"Without Forgiveness There Is No Freedom"

The current series at our church is called "Welcome to the Family". On my previous posting, I wrote about our "Sphere of Influence" which is a term Pastor Shante' coined to describe her definition of today's family. The message today was a continuation of this series as it pertains to forgiving others.


I'm certain that most reading this have heard, read, and have discussed the topic of forgiveness at some point to someone. You may be thinking that this is old hat. I just want to let you know that nothing that comes out of Pastor Shante's mouth is "old hat", and I am thankful for that. I will be reciting my notes here on this much needed topic in today's unforgiving, grudge holding world. Most of what I will be writing is credited to Pastor Shante'.


We have what it takes to forgive others. It's too bad that we can't just end here with that sentence, and everyone just get it! Why is that? Well, for one, because we have sin in our lives, and are not perfect. Jesus is our model of perfection and forgiveness. The first passage of scripture that was referred to was Matthew 6:9-13 which is Jesus's sermon on the mount that includes the "model prayer" commonly referred to as "The Lord's Prayer". This very important passage in verse 12 says "and forgive us our sins, AS we have forgiven those who sin against us."(NLT) Shante' pointed out the word "as" in this passage to tell us that the topic of forgiving in this prayer is the only time that Christ expounds. In this verse, He not only asks something of God the Father, but also states that we will do the same in return. The prayer then goes on in verse 14-15 to say "If you forgive those who sin against you, your Heavenly Father will forgive you. BUT if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins." The AS and BUT in these verses are of great significance of showing the importance that Jesus placed on forgiving others.


We have to "choose" to forgive someone. Forgiving someone is a choice. A harsh reality is that even in choosing to forgive someone, they may never be remorseful for what they did or said to you. So of course the question arises "why should I forgive them then?" Forgiveness is known as a virtue in a follower of Christ. We will never be more like Jesus than when we forgive others. 


Ler's ask these questions:


What am I getting out of this grudge?

• It is blocking you from a true relationship with God
• It could be bringing on physical illness such as ulcers, headaches, depression, etc.

Now let's look at what forgiveness is NOT:

• Forgiveness is NOT forgetting
• Forgiveness is NOT approving of what was done
• Forgiveness is NOT making excuses for what was done
• Forgiveness is NOT reconciling a relationship

The last scripture that Shante' referenced was Colossians 3:13 that says "Make allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others." Once again, we are reminded that God has forgiven us, therefore we must also forgive others.

We are to pray for those that hurt us. Think on this: Jesus is dying on the cross- being mocked, ridiculed, spit upon, and laughed at. In the midst of all of this, he prayed and asked God to forgive them all for they did not know what they were doing. That is the single most profound act of forgiveness ever known. 

One of the last things that Pastor Shante' said in regards to this message was this "Without forgiveness, there is no freedom". I titled this post this quote from Shante' as it really summed up everything for me. We talk a lot about freedom in many forms. "True freedom in Christ can not be held by an unforgiving heart." (Joy Tipton) Shante' broke it down as us trying to order a sandwich and asking them to hold the tomato or pickles. We have to take what is in the Word of God as a "whole". We can't pick and choose what virtues to have and not have, or commands we want to follow, picking some, but not all..... 

What are you are holding on to against someone that is hindering your relationship with God? Letting go is part of the healing process that we all can experience. Not dwelling on the hurt and pain everyday will bring freedom and peace back to your heart and open new doors to your relationship with God, and with others. Unforgiveness keeps us living in the past, unable to truly move forward with what God has planned for us now, and in the future.

I pray that each one of us will examine our hearts and search out any unforgiveness within. And as we do, allow the Holy Spirit to lead us in letting go and forgiving others as well as forgiving ourselves.