CONSEQUENCES OF UNFORGIVENESS In Matthew, Chapter 18, Peter asked Jesus a question that prompted the Lord to teach us another important lesson on forgiveness. Peter asked that if we forgive our brother, who sins against us, seven times, is that going to be sufficient to satisfy the Lord. Jesus answered Peter in a way that indicates that we should forgive others as many times as is necessary. Jesus said, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.” (vs. 22). I believe this means that there is no limit on the times that we forgive. I have heard others teach that the original language says that what Jesus meant was 490 times in one day for the same sin, indicating an infinite and perpetual act of forgiveness. Glory to God! Jesus continued to apply this forgiveness principle using a parable that He said compared to the Kingdom of Heaven. Please take a moment to read Matthew 18:23-35. After reading this account we can see the analogy of the parable. Here we have a servant who owed his master an equivalent of $10,000,000. He asked His master to forgive him this enormous debt. His master showed great mercy to his servant and forgave him his debt. Immediately this same servant went out and found a fellow servant that owed him an equivalent of $20 and demanded repayment. But because this fellow servant could not repay this $20, the servant who was forgiven $10,000,000 threw his fellow servant into debtor’s prison. Upon hearing of this unforgiving attitude in the forgiven servant, the master then ordered him to be turned over to the torturers until repayment was made. Jesus then says: “So shall My Heavenly Father also do to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart." (vs. 35). Of course it should be clear to us that the price that Jesus paid for our forgiveness is worth more than ten million dollars. In fact, it is priceless. But because we have such finite minds, He uses the comparison of a ten million-dollar forgiven debt to a twenty-dollar unforgiven debt. Take close notice of the consequences that come to the life of the unforgiving servant. He was turned over to the torturers and put into prison. When we refuse to forgive others, satan has entrance into our lives and we are tormented and enter into all types of bondage. We cannot experience the freedom and peace that Jesus has provided for us unless we are quick to forgive others. In John, Chapter 20, Jesus spoke to His disciples about forgiving or retaining the sins of anyone. This occurred immediately after He spoke peace to them and breathed the Holy Spirit into them so that they could be regenerated with His new life. The forgiveness of others was the first issue that Jesus charged His disciples with after they entered into His Kingdom. “Jesus therefore said to them again, ‘Peace be with you, as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.’ And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit! If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained’”(vs. 21-23). By the power of the Holy Spirit, we are able to forgive others and loose them from the bondage that unforgiveness brings on them and us alike. Jesus also said something similar to Peter in Matthew, Chapter 16, after Peter had a revelation of who Jesus really was. “I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven.”(vs.19). Although there is deeper meaning to these scriptures, let us stay focused on the subject of unforgiveness. This passage says as surely as we should loose others from their sins, through forgiveness, it also says that we can retain the sins of others and bind their lives and ours by unforgiveness. We must realize that what we do on the earth has a definite and corresponding effect in the heavenly realm. God has put authority in our lives through the indwelling Christ to bind and loose and to retain and forgive. This should bring about a new level of the fear of the Lord in our lives. We must recognize our responsibility to forgive others so that they may be freed and that we may also experience liberty. Let’s not abuse our Kingdom privileges through binding others and ourselves with unforgiveness. Let’s bind the devil away from having entrance into our lives and in the lives of others; and let’s loose others and ourselves into the joy and peace of the Lord through the spirit of love and forgiveness. Hallelujah! We have been called to a life of the faith of Jesus. He has given us authority in His Name and wants us to speak to the mountains of life and cast them into the sea. He wants us to receive when we pray and believe and not doubt in our hearts so that we shall be granted what we say. We find this confirmed in Mark, Chapter 11, in verses 22-25. However, we must acknowledge another principal that is included in the prayer of faith, and that is forgiveness. Jesus said: “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 transgressions.” (vs. 25). Unforgiveness blocks the prayer of faith and nullifies our power and authority in the Lord. Jesus has linked faith and forgiveness together and we should do the same. Remember that “Faith works by love” and that forgiveness is also an act of love by faith. Amen! Paul was constantly dealing with the carnal attitudes and actions of the church of Corinth. In chapter eleven, his exhortation deals with improperly remembering the Lord’s death by the eating of the bread and the drinking of the cup in an unworthy manner. The Holy Spirit is saying to us through these passages that we must correctly discern and appreciate the body of Christ and be willing to judge ourselves rightly. Again, we must not be hypocrites and mock the wonderful forgiveness that was given to us by our Lord through His death upon the cross. If we enter into the celebration of the Lord’s supper in the fellowship of the saints with unforgiveness towards others then we bring judgment and condemnation upon ourselves. “For this reason, many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep.” (vs.30). This verse in the Amplified Version says: “That (careless and unworthy participation) is the reason why many of you are weak and sickly, and quite enough of you are fallen into the sleep of death.” In I John, Chapter 5, we find another exhortation concerning sin that leads to physical death. “If any sees his brother (believer) committing a sin that does not (lead to) death (the extinguishing of life), he will pray and (God) will give life – yes, He will grant life to all those whose sin is not (one leading) to death. There is a sin (that leads) to death: I do not say that one should pray for that. All wrong doing is sin, and there is sin which does not (involve) death – that may be repented of and forgiven.” (vs. 16-17 Amp). Let me say to you from the depth of my heart, that if we try to live with unforgiveness in our hearts we are susceptible to weakness, sickness and death. We have prayed for many people, a good portion of who were Christians who were experiencing weakness, sickness, depression, oppression, and even for those who were in the grip of death. I must sadly say with all the compassion that I can appropriate at the moment, that many of these afflicted people have had a root of bitterness, resentment, offense, and unforgiveness as the basic cause of their problem. My dearly beloved friends and brethren let us cease suffering for unrighteousness sake. Let us cease destroying ourselves with the consequences of unforgiveness; but instead, let us live and walk in the light as He, Himself, is in the light and have true and unbroken fellowship with the Lord and one another. We need to ask God, the Father, for the blood of Jesus Christ to cleanse us from the sin of unforgiveness. Please! Right this moment, make the decision in your heart to repent and ask the Lord to forgive you and restore you to a right spirit. The spirit of forgiveness! Amen!
Posted on: Thu, 25 Jul 2013 09:45:24 +0000
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