There is no "UN in Forgiveness
Have you ever wondered why the message of “forgiveness” never gets old in the church? I mean really – how many ways can you teach about the same thing?
We know scriptures like: For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: written in Matthew 6:14
So why do preachers keep preaching it; teachers keep teaching it; and ministers keep ministering it? Because the body of Christ is still diseases. God’s servants can’t stop administering the medicine until the patient is well, and the body of Christ is not yet well. In fact, like a physical disease, the body keeps growing resistant to the medicine so new formulas are created and administered in an ongoing attempt to cure it. The body has even come up with a new word for this disease. It’s called “un-forgiveness”
Did you know that there is no such word as “unforgiveness” I mean literally. It is not a word. If you type it into a Word document a red line will appear underneath. That’s because it’s not in the dictionary. But people use this “incorrect” word all the time. I even stumbled upon a blog where others had come into the same knowledge as I. “Unforgiveness” is not a legitimate word in the English language.
So, I began to ponder this disease and this new word for it. I prayed for revelation about it, and this is what I received…..Unforgiveness is not a word because there is no “un” in forgiveness. There is only forgiveness or disobedience.
Some of us don’t forgive because we have judged someone in the court of our own mind, according to our own standards and expectations. For this reason, the Lord says, in Matthew 7 “Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.”
Sometimes, the Lord will allow us to endure offenses to show us some aspect of our self that needs to be addressed. So, the next time you are offended, ask the Lord to show you if there is something he is trying to bring to your attention. Ask Him to search your heart, and renew a right spirit within you. In Romans 2, Paul says, “Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.”
Also, the next time you withhold forgiveness because you have judged a person for their actions in the court of your own mind, remember ALL that God has forgiven you for. Psalm 32:5 reads “I acknowledge my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.” ….Yes, pause and think about His forgiveness for a moment…… Now, consider the instructions to the body of Christ documented in James 5:16. “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”
If we pray for the person we are having difficulty forgiving and allow the forgiveness of Jesus to usher us into a place of humility, our heart WILL soften and we WILL discover compassion that we could not muster on our own. The forgiveness of Christ will have its perfect work in us, and we will be healed.
How much and how long are we expected to forgive? In Matthew 18:21-22 the bible recounts a time when Peter asked Jesus, “Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? 22Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven”.…….In Luke 17 Jesus is quoted as saying… “And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him……And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith. ”
Like the Apostles, we may need the Lord to increase our faith, but we can still strive to love like Jesus. In Psalm 86:5, David says, “For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.” Let us be GOOD and READY to forgive with mercy.
Now, let’s talk about the consequences for disobedience. Jesus used this parable in Matthew 18 to demonstrate what WILL happen to us when we do not forgive others as we have been forgiven. He begins by establishing the fact that this parable represents a kingdom principle.
“Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.”
This story is an example of how our disobedience and unwillingness to forgive can cancel out forgiveness that we have received or possibly would have received if we had just been obedient.
Mark 11:25 reads…”And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.” So, in other words before we even ask for forgiveness from God, we had better forgive our brother or sister FIRST.
Now, you may say that you have forgiven……and you have turned your back and walked away from someone who has hurt you, and you think you have done your duty, but this is not the kind of forgiveness that Jesus speaks of. He said, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” Now, what did Jesus say was the greatest commandment after “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind?” That’s right. It is to “love your neighbor AS YOURSELF”. Do you ignore yourself? Do you ignore your needs? 2 Corinthians 5:18 tells us that WE have the “ministry of reconciliation”. No matter what else we are doing, this is our FIRST ministry as believers. We cannot expect that our great works for the kingdom will excuse the rejection of one of “His little ones?” Therefore, it is not enough to just SAY that we have forgiven and walk away……but we must reconcile with actions in order to demonstrate our love for Jesus.
1 John 3:18 reads…..My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
In closing, I will read a passage from the New King James version of the Holy Bible. The heading is “The Greatest Gift.” I recommend that you think of it as the greatest gift that you can give Jesus to demonstrate your love for Him….. and let it trickle down to man. Focus on Jesus, not man and you can do what seems impossible. This great gift was passed down to us through the revelation and obedience of the Apostle Paul.
“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned,[a] but have not love, it profits me nothing.
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
This is 1 Corinthians, Chapter 13 – in its entirety.
Today, I encourage you to forgive AND reconcile to show your love complete. Remember, there is no “un” in Forgiveness. There is only forgiveness and disobedience.
If this message has touched your heart as much as it has wrenched mine… I invite you to close your eyes and bow your head with me now as I pray a personal prayer of agreement with the Lord. You may receive it for yourself if it agrees with your spirit.:
Thank you, Father for your word of truth. Teach me how to love not only in word, but in deed. Lord, have mercy on me. For I have never had a love like yours before and sometimes I just don’t know how to act, but I thank you for your holy spirit that leads and guides me into all truth. Lord, transform me into a minister of righteousness. Teach me how to be a minister of reconciliation. Lord, Increase my faith. Teach me how to Love my enemies, bless them that curse me, do good to them that hate me, and pray for them who despitefully use and persecute me. I cannot accomplish this kind of love on my own, but I know that all things are possible with you. Lord, I release pride, rebellion and stubbornness and allow the fruit of the spirit (love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, and temperance to reign in my life. I submit to the mind of Christ right now and allow it to override my programming as I surrender my heart and mind to you. Lord, I submit to your wisdom; your will; and your way. Amen.
God bless you. This has been a message to and from The Prophetic Scribe.
We know scriptures like: For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: written in Matthew 6:14
So why do preachers keep preaching it; teachers keep teaching it; and ministers keep ministering it? Because the body of Christ is still diseases. God’s servants can’t stop administering the medicine until the patient is well, and the body of Christ is not yet well. In fact, like a physical disease, the body keeps growing resistant to the medicine so new formulas are created and administered in an ongoing attempt to cure it. The body has even come up with a new word for this disease. It’s called “un-forgiveness”
Did you know that there is no such word as “unforgiveness” I mean literally. It is not a word. If you type it into a Word document a red line will appear underneath. That’s because it’s not in the dictionary. But people use this “incorrect” word all the time. I even stumbled upon a blog where others had come into the same knowledge as I. “Unforgiveness” is not a legitimate word in the English language.
So, I began to ponder this disease and this new word for it. I prayed for revelation about it, and this is what I received…..Unforgiveness is not a word because there is no “un” in forgiveness. There is only forgiveness or disobedience.
Some of us don’t forgive because we have judged someone in the court of our own mind, according to our own standards and expectations. For this reason, the Lord says, in Matthew 7 “Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.”
Sometimes, the Lord will allow us to endure offenses to show us some aspect of our self that needs to be addressed. So, the next time you are offended, ask the Lord to show you if there is something he is trying to bring to your attention. Ask Him to search your heart, and renew a right spirit within you. In Romans 2, Paul says, “Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.”
Also, the next time you withhold forgiveness because you have judged a person for their actions in the court of your own mind, remember ALL that God has forgiven you for. Psalm 32:5 reads “I acknowledge my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.” ….Yes, pause and think about His forgiveness for a moment…… Now, consider the instructions to the body of Christ documented in James 5:16. “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”
If we pray for the person we are having difficulty forgiving and allow the forgiveness of Jesus to usher us into a place of humility, our heart WILL soften and we WILL discover compassion that we could not muster on our own. The forgiveness of Christ will have its perfect work in us, and we will be healed.
How much and how long are we expected to forgive? In Matthew 18:21-22 the bible recounts a time when Peter asked Jesus, “Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? 22Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven”.…….In Luke 17 Jesus is quoted as saying… “And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him……And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith. ”
Like the Apostles, we may need the Lord to increase our faith, but we can still strive to love like Jesus. In Psalm 86:5, David says, “For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.” Let us be GOOD and READY to forgive with mercy.
Now, let’s talk about the consequences for disobedience. Jesus used this parable in Matthew 18 to demonstrate what WILL happen to us when we do not forgive others as we have been forgiven. He begins by establishing the fact that this parable represents a kingdom principle.
“Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.”
This story is an example of how our disobedience and unwillingness to forgive can cancel out forgiveness that we have received or possibly would have received if we had just been obedient.
Mark 11:25 reads…”And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.” So, in other words before we even ask for forgiveness from God, we had better forgive our brother or sister FIRST.
Now, you may say that you have forgiven……and you have turned your back and walked away from someone who has hurt you, and you think you have done your duty, but this is not the kind of forgiveness that Jesus speaks of. He said, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” Now, what did Jesus say was the greatest commandment after “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind?” That’s right. It is to “love your neighbor AS YOURSELF”. Do you ignore yourself? Do you ignore your needs? 2 Corinthians 5:18 tells us that WE have the “ministry of reconciliation”. No matter what else we are doing, this is our FIRST ministry as believers. We cannot expect that our great works for the kingdom will excuse the rejection of one of “His little ones?” Therefore, it is not enough to just SAY that we have forgiven and walk away……but we must reconcile with actions in order to demonstrate our love for Jesus.
1 John 3:18 reads…..My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
In closing, I will read a passage from the New King James version of the Holy Bible. The heading is “The Greatest Gift.” I recommend that you think of it as the greatest gift that you can give Jesus to demonstrate your love for Him….. and let it trickle down to man. Focus on Jesus, not man and you can do what seems impossible. This great gift was passed down to us through the revelation and obedience of the Apostle Paul.
“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned,[a] but have not love, it profits me nothing.
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
This is 1 Corinthians, Chapter 13 – in its entirety.
Today, I encourage you to forgive AND reconcile to show your love complete. Remember, there is no “un” in Forgiveness. There is only forgiveness and disobedience.
If this message has touched your heart as much as it has wrenched mine… I invite you to close your eyes and bow your head with me now as I pray a personal prayer of agreement with the Lord. You may receive it for yourself if it agrees with your spirit.:
Thank you, Father for your word of truth. Teach me how to love not only in word, but in deed. Lord, have mercy on me. For I have never had a love like yours before and sometimes I just don’t know how to act, but I thank you for your holy spirit that leads and guides me into all truth. Lord, transform me into a minister of righteousness. Teach me how to be a minister of reconciliation. Lord, Increase my faith. Teach me how to Love my enemies, bless them that curse me, do good to them that hate me, and pray for them who despitefully use and persecute me. I cannot accomplish this kind of love on my own, but I know that all things are possible with you. Lord, I release pride, rebellion and stubbornness and allow the fruit of the spirit (love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, and temperance to reign in my life. I submit to the mind of Christ right now and allow it to override my programming as I surrender my heart and mind to you. Lord, I submit to your wisdom; your will; and your way. Amen.
God bless you. This has been a message to and from The Prophetic Scribe.
Labels: Forgiveness
posted by The Prophetic Scribe | 12:51 PM
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