The Power of
Forgiveness
Mark
11:25-26
25 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.
26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your
Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.
Faith
will only work for you when you forgive. If your faith is not working, then the
issue could be unforgiveness in your heart.
Right
before it talks about the importance of forgiveness, it talks about speaking to
your mountain (obstacle, difficulty, impossibility), and command it to move out
of your way, and it will obey you.
But
notice that right after the passage about speaking to your mountain, the Lord
commands us to forgive. If we fail to forgive others, then our faith won’t
produce for us.
Faith
and forgiveness are twins and inter-related.
Mark
11:23-26 says,
23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall
say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and
shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he
saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye
desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
25 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.
26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your
Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.
This
passage tells us that we will have not what we necessarily believe, but we
shall have whatever we SAY.
There
is much power in confession of the tongue.
Jesus
preached a sermon on the Mount of Beatitudes.
Matthew
6:9-15
9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father
which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as
it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And
forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us
from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever.
Amen.
14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your
heavenly Father will also forgive you:
15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses,
neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
The
above passage tells us that we choose to not forgive others, then the Lord will
not forgive our trespasses.
You
can only make it into Heaven successfully if you forgive. If you refuse to forgive
and hold on to bitterness, you could forfeit your salvation. Please just
forgive and don’t take any chances with your eternal salvation.
Some
Christians end up in hell because they refused to forgive while on this earth.
It says that they will be tormented by the torturers for failure to forgive.
The torturers are the demons.
Even
if a person has not died and is still on this earth, but has failed to walk in
total forgiveness, the torturers will torment them constantly until the person
chooses to forgive. And their daily existence will be like hell on earth.
And
when a person refuses to forgive, the Father cannot forgive them until they make
a course correction.
In
the Gospel of Matthew, Peter asked Jesus how often he should forgive a brother
who has sinned against him? Should he forgive them up to seven times in one
day?
Jesus
replied back to forgive the person seventy times seven (490 times in one day if
necessary).
Matthew
18:21-35
21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft
shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee,
Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
23 Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto
a certain king, which would take account of his servants.
24 And when he had begun to reckon, one was
brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.
25 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.
26 The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped
him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
27 Then the lord of that servant was moved with
compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.
28 But the same servant went out, and found one of
his fellow-servants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him,
and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.
29 And his fellow-servant fell down at his feet,
and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
30 And he would not: but went and cast him into
prison, till he should pay the debt.
31 So when his fellow-servants saw what was done,
they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.
32 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:
33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on
thy fellow-servant, even as I had pity on thee?
34 And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to
the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.
35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also
unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their
trespasses.
Luke
6:37 says to not judge others and then you won’t be judged.
Judge
not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned:
forgive, and ye shall be forgiven.
In
the Lord’s prayer, Jesus mentions the importance of walking in forgiveness.
Luke
11:2-4
2 And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our
Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be
done, as in heaven, so in earth.
3 Give us day by day our daily bread.
4 And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive
every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver
us from evil.
Jesus
commands us to forgive a brother or sister in Christ if they trespass against
us. If the person repents, then forgive them.
If
the person sins against you seven times in one day and repents, and he repents,
then forgive him.
Luke
17:3-4
3 Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother
trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.
4 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.
When
Jesus was on the Cross, he cried out to His Father to forgive the executor’s,
for they didn’t know or realize what they were doing.
Luke
23:34
34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they
know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.
John
the Beloved said that if we confess our sins, the Lord is faithful and just to
forgive us of our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1
John 1:9-10
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just
to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him
a liar, and His Word is not in us.
Psalms 130 says,
1 Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O
Lord.
2 Lord, hear my
voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.
3 If thou, Lord,
shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?
4 But there is
forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.
5 I wait for the
Lord, my soul doth wait, and in His Word do I hope.
6 My soul
waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more
than they that watch for the morning.
7 Let Israel
hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous
redemption.
8 And He shall
redeem Israel from all his iniquities.
Acts 5:31 says,
31 Him (Jesus)
hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, for to give
repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.
Acts 26:18 says,
18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from
darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive
forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith
that is in me.
The Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 1:7-23:
7 In whom we have
redemption through His (Jesus’) Blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to
the riches of His grace;
8 Wherein He hath
abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
9 Having made known unto
us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which he hath
purposed in Himself:
10 That in the
dispensation of the fullness of times He might gather together in one all
things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him.
11 In whom also we have
obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him
who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will.
12 That we should be to
the praise of His glory, who first trusted in Christ.
13 In whom ye also
trusted, after that ye heard the Word of Truth, the gospel of your salvation:
in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of Promise,
14 Which is the earnest of
our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the
praise of His glory.
15 Wherefore I also, after
I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,
16 Cease not to give
thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;
17 That the God of our
Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom
and revelation in the knowledge of Him:
18 The eyes of your
understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of His
calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
19 And what is the
exceeding greatness of His power to usward who believe, according to the
working of His mighty power,
20 Which He (the Father) wrought
in Christ, when He raised him from the dead, and set him at His own right hand
in the heavenly places,
21 Far above all
principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named,
not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
22 And hath put all things
under His feet, and gave Him to be the head over all things to the church,
23 Which is His body, the
fullness of Him that filleth all in all.
Colossians
1:9-21 says,
9 For this cause we also,
since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye
might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual
understanding;
10 That ye might walk
worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and
increasing in the knowledge of God;
11 Strengthened with all
might, according to His glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering
with joyfulness;
12 Giving thanks unto the
Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the
saints in light:
13 Who hath delivered us
from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His Dear
Son:
14 In whom we have
redemption through His Blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
15 Who is the image of the
invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
16 For by Him were all
things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and
invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers:
all things were created by Him, and for Him:
17 And He is before all
things, and by Him all things consist.
18 And He is the head of
the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that
in all things He might have the pre-eminence.
19 For it pleased the
Father that in Him (Jesus) should all fullness dwell;
20 And, having made peace
through the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto himself; by
Him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
21 And you, that were
sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath He
reconciled.
Ps
32:1-5 says,
1
Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man unto
whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.
3 When I kept silence, my
bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long.
4 For day and night thy
hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer.
Selah.
5 I acknowledged 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.
Luke
7:48
48 And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.
Romans
4:7-8
7 Saying, Blessed are
they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
8 Blessed is the man to
whom the Lord will not impute sin.
Ephesians
4:31-32
31 Let all bitterness, and
wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with
all malice:
32 And be ye kind one to
another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake
hath forgiven you.
Colossians
2:13-15
13 And you, being dead in
your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with
him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
14 Blotting out the
handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and
took it out of the way, nailing it to his Cross;
15 And having spoiled
principalities and powers, He made a show of them openly, triumphing over them
in it.
James
5:14-16
14 Is any sick among you?
let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him,
anointing him with oil in the Name of the Lord:
15 And the prayer of faith
shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed
sins, they shall be forgiven him.
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.
1
John 2:12
12 I write unto you,
little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake.
Ps
103:1-18 says,
1 Bless the Lord, O my
soul: and all that is within me, bless His Holy Name.
2 Bless the Lord, O my
soul, and forget not all His benefits:
3 Who forgiveth all thine
iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
4 Who redeemeth thy life
from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
5 Who satisfieth thy
mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.
6 The Lord executeth
righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.
7 He made known his ways
unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.
8 The Lord is merciful
and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
9 He will not always
chide: neither will he keep His anger forever.
10 He hath not dealt with
us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
11 For as the heaven is
high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward them that fear Him.
12 As far as the east is
from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us.
13 Like as a father
pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him.
14 For He knoweth our
frame; He remembereth that we are dust.
15 As for man, his days
are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.
16 For the wind passeth
over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.
17 But the mercy of the
Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear Him, and His
righteousness unto children's children;
18 To such as keep His
covenant, and to those that remember His commandments to do them.
Isaiah
43:25
25 I, even I, am He that
blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy
sins.
James
5:16
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
you struggle with bitterness, resentment and unforgiveness, turn it over to the
Lord.
Repent
of it and let go of the offenses. That person who hurt you is not worth you
going to hell over if you choose to never forgive.
And
until you do forgive, you will be tormented by demons (the torturers) until you
do walk in forgiveness.
It’s
not easy to forgive someone who really deeply hurt you or caused you harm, but
it is possible with God’s grace to forgive.
And
God can only forgive you if you forgive others.
And
your faith won’t work, unless you learn to forgive.
And
when you forgive the person who hurt you, it’s like their chains are broken
off. Because when you hold unforgiveness towards someone, it binds them with
chains and handcuffs.
Do
yourself a favor and forgive. And do the other person a favor by loosing him of
his or her chains.
Just
turn over the offense to God and let Him deal with the person.
Forgive
the person whether or not they ever apologize to you.
Your
faith will only work and you will receive answers to your prayers if you walk
in forgiveness.
Sometimes
it is hard to forgive someone who deeply hurt you or betrayed you. But it is
possible with the help of the Holy Spirit.
Why
don’t you give the other person a break. You yourself probably have hurt other
people too, and perhaps they forgave you.
God
forgives our sins from us never to be remembered again.
Kenneth
E. Hagin, Sr. in one of his study books said that if a person even has “an air
of unforgiveness”, that will hinder and block their healing, prayer or
breakthrough. And it can affect your finances too and dry up your flow of
money.
God
is able to give you the grace to forgive others.
God
bless you!
