Forgiveness is a huge subject that I have put off for over a year. In fact it's one of the two themes in the Bible the other is love, God's love. It's the message of the cross. But this message of forgiveness seems to be ignored or at least not taken serious enough. It seems many people are not willing to totally forgive. Peter even asked Jesus, how many times must he forgive his brother? Jesus replied, that he must forgive "seventy times seven," in other words every time. Then Jesus told the disciples a parable about an unforgiving steward and how the Kingdom of Heaven views the subject of forgiveness. (Matthew 18:23-35)
In this parable, The Unforgiving Steward, there was a slave (steward) who owed the king a large sum of money, but he was unable to pay. So the servant prostrated himself before his lord, but he never really asked for forgiveness, just for a little more time. Understanding the servant's predicament his lord had compassion on him and forgave all his debt. Yet, soon after the servant left he came to one of his fellow servants who owed him a much smaller amount and demanded full payment. But the poor servant was unable to pay. So the mean servant had the man put in prison even though he pleaded for patience also. When word got back to the lord as to what had happened, the lord summoned the mean servant and said to him, "You wicked servant, I forgave you all that debt, because you pleaded with me. Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow servant, in the same way that I had mercy on you?" (Mt. 18:33)
When Jesus was on earth, He never asked for an apology or held a grudge against anyone. Jesus forgave everyone, just as we should be willing to do when anyone hurts us or betrays our trust. God expects His children to do the same, or there can be very serious consequences, dire consequences in fact. Let's go back to what the lord demanded of the unforgiving servant? "The lord was move with anger and handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him," Wow! Then Jesus goes on to say, "My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart." (Matthew 18:34-35) Jesus gives a very serious warning here and uses some pretty strong words. A very good incentive to forgive, don't you think? Yet, many people still seem to disregard His warnings, or have forgotten or maybe they even think God wouldn't really do that. Notice, the lord even viewed the man as "wicked."
The word torturer is also another word that seems to be forgotten. As you can see, there are some very serious consequences for unforgiveness. Have you ever heard someone compare the aches and pains in their body as to being tortured? I have, but have they ever really gone to God, and asked Him why, and been willing to listen and accept His answer. I'm not saying that every ache and pain is because of unforgiveness, there are other reasons too such as poor eating habits, curses or covenant violations.
Many of these people who suffer really love God and believe they have forgiven others. However, true forgiveness is not just lip service, it must come from the heart. If you watch and listen to them talk about certain people, you can tell there are still issues that have not been dealt with.
Now back to this parable, notice it does not say that the lord would cast the mean servant into hell or outer darkness. The servant was given a second chance to get things right and it seems that pain would be the motivator. Why pain? Because I believe that's how the Father feels when He sees His children unwilling to forgive others as He has done for them. Emotional pain is no different, it's painful too and it really, really grieves God.
God is not trying to be mean, and He doesn't want to punish anyone, that's not His nature. However, He is a God of justice, and we are the ones who are ultimately responsible for our actions, and to forgive each other, even if we feel our actions may be justified. It all boils down to being mean spirited, selfish and stubborn, just like the wicked steward in the parable.
Unforegivness opens the door for the torturers to come in. Who are these torturers and what do they do? It's satan and is demons, and they will inflict pain and suffering on those who don't forgive from their heart. Lip service won't cut it, because good parent won't accept it and our heavenly Father is no different. As the old saying goes, "Spare the rod, spoil the child." And in Proverbs it says:
"Do not withhold correction from a child, for if you beat him with a rod, he will not die. You shall beat him with a rod, and deliver his soul from hell."
This also applies when people get older too. King David experienced discipline when he sinned with Bathsheba and when he took a census of Israel's army. However, he chose to have the rod in the hand of the Lord rather than in the hand of his enemy, either way the lesson would be painful. Those disciplines for David's sin may seem harsh to us, but it also show how serious God really views sin. God has given us a free choice, and we must choose to forgive from the heart. The Lord has always demonstrated more grace than we deserve, and that's the difference between who's holding the rod.
Unforgivessness is a sin. Now, there are many different kinds of sins (Gal. 5:19), some more serious than others, yet God doesn't want to see sin of unforgiveness in any of His children. A far as discipline goes, the apostle Paul also wrote to the church of Corinth and told them what to do about a man who continued to have sex with his stepmother. "You must throw this man out and hand him over to Satan so that his sinful nature will be destroyed and he himself will be saved on the day the Lord returns." (1 Corinthians 5:5) You see, Paul was acting as a spiritual father in this situation also. So why would we think God, our heavenly Father, would be any different regarding these kinds of sins?
Today, the church is so far from what God had originally planned, yet God's view on sin and unforgiveness has not changed. Neither has His love, yet God will do whatever is necessary to restore His Kingdom. Many things that are thought as acts of nature, accidents, or health issues, are really a forms of discipline. When satan comes to steal, kill and destroy, it is because God has allowed it in order to display His sovereignty, just as He did with Job. However, satan is on a short leash, and he can only do what God allows. The Lord is still in control of every situation regardless how painful it may seem.
Some of these disciplines come in the form of storms, car wrecks, theft, falling down, sickness, health issues, back problems and many other things that are not only painful to our body but often to our checkbooks as well. There is no such things as an accident. And that is why these kind of things happen in our world and to individuals. It's because of Adan's sin and people are careless or choose to neglect or disregard God's Word. These harmful and painful things will continue to happen as long as evil is in this world. Satan, the deceiver and torturer, disguising his actions and punishments to make people think that there are other reasons for their problems, aches and pains in order to shift responsibility from themselves to something or someone else. And the world system will support those reasons or excuses.
All pain and suffering are still the result of sin. Yet many people still choose to go to the medical system, rather than let God. Anything a doctor can fix, God can too. I hear people sing, "Jesus you are my healer," and then they continue to go to doctors. I just don't get it. Are they spiritually blind or deaf in certain areas and just don't realize it? This is why we need to always pray that God open our minds, eyes and ears. (I still have much to learn.) We need to completely trust God in every area of our life and be patient as He is patient with us.
When Jesus Christ died on the cross everything changed, and when we receive Him into our heart we no longer needed to view God as our judge, but as our loving heavenly Father. We are a new creation and we should want to do what is right, because that is our new nature. We are no longer under religious laws, obligations or the world systems and so we choose to forgive. We are also kings and priest who have been given His authority over everything, including satan. We shouldn't fear punishment, because that was dealt with on the cross. So when we see a problem we look to Christ for the answers, and then do what He says, which may require some repentance. God doesn't expect us to be perfect, he sees that in Christ. But He does expect us to love and forgive one another.
Unforgiveness hinders our relationship with others, our brothers and sisters in Christ and most of all our Father. Jesus said, "For if you forgive others their transgression, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others then your Father will not for give you." (Matthew 6:14-15) How can anyone have an intimate relationship with the Father if there is unforgiveness in their heart? It's just not possible.
Note: The Father's intentions with any form of disciplines is to draw us back into His loving arms of grace and mercy, just as any good parent would want. The heavenly Father is always about restoration. But more than anything, forgiving demonstrates true love, and that always pleases Abba Father.
(to be continues)
