Issues of Forgiveness

Issues of Forgiveness

Anything that relates to gratifying the desires of the flesh will always sell. Anything that gives people the opportunity to gratify their sexual, selfish and self glorification appetite will make a very good business. Things outside these may bring spiritual satisfaction but they don't quickly appeal to people like those that tickle their carnal appetites. These things can be addictive and addiction sells.

Retaliation, either overt or covert, is one of those things that gratify the flesh. Vengeance is sweet to the flesh and the cravings for it can hardly be quenched in those who have allowed it to take them over. Pride would see it belittling that offences go without a disproportionately bigger repercussions of pain. It feels good to the carnal mind when something evil happens to someone who had taken advantage of it. It even sounds justifiable. But justice and repercussions aren't the same, mercy may come with justice but never with vengeance. Forgiveness may come with justice but there is no compassion in retaliation. Retaliation and forgiveness are as apart as hell is from heaven.

Just as sex and other addictions like pride and abusive substances sell, so also does vengeance sell. Check out most movies, especially action movies, they sell based on story lines in which vengeance is done sometimes outside the justice system. Even in religious cycles of all places, check out those churches that promise death to those who offend them, they seem to gather more people, same with those that permit other forms of fleshly gratifications and religious pride. And those that can combine these will have even more people. The flesh sells. 

But that's not the way of God. The way of God says love covers multitude of sins. It says, we should forgive, just as our heavenly Father forgives us through Christ. Jesus Christ told an elaborate story how we may not be forgiven our sins, if we insist on having vengeance on those who offend us. Peter had asked Him how many times he would forgive an offending associate, He had replied seventy times seven. No doubt, God wants us to keep forgiving those who offend us. Does this remove the place of justice and judgment? Of course not. But there are issues that shouldn't go to the law enforcement or to the judicial system which we should overlook without taking a revenge. 

Being vengeful isn't an act of love. Love is a major sign of the New Creation. He who doesn't have love abides in death. Being sensitive to every hurt and the inability to overlook wrong suffered is a major sign of spiritual death. Where there is no love, there is no light, there is no life, but gross darkness and death. The enlightenment of love is what brings civilization and development. People who don't prioritise love will remain uncivilized, raw, dangerous, fierce, violent, primitive and savagely. And that's the basic recipe for self destruction. 

Justice is an act of love, it gives everyone his desert in order to keep the evil away from the good. Retaliation isn't an act of love but of satisfaction of selfishness. There is no unforgiving spirit without the seed of vengeance. Unforgiving spirit will seek for ways to inflict pain in return and would be glad to see evil happen to the offender even if such is a sibling, a parent, a spouse or a close associate, even if the offence is only in their imagination. Unforgiving spirit will never give up, it never heals, it never overlooks, it is ungodly to its extent. Unforgiving spirit behaves as if it never hurts nor offend another. It's always ever perfect in its own judgment, it can only be offended, it doesn't offend in its own imagination. 

King Saul envied David and for many years pursued him in the wilderness to kill him. Twice David had the chance of killing him, but twice he spared his life and wouldn't permit another to kill him. No wonder, he was called a man after God's heart. 

Absalom's step brother raped his sister, he pretended as if he was alright with him till he had the opportunity to kill him. He too was killed in cold blood by another vengeful person in Joab. 

Solomon became king and gave God a thousand burnt offering, God appeared to Him in a dream offering him a blank check to ask for whatever he desired. He only asked for wisdom to rule God's people as he should. God showed how impressed He was with him, and gave him more than he asked for and one reason was because he did not ask for the lives of his enemies. 

We know about Christ who when He was insulted, did not insult in return. He taught us to love our enemies and to pray for those who despitefully use us. He taught us to forgive and to forbear and to be His disciple we have to follow Him closely and take to His teachings. 

We aren't doing people any favour forgiving them or not taking offence at their errors and the hurts we suffer from them, we are only following the example of the Master as our obligations. 

Of course, it always makes us look weak, as if we have no capacity to fight for our rights, but as someone said, meekness isn't weakness, it is strength in the spirit. It is smallness in the spirit to hold on to wrongs suffered, it negates the Spirit of Christ and the principle by which we are saved. 

We must overcome the flesh to forgive those who we hold things against and live free. We don't have to relate to forgive. Friendship and fellowship don't mean forgiveness and not being friends don't mean hatred or being vengeful. The key is to forgive to the point that remembering the hurts and the offences don't hurt anymore and don't trigger the urge to take a revenge. 

Take that step today, forgive and be healed! 

I pray God grants us grace to live like Him and for Him and not to seek self glory. 

Have a lovely weekend 

Romans 12:19

1Peter 3:9

1Peter 4:8

Mark 11:25

Colossians 3:13

Mathew 6:14&15

Matthew 18:21-(35)

Ephesians 4:31-32

1Samuel 24

2Samuel 13

1Kings 3:10-14

1Peter 2:21-23

1John 3:14

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