It is Human Nature to hold grudges. It just is. You have no idea how I was wronged. You do not understand what they did to me. I just can't forgive them for this. I trusted them. I did nothing wrong. They used me, abused me, and mistreated me. How do I forgive them for that?
It is even harder for some to forgive those that misused them or wronged them, at no fault of their own. But that is what you must do. Especially as a Child of God. Why? By forgiving them, you are condemning them to their own hands. You are condemning them to their own deeds. You are condemning them to their own words. You are unleashing the power of God Himself against them. You truly are.
We have talked about this concept in a few different ways. But the bottom line is simple. You forgive them, because A, it is commanded by your Father to do so. B, because when you do, all the things you have done against God Himself can be forgiven. C, you give them over to God.
A, Your Father says so.
Matthew 18:
Mark 11:
It is even harder for some to forgive those that misused them or wronged them, at no fault of their own. But that is what you must do. Especially as a Child of God. Why? By forgiving them, you are condemning them to their own hands. You are condemning them to their own deeds. You are condemning them to their own words. You are unleashing the power of God Himself against them. You truly are.
We have talked about this concept in a few different ways. But the bottom line is simple. You forgive them, because A, it is commanded by your Father to do so. B, because when you do, all the things you have done against God Himself can be forgiven. C, you give them over to God.
A, Your Father says so.
Matthew 18:
21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?And in...
22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
Mark 11:
25 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.If you do not?
Matthew 6:
Matthew 6:
Matthew 7:
I know for a fact I Sin every day. I ask forgiveness every day. People have offended me. People of wronged me. People have used me. I have reason, in some cases, justified reasons, to hate them. To hold a grudge against them. To repay their evil against me with evil. In some cases, it is very tempting. But that is not the way.
God reminds us that we all Sin, and we ALL fall short of the Glory of God. If we lived by the Law, we would not be worthy to receive anything from God, let alone His forgiveness and Everlasting life. But He does forgive us. Every time.
Think about this. God saved us. The Word became Flesh and dwelt with us. Jesus suffer so. Beaten to the point of nonrecognition. Nailed to a Cross. Spear driven into His Side. For YOU. He tells us, keep my Commandments and you receive my Gift of Eternal Life. Yet, many find it difficult to leave behind the old man. They continue to walk in the flesh. They continue to Sin. They forget. Yet, God still forgives them. Therefore, you MUST forgive those that Sin against you.
B, When you do, you allow God to justify forgiving you.
15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.In the example of the manor in which we should Pray, in what has become known as the "Our Father" Prayer, which we will talk about in depth next time, Jesus tells us this.
Matthew 6:
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.Remember what Jesus said about being judgmental?
Matthew 7:
3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?We Sin everyday. We even Sin Sins we do not even know we Sin. We have all Sinned. God, your Father, is Holy and Just to forgive us, daily. His grace abounds much more than our Sin. However, if we decide that we will not forgive others that have Sinned against us, then how will God justify forgiving us?
I know for a fact I Sin every day. I ask forgiveness every day. People have offended me. People of wronged me. People have used me. I have reason, in some cases, justified reasons, to hate them. To hold a grudge against them. To repay their evil against me with evil. In some cases, it is very tempting. But that is not the way.
God reminds us that we all Sin, and we ALL fall short of the Glory of God. If we lived by the Law, we would not be worthy to receive anything from God, let alone His forgiveness and Everlasting life. But He does forgive us. Every time.
Think about this. God saved us. The Word became Flesh and dwelt with us. Jesus suffer so. Beaten to the point of nonrecognition. Nailed to a Cross. Spear driven into His Side. For YOU. He tells us, keep my Commandments and you receive my Gift of Eternal Life. Yet, many find it difficult to leave behind the old man. They continue to walk in the flesh. They continue to Sin. They forget. Yet, God still forgives them. Therefore, you MUST forgive those that Sin against you.
B, When you do, you allow God to justify forgiving you.
You show that you understand that you yourself are a Sinner. You show God you understand you are imperfect and in need of forgiveness yourself. You humble yourself before God.
C, You give them over to God.
Romans 12:
By doing this, you become blameless. If they in turn abuse you in any way, THEY become the guilty ones. They will not just be wronging you, but they will be wronging GOD. They will not be offending you. They will be offending GOD. They will not be abusing you. They will be abusing GOD. Do you think HE will not repay?
Now you. Someone wrongs you. Forgive them. They continue, yet you have the ability and the opportunity to show them Love, perhaps they will turn away from their ways. Perhaps they may even become friends. Yet, if they chose not to, then they will condemn themselves. They will then have no excuse when God intervenes.
One of my first jobs was working in Mall Security. I started off the overnight. In the first sin months, I became a Sargent. Things were going along just fine for the first 3 years. Then a new Mall Manager took over. He was not such a nice guy. He used and abused not only his own staff, but some of the Tenants of the Mall as well. He also used the Mall as a person storage area for his own personal things. Now this was right in the middle of me discovering Salvation and receiving a deeper understanding in the Word and God's Way.
Now myself, and Dwight, one of the instrumental people in getting my into my quest for Truth, decided to go to this man, and ask him if he knew Christ. His exact answer was "I don't have time for that nonsense." Then he stole my file from the files, and asked my Boss, Dwight, for it. Needless to say, it was not there. So I got blamed for stealing my own file. Turned out, he had it the whole time, and then fired me. He also fired Dwight, and a few others. I, to my surprise, remembered this Passage 19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, "Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." I forgave him.
A few months later, I heard that he was in the center of the Mall, when the owners came in, and fired him. Right there in the center of the Mall, in front of so many people he abused over the year he was there. He received the same treatment that he dished out. I hear he did not handle it well.
There was nothing I could have done to him, to equal what happened to him. Nothing. I have seen, first hand, entire places disappear. A Child of God wronged, not soon after, the entire business gone. You can do nothing in comparison to what God can do. Why stress out over it. Forgive them, allow God to take it from there.
Proverbs 16:
C, You give them over to God.
Romans 12:
17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.If you follow the Way. Follow God. Do what your Daddy tells you to do, you are walking in the Spirit. You will not wrong anyone. If you love God with all your heart, mind and soul, and your Neighbor as yourself, you will not steel from them. You will not cheat them. You will not use them. You will obviously not kill them. You will show them love.
18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
By doing this, you become blameless. If they in turn abuse you in any way, THEY become the guilty ones. They will not just be wronging you, but they will be wronging GOD. They will not be offending you. They will be offending GOD. They will not be abusing you. They will be abusing GOD. Do you think HE will not repay?
19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, "Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord."Give place unto wrath. Do not do unto them likewise as they do to you. Be better than them. They have not wronged you. They wronged GOD. By forgiving them, you allow God to deal with them. Keep yourself blameless in the whole situation.
20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.So lets look at this concept. God created the Heavens and the Earth and all that is in them. He created Man, and gave him domination over all of Creation. Man gave it to the devil. God wiped out all Creation save eight people. Man's heart was continually evil and the inventions of were as well. Prophets, Teachers, and God's own Words were not enough to change Man's ways. So He even laid down His God Head and became Flesh, suffered all He did to Death for us. STILL? Many will still never except Him. It is on their head. They condemn themselves. He does have a limit.
21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
Now you. Someone wrongs you. Forgive them. They continue, yet you have the ability and the opportunity to show them Love, perhaps they will turn away from their ways. Perhaps they may even become friends. Yet, if they chose not to, then they will condemn themselves. They will then have no excuse when God intervenes.
One of my first jobs was working in Mall Security. I started off the overnight. In the first sin months, I became a Sargent. Things were going along just fine for the first 3 years. Then a new Mall Manager took over. He was not such a nice guy. He used and abused not only his own staff, but some of the Tenants of the Mall as well. He also used the Mall as a person storage area for his own personal things. Now this was right in the middle of me discovering Salvation and receiving a deeper understanding in the Word and God's Way.
Now myself, and Dwight, one of the instrumental people in getting my into my quest for Truth, decided to go to this man, and ask him if he knew Christ. His exact answer was "I don't have time for that nonsense." Then he stole my file from the files, and asked my Boss, Dwight, for it. Needless to say, it was not there. So I got blamed for stealing my own file. Turned out, he had it the whole time, and then fired me. He also fired Dwight, and a few others. I, to my surprise, remembered this Passage 19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, "Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." I forgave him.
A few months later, I heard that he was in the center of the Mall, when the owners came in, and fired him. Right there in the center of the Mall, in front of so many people he abused over the year he was there. He received the same treatment that he dished out. I hear he did not handle it well.
There was nothing I could have done to him, to equal what happened to him. Nothing. I have seen, first hand, entire places disappear. A Child of God wronged, not soon after, the entire business gone. You can do nothing in comparison to what God can do. Why stress out over it. Forgive them, allow God to take it from there.
Proverbs 16:
32 He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.Think about this. If someone or something wrongs you, you always have Daddy to turn to. How many of you, being Earthly Fathers, know this feeling? Your child comes home and says, "Daddy, this kid is picking on me." Your first instinct is to go wherever that bully is and grab him / her, by the front of their shirt, and turn them into a pile of weeping mess on the floor? If you are honest, most of you out there would agree. You know this feeling. You Daddy is God Himself. Go to Him.
33 The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord.
When you truly get this Truth.
Romans 12:
Those that wronged you? They got nothing. They have nowhere to turn. They have nothing they can do. When God turns His wrath upon someone or something, there is nowhere left to turn. Nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide. There is NOTHING. Instead of being angry with them, or hate them, you should pity them. They are about to be devastated in ways only God can do.
Do you know Jesus as your Savior? Have you been adopted into the Family of God? Do you have this confidence that your Daddy has got this? If not, say this Prayer. Right now. Wherever you may be. Say it in your own words, and do not doubt in your heart. God will hear you. He will send the Spirit of Life to you.
Romans 12:
19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, "Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord."When you fully understand it. When you claim it. You will live a more peaceful life. You will truly Pray for, and mean it, those that wrong you. You will fully get, and Pray, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do." You see, when someone wrongs you, you have the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, The Creator of all that ever was, is, or will be, God Himself, your Daddy, to turn to.
Those that wronged you? They got nothing. They have nowhere to turn. They have nothing they can do. When God turns His wrath upon someone or something, there is nowhere left to turn. Nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide. There is NOTHING. Instead of being angry with them, or hate them, you should pity them. They are about to be devastated in ways only God can do.
Do you know Jesus as your Savior? Have you been adopted into the Family of God? Do you have this confidence that your Daddy has got this? If not, say this Prayer. Right now. Wherever you may be. Say it in your own words, and do not doubt in your heart. God will hear you. He will send the Spirit of Life to you.
Let us Pray..
"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Jesus's sacrifice for me. I repent my sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Jesus, Amen!"
That's it. It really is that simple. Now go tell someone what you have just done. "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." {Romans 10:9} You need to find a Church that God leads you to, and be Baptized the way Jesus said to be. You are now a Child of God. A new Creature. You "have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him." {Colossians 3:10}
If you want to tell me, or comment, question, give testimonials, or just say "Hi," the Email is opntalk@gmail.com
Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Jesus IS Lord of all!
"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Jesus's sacrifice for me. I repent my sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Jesus, Amen!"
That's it. It really is that simple. Now go tell someone what you have just done. "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." {Romans 10:9} You need to find a Church that God leads you to, and be Baptized the way Jesus said to be. You are now a Child of God. A new Creature. You "have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him." {Colossians 3:10}
If you want to tell me, or comment, question, give testimonials, or just say "Hi," the Email is opntalk@gmail.com
Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Jesus IS Lord of all!
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