go easily. 

I forgive but I can't Forget because the pain is too much, why?

First the Lord Jesus has made it clear that it is in our power and will through Christ in us Who is greater than the world to forgive, not God would forgive those who sin against us on our behalf but we ourselves have to do it. But to heal from the pain and that abuse is the work of the Holy Spirit.

The Ministry of the Comforter: "And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever" John 14:16(AMP).

The Lord Jesus knows when men offend us we may be bruised, shattered, broken and this is one of the reason why He never left us to be alone. He made a promise and He fulfilled it, the promise of the Comforter(Holy Spirit). Know that it takes a man that has peace to comfort a grieving man and the Holy Spirit Himself is the Spirit of Peace. When you forgive do not think in yourself that by your will and power you can overcome the pain and forget, come to the Father, tell Him about it, He wants to hear you say it to Him that this or that person  offended you and you've forgiven the person but you are wounded, and as you go through that time let him speak to your heart, strengthening you and healing that wound in your heart, so that you can forget and have a healthy heart and spirit and put Satan to shame. 

Brethren we are in a wicked world and it takes Christ wisdom to overcome so that, that little unforgiveness will not stain our garment and deny us entrance into our heavenly home we need to rely on the Holy Spirit to help us in our dealings in this world. 

Remember "It's in your power to forgive; it takes the Holy Spirit help to forget". 

May the God of peace be with us and grant us understanding. Amen