I know that this message will surprise many of us. Forgiveness is the key to salvation, health, healing, victory, blessings, peace, an excellent future and eternal life. It is impossible to live this life without being offended, but holding on to the offence locks your excellent future. This article talks about the benefit of unforgiveness from the Bible.
what does the bible say about forgiveness?
In Matthew 18:21-22,then came Peter to him, and said, lord how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, until seven times, but seventy times seven.
Have you forgiven someone up to this number of times? Be honest with yourself. If you have done that for a single person, then you can say that I will not forgive him/her.
why do you need to forgive?
See my dear people, your enemy is not the flesh of your friend, neighbor, brother, sister, uncle, aunt, mother, father, husband, wife, grandma or grandpa, etc.
They are being used by the evil one to destroy us and if we fight against them physically; we are fighting the wrong battle. Our battle is spiritual.
Yes, it is written in Exodus 22:18 thou shalt not suffer not a witch to live. This is the Word of God and must be obeyed, but this can only be done spiritually.
Christians don’t fight their battle in the flesh, but in the spirit. The witch can only be destroyed through deep meditation, spirit led and aggressive warfare prayers. This is the right way how to pray effectively.
Picking a fight with a cutlass is a big mistake you can do and can lead to your death. Even confrontation is also a huge error.
You forgive, not because the offender deserves it, but because the bible says so – that you deserve to be freed. Won’t you want to be totally free my der friend?
understanding the person who hurt you
The common enemy of our soul is the “evil one” who comes in different forms and use people to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10).
Most of us put on the wrong attitude and keep fighting the wrong battles.
One thing we forget to understand is that the evil one’s spirit possessed people’s and fights our blessings from God and instead of praying to our Mighty God to destroy the demons in them defeating our common enemy, we try to kill the person physically.
Killing the person who commits the crime will not solve the problem because the spirit will leave this person and possess another person to till rob you of your blessings.
There is just one way of winning, which is by forgiving the person and going spiritually into prayer.
Most of the people used are ignorance of what is happening because they are spiritually blind. It is your place to help release them from the cage and bondage they are in.
But if they decide not to repent, then the words of the scripture in Exodus 22:18 will automatically fall upon them as you go into spiritual warfare.
Benefits of Forgiveness
1. Salvation
You remember how Jesus tough us how to pray? … and forgive us our trespasses that we also forgive those who trespass against us. Unless you stop feeling resentful towards others, you are not saved.
I know it is painful when you think about the offences people have committed against you, but when you don’t forgive, you have also sinned and that alone can make you lose your salvation.
I believe you don’t want to be condemned, or lose your eternity, just for the sake of holding a grudge against a brother who’s wronged you.
Unless God forgives your sin, you can never enter the kingdom of heaven, and unless you forgive others, repent and be born again, you can’t see the kingdom of God.
Since you depend on God’s forgiveness of your sinful works, before you are saved, you also must exonerate others in order to win the race of salvation.
You are saved when God forgives you. You will enter heaven when you forgive others.
2. Health and healing
Most of us take tablets and doctors prescribed medication, hoping to get relieved from stress and high blood pressure every day. It is sad to say, how ignorant people can be when they close their minds to the Gospel(Word of truth).
My friends, unforgiveness is the cause of most of these sicknesses. No amount of help from your cardiologist can help with your hypertension if you are angry, or have refused to forgive your wife, husband, brothers and sisters.
The best healing to your soul, body and spirit comes from totally unloading those grudges from your heart and delivering yourself from the captivity of that sin. Forgive and be healed.
You have everything to gain, your stress level will go down, your high blood will normalise the moment you forgive those who trespass against you. The Holy Spirit is always available to help.
Forgiveness totally heals your body, soul and spirit
3. Spiritual blessings
The pardon of an offence brings great blessings into your spirit. A true forgiver has a free spirit, and the Holy Spirit only communicates with you when your heart is free of malice towards other people.
Unless you allow the Holy spirit in your life, it may be difficult for you to identify or fully use your spiritual gifts (tongues, prophecy, divine healing etc). Most Christians still fail to surrender to the Holy Spirit because they harbor grudges.
Isn’t it amazing to see the Holy Spirit working in the life of a true child of God? Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit and a storehouse for unlimited ability through the power of Christ. Unfortunately, most of us called christian never fully exploit our spiritual gifts and reap the wonderful blessings thereof.
4. Victory
Forgiveness is a key to unlocking your victory, according to 2 Corinth 2: 11 … lest Satan should take advantage of us, for we are not ignorant of his devices.
As a child of God, we are constantly in battle with the enemy. In order to win that battle and be victorious, we must eliminate any sin that will make the enemy to have an upper hand.
Forgiveness is an instruction from God and failing to obey means you are sinning. The devil will exploit that sin to create doubt in you, weaken your faith, and defeat you. To be victorious, let go of any offences.
5. Peace
Peace is very essential in our lives and creates a better environment for happiness and joy. Resentment can let to unpeaceful environment through the presence of war, fights, and killing. Therefore, we should forgive to create a peaceful environment.
6. Excellent future
Unforgiveness results in unanswered prayers. Therefore, in order to make a prayer for prosperity come to fulfillment, we must free our hearts from the burden of holding grudges towards offenders.
7. Eternal life
You are saved when you confess with your mouth and believe with your heart that Jesus is your Lord and Savior. But you won’t make eternal life if along your life journey, you still feel resentful towards others.
In Our daily experiences;
We all know that this is the most difficult area in life. Many at times, we conclude that an offender should die or be excommunicated from the society. Often, we are so bittered that revenge becomes our only source of relief.
My brothers and sisters let me surprise you today. When you hold grudges, pain of the past, bitterness and take revenge and refuse to forgive whether you are right or wrong, you hold your future, your success and way to heaven.
It is said by our Supreme and most lovely God that in this world there will be offence but forgiveness because he has already judged them (Luke 17:1-4). Why worry yourself to pass judgement again and block your excellent future and eternal life?
if i don’t forgive!
My people listen. When you hold grudges, your heart is filled with anger, bitterness and resentment which can never contact the Holy Spirit, of which our heart is the communication point to the Holy Spirit.
Can you imagine what happens when your spirit cannot contact the Holy Spirit? You become an instrument to the evil one. He passes through the anger, bitterness and resentment and causes you to commit more sin. At the end of the day, you are a victim.
At this stage of being unappeasable, when you prayed, you are not talking to God, but to yourself and to the air. This is because your spirit cannot contact the Spirit of God when it is filled with grudges, etc. In order for one to be able to commune with the Holy Spirit, you must have a free spirit.
Only a peaceful spirit (void of bitterness, unforgiveness, pain, grudges, lack of peace) can contact God. A heart full of grudges has already grieved the Holy Spirit. When we get to this point of unforgiveness, our prayers are unanswered.
All our prayers for prosperity, healing, blessing and breakthrough do not come to fulfillment because our hearts are full of unforgiveness.
Finally- Should you forgive Or punish?
My people, whether you are right or wrong, you are not permitted to hold an offence against anyone. In our prayer “our father” it is said that “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who have sin again us (Mtt 6:9-13)”.
Have you done it? So, if you are expecting God to have mercy on and forgive your sins, you must also excuse others. No matter what they have done, forgive them. Even if someone kills your love one, you must still let it off. You simply have to let bygones be bygones.
It will be shocking to note that the one most harm and destroy when you hold an offence is no other than yourself.
When you forgive, the highest person you set free from the prison is yourself.
Therefore, brothers and sisters’ obedience to God’s commands is the way out, not human knowledge. Thus, to step into the future, making allowance for your offenders to get amnesty is the key.
Prayer Points
Bible verses of unforgiveness and repentance : (LUKE 17:1-4; 23:34; Mt 18:21-35; Colossians 3:13)
- O God my Father give unto me the grace to forgive everyone who offence me, in the name of Jesus.
- O lord destroy in me any spirit of unforgiveness, in the name of Jesus
- My Father has mercy on me for all the times I have refused to forgive one another, in the name of Jesus.
I pray the Almighty God gives you the grace to let go of offence, forgive and totally forget in Jesus’ name. Amen.
