Living out Love in Forgiveness [Podcast 7]
A few months ago, I asked God: how can I be free?
Three words came back to me over the course of the months:
LOWLINESS
FORGIVENESS
GRATITUDE
The way they’ve been unveiled to me through imagery is that they’re open doorways to the faith and Holy Spirit.
Forgiveness in particular grants us a free mind, unburdened by grudges, bitterness, and/ or any negative emotions.
Bad thoughts and feelings are always rooted in unforgiveness of a person or situation.
It might sound like a sweeping statement, but I honestly can’t think of a time when I’ve had negative thoughts or feelings without some form of unforgiveness being at the root.
Forgiveness recognises:
(1) Our perfect God is the judge over all right and wrong
(2) We are imperfect and therefore ineffective at judgement
(3) True love in all its consistency is to be loving, good, and open to blessing anyone indiscriminate of their feelings or actions toward us. Think of how much grace, love, and forgiveness we would inherently have for our own children. This is what God wants us to have for each other…
Scriptures on Forgiveness
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
Ephesians 4:32
And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
Mark 11:25
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9
But if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Matthew 6:15
Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.
Matthew 18:21-22
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Matthew 6:14-15
Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven;
Luke 6:37
Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.
Colossians 3:13
Signs of Forgiveness
(1) Do we still feel anger when we think of the hurtful moment?
(2) Would we help the antagonist if they needed assistance?
Check out my seventh newsletter (2020.12) for more about this journey…
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