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The Purpose For Forgiving and Forgetting – Part 2:
"If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land" 2 Chronicles 1:14 (NKJV).
a. Keep in mind that to forgive is to show unconditional love toward others, and love is the most important thing we can give to our friends, family, neighbors, and even strangers. "Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future" ~ Paul Boese. Anger and resentment keep us stuck in the past replaying disempowering emotions, instead of living in the present moment. From a spiritual perspective, the ego feeds off fear and convinces us we were wronged. It holds on to anger and resentment to keep the pain alive. Whether you are giving or receiving forgiveness, it's a very powerful tool to heal brokenness. “Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven” Matthew 18:21–22 (NKJV).
b. Forgiveness is a decision of the will. Since God commands us to forgive, we must make a conscious choice to obey God and forgive. There is great value in mastering the skill of forgiving and forgetting. Living an effective and wholesome life requires regular forgiveness of others, just like Christ. One of the most vital things we must learn to walk in. I’m going to be real…unforgiveness stinks. It causes so much heartache, bitterness, and destruction in our lives and the lives of those around us. And to top it off it creates this spiritual wedge between us and God when we are the ones refusing to forgive. The offender may not desire forgiveness and may not ever change, but that doesn’t negate God’s desire that we possess a forgiving spirit. Ideally, the offender will seek reconciliation, but, if not, the one wronged can still decide to forgive. “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins” Isaiah 43:25 (NKJV).
c. Love asserts the opposing view: forgiveness, peace, and joy. Forgiveness can bring about emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual healing. Dysfunctional families can be restored through forgiveness. We must let go of destructive emotions to discover peace and happiness because the two cannot coexist. You must be willing to let go of that which stands in your way because, forgiveness because this is the bridge that leads you into place of reconciliation with the offender. Rather than forgiving the perpetrator or minimizing the intensity of the misdeed, you should recover the empowerment and self-worthiness you thought had been taken from you because of the misdeed. “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses” Mark 11:25 (NKJV).
d. Christians who are not willing to forgive others will find his fellowship with God hindered and can reap bitterness and the loss of reward. Love, joy, and peace can bring harmony back into friendships and homes through forgiveness. Forgiveness is not an option. No matter what someone or something has done we need to forgive them. And we must be careful not to harbor offense because that’s where unforgiveness loves to stay. You forgive that part of you that holds on to resentment and in doing so, you transform any destructive emotions and rise above fear. Of course, it is impossible to truly forget sins that have been committed against us. We cannot selectively “delete” events from our memory. “Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.” Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven" Luke 7:47–48 (NKJV).
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