"Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: whose soever sins ye REMIT, they are REMITTED unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained." (John 20:21-23 emphasis added)
I want to share a very powerful word with you: FORGIVING or FORGIVE. I know you probably thought, well, why didn't she say, forgiveness instead. We have all heard plenty of messages on forgiveness, but have you ever heard one on "forgiving?" To begin with, forgiving is a verb and forgiveness is a noun. Forgiveness is a thing and forgiving requires action.
In John 20:23, Jesus is talking to His disciples before returning to His Father. He tells them, "If you forgive anyone's sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven." (NIV)
I want to share a very powerful word with you: FORGIVING or FORGIVE. I know you probably thought, well, why didn't she say, forgiveness instead. We have all heard plenty of messages on forgiveness, but have you ever heard one on "forgiving?" To begin with, forgiving is a verb and forgiveness is a noun. Forgiveness is a thing and forgiving requires action.
In John 20:23, Jesus is talking to His disciples before returning to His Father. He tells them, "If you forgive anyone's sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven." (NIV)
I believe the Lord is teaching us a very important lesson here. It's not that we have the power to remove someone's sins from them, but we all have the power personally to forgive them of their sins against us personally.
The word "remit" is used in the King James Version. As it reads above, it means to DISMISS; SET FREE! If I heard this once, I've heard it at least 30 times in my life: "Forgiving someone isn't for their sake, but for yours." I beg to differ. That never did set well with me, even though I sure needed the benefits of forgiving. We all have a choice, every time someone says or does something that hurts or offends us. Are we going to hold onto that grudge or are we going to remit or forgive them, no matter how small or how big the offense? Before you say, "But you just don't know what was done to me," please remember what Jesus did for us. Also, I am speaking from experience. I had to walk through this before I could share this with you all. My scars where very deep, before the Lord began to pour His healing balm into them.
Forgiving others does three things:
1. Forgiving is a spiritual key or force that unlocks you and the offender from a prison.
When we refuse to forgive it holds us and others in a place where we can't move forward. We stay in that time and place of the offense. It's becomes our prison and theirs also. We keep rehearsing the offense over and over through the years until we decide to remit or "set free" the offender and ourselves.
Paul and Silas were accused of destroying someone's livelihood when they cast out the demon spirits from a woman who was a fortune teller. They were beaten and thrown into prison. Instead of complaining and being bitter against the people or God, they began to praise God. God literally sent an earthquake and the doors of the PRISON flew open! They were able to minister to the jailor that kept watch over them. He and his family were saved! Forgiving others releases them and ourselves from spiritual prisons that hold us in chains of bitterness and torment.
Paul and Silas were accused of destroying someone's livelihood when they cast out the demon spirits from a woman who was a fortune teller. They were beaten and thrown into prison. Instead of complaining and being bitter against the people or God, they began to praise God. God literally sent an earthquake and the doors of the PRISON flew open! They were able to minister to the jailor that kept watch over them. He and his family were saved! Forgiving others releases them and ourselves from spiritual prisons that hold us in chains of bitterness and torment.
2. Forgiving others begins the healing process.
Until we are willing to let go, we cannot heal from past emotional wounds. I have to say that holding grudges is not only damaging to our emotional well being but also can easily be the cause of physical illnesses as well. This is medically documented. It causes imbalance to our whole system. Jesus said in John 10:10, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." Remitting or releasing those offenses and the offender opens the doors for the Lord to bring His wonderful LIFE into those wounds and resurrect us in every area.
3. Forgiving others stops the unforgiveness and especially the effects of it from cycling into our next generations.
Until we are willing to let go, we cannot heal from past emotional wounds. I have to say that holding grudges is not only damaging to our emotional well being but also can easily be the cause of physical illnesses as well. This is medically documented. It causes imbalance to our whole system. Jesus said in John 10:10, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." Remitting or releasing those offenses and the offender opens the doors for the Lord to bring His wonderful LIFE into those wounds and resurrect us in every area.
3. Forgiving others stops the unforgiveness and especially the effects of it from cycling into our next generations.
If you don't understand what I'm saying here, just take a look at your family tree or someone else's that seems to be always in some kind of sickness or dysfunction. Ask the Lord to show you some root causes. You don't have to point an accusing finger at anyone. Just pray, forgive, and move forward! This area is really dealing with any generational curses, so that freedom and blessings can come forth.
Forgiving others is so powerful! No wonder why it's mentioned so often in Scripture. Ephesians 4:32 reads, "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."
Prayer: Lord I ask You to forgive me of holding any unforgiveness towards __________." I release them from the offense of __________, and forgive them from the bottom of my heart. Also, I ask that You would release me and them from any of the effects from of my unforgiveness towards them. You are a kind and forgiving Father and Lord. Thank you for Your mercy, In Jesus' name. Amen.
Forgiving others is so powerful! No wonder why it's mentioned so often in Scripture. Ephesians 4:32 reads, "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."
Prayer: Lord I ask You to forgive me of holding any unforgiveness towards __________." I release them from the offense of __________, and forgive them from the bottom of my heart. Also, I ask that You would release me and them from any of the effects from of my unforgiveness towards them. You are a kind and forgiving Father and Lord. Thank you for Your mercy, In Jesus' name. Amen.
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