Forgiveness Series, Part 3,Ep 3-8
Welcome Back! I am your host Dawn Simmons, and in this episode of Conquering Our Unseen Enemies we are going to be discussing part three in our series on Forgiveness. Through this series we will go over how a lack of forgiveness can prevent healing and deliverance, we will discuss the benefits of forgiveness and we will talk about what is produced in our lives, or not produced, by a lack of forgiveness. Today we are going to start off reiterating what unforgiveness is and hit on our last 6 of the 10 points of the price we pay carrying our unforgiveness. Once we finish these 10 points, we have one more episode on forgiveness so we can break any obstacles to our own healing and deliverance. Our objective is to get rid of the weight and chains of bondage that come from holding onto unforgiveness.
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Let’s do a quick summary of what we discussed in both part 1.and 2
We defined, what is forgiveness? Forgiveness involves an intentional decision to let go of resentment and anger. The memory of the act that hurt or offended you may remain with you, but forgiveness will lessen that event’s hold over you. Over time, resentment turns to bitterness.
We also discussed the first 6 points of the importance of forgiveness for our own healing and deliverance.
Point 1: When we do not forgive, we may be creating Bitterness in our heart.
Point 2: When we do not forgive, we are not forgiven.
Point 3: When we fail to forgive someone, we stay tied to that someone.
Point 4: When we do not forgive others, are prayers are hindered.
Point 5: When we do not forgive, Satan is given opportunity.
Point 6: When we do not forgive, we may find ourselves stumble in darkness.
That was the first six points we discussed in the first two episodes. Now let’s move on to the next 4 points we need to discuss.
Point 7: When we do not forgive, God may choose to turn us over to the tormentors which will block our deliverance.
This is really difficult for us to imagine, but if we want to carry unforgiveness towards someone we are in essence saying that what that person did wasn’t worthy of your forgiveness as if your forgiveness were more important or powerful than the forgiveness Jesus died to provide us. Jesus died for the other person as much as for you, so we need to release ourselves of unforgiveness. Jesus gives us this example in the parable of the unforgiving debtor:
Matthew 18 starting in verse 21,
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. In other words, you always forgive, you don’t hold back on forgiveness. 23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold[h] was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. 26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. 28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins.[i] He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. 29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’ 30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened. 32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. 35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
Verse 35, 35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.” Is pretty clear. We have spent so many episodes talking about the damage the tormentors do to us because of our own choices, sometimes unknowingly. Here, Jesus is telling us this will happen, we will be tormented if we make the choice to hold onto unforgiveness. Jesus cannot lie, so if He says that is what will happen, then that is exactly what will happen. Nothing is worth this price.
Next point:
Point 8: When we don’t forgive, we cannot fully participate in God’s divine nature.
I want to start explaining this by taking a look at what Peter has to say in 2 Peter 1:3, 3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
Without forgiveness, we will find ourselves in a place where evil desires begin to take over what is good in us. We will lose ourselves to the evil. Where there is evil, we will not find the presence of the Holy Spirit. Jesus describes it masterfully this way in Luke 11:33, 33 “No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light. 34 Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are healthy,[g] your whole body also is full of light. But when they are unhealthy,[h] your body also is full of darkness. 35 See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness. 36 Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be just as full of light as when a lamp shines its light on you.” I love how He describes this because He tells us that light and dark are not compatible. You are one or the other.
Let’s rewind to 2 Peter and read chapter 1 verse 5.
2 Peter 1:5, 5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.
If we are going to hang onto unforgiveness, then we will not participate in things of the light as Peter describes for us. We have to make a choice.
Point 9: When we don’t forgive, we are creating an obstacle for ourselves to receive eternal rewards.
When we do not forgive, we are fulfilling an earthly desire to stay mad, to get revenge, to let that person go for their wrong, to keep bring it up, take your pick. When we chose to live in the world, in our flesh, then we are placing ourselves above the Holy Spirit. We are saying how we feel is more important and therefore we are our own obstacle that will prevent us from receiving eternal rewards. Paul describes it to us this way: 2 Corinthians 5, starting with verse 6, 6 Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. 7 For we live by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
When someone wrongs me, I count on the Lord establishing justice on my behalf. I know that He is righteous and just. I know that He will give them time to repent and make it right. I know that ultimately how He addresses it may not be what I want, but I also know that justice is justice once I give it to Him to carry out. I can’t carry around anger and a need for revenge, it won’t go well for me to do that.
Romans 14, starting with verse 12, 10 You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister[a]? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. 11 It is written: “‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.’” 12 So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.
When each of us has our time, we want what we have done here in our short lives to amount to something we can give to the Lord for all that He has given to us. Here is what is going to happen on that day. We can read about it in 1 Corinthians 3, starting with verse 10, 10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. 14 If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. 15 If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.
I don’t want to just escape with my life. I want what I have done to withstand the fire. If I do not forgive, what I have done will only be rubble.
Our tenth and final point is this:
Point 10: When we don’t forgive, we are grieving the Holy Spirit.
I don’t think enough attention is given to when we grieve the Holy Spirit. I think many of us do it every day without forethought or after thought. If we could, but for one minute see what we are actually doing when we do so, we might reconsider. I can tell you that if we continually do so, we will find the Holy Spirit is not apt to stay with us. The Holy Spirit will not remain in a place where sin resides. Don’t misunderstand or misinterpret what I am saying, this is not a salvation discussion, this is a discussion about having the presence of the Holy Spirit in your lives daily. If we walk with the Holy Spirit, rather than without, our lives will be different. How our needs are met will be different. How we respond and react to other people, under pressure, in a crisis, all of this will be different. The fruit that comes out of our life will be affected. Do you want to produce vibrant, beautiful, delicious tasting fruit for all around you? Or would you rather produce anemic fruit, if any at all, that isn’t worth the time spent to grow or harvest? Fruit that is not useful for anything but compost. That’s what it comes down to when we live a life where our choices grieve the Holy Spirit in such a way that He is not able to be with us daily. Here is how Paul describes it in Ephesians 4 starting in verse 29, Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Forgiveness isn’t always easy, but when you look at all the points we have discussed, not forgiving becomes really expensive and it’s not a price I am willing to pay. Let go of where you have been wronged and take control of what you can control going forward and that is making the choice to forgive.
I hope this has been time that inspires you to want to learn to grow in your relationship with the Lord and build your desire to partner with Him. We want to grow in Him and learn how to work with Him to build the Kingdom and Conquer Our Unseen Enemies. The more we grow the more our life will change, and you can help change the lives of anyone around you who is willing.
Join me next week for our final episode on forgiveness where we will break any obstacles to our own healing and deliverance.
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As always, let’s discuss our Top Show points:
This is Part 3 of our Series on Forgiveness
I gave you a micro summary of part 1 of the series, including the first 6 points
Point 1: When we do not forgive, we may be creating Bitterness in our heart.
Point 2: When we do not forgive, we are not forgiven.
Point 3: When we fail to forgive someone, we stay tied to that someone.
Point 4: When we do not forgive others, are prayers are hindered.
Point 5: When we do not forgive, Satan is given opportunity.
Point 6: When we do not forgive, we may find ourselves stumble in darkness.
Point 7: When we do not forgive, God may choose to turn us over to the tormentors which will block our deliverance. Matthew 18:21,
Point 8: When we don’t forgive, we cannot fully participate in God’s divine nature.
2 Peter 1:3, Luke 11:33, 2 Peter 1:5
Point 9: When we don’t forgive, we are creating an obstacle for ourselves to receive eternal rewards. Romans 14:12, 1 Corinthians 3:10
Point 10: When we don’t forgive, we are grieving the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 4:29
We encourage you:
· To have an active Bible reading plan, if you want a personal relationship with the Lord, you need to be active about reading His word.
· If you want to learn more about how to Hear God's Voice, visit our website, lovingconversationssalo.com. My book, Loving Conversations: How to Pray and Hear God's Voice has helped so many people in their relationship with the Lord, check out the testimonials. Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Walmart. Those are also available on our website www.lovingconversationssalo.com.
· Follow us in Instagram, @conqueringourunseenenemies
· Conference 3/23, Camarillo, CA 8:30-noon, it’s called Restore and it is a Holy Spirit Revival in your heart, if you are in the area, ticket information can be found in show notes or on our Instagram pages, email, contact@conqueringourunseenenemies.com and I can send you the link.
I have enjoyed our time this week and look forward to spending time with you again next week!
We encourage you:
· To have an active Bible reading plan, if you want a personal relationship with the Lord, you need to be active about reading His word.
· If you want to learn more about how to Hear God's Voice, visit our website, lovingconversationssalo.com. My book, Loving Conversations: How to Pray and Hear God's Voice has helped so many people in their relationship with the Lord, check out the testimonials. Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Walmart. Those are also available on our website www.lovingconversationssalo.com.
· Follow us in Instagram, @conqueringourunseenenemies
· Conference 3/23, Camarillo, CA 8:30-noon, it’s called Restore and it is a Holy Spirit Revival, if you are in the area, ticket information can be found in show notes or on our Instagram pages, email, contact@conqueringourunseenenemies.com and I can send you the link.
· I have enjoyed our time this week and look forward to spending time with you again next week!