ARTICLES
So, Why Haven't You Forgiven? - Part 1
by Jeanniene Lee
Matthew 18:21-35 (Amplified)
21 Then Peter came up to Him and said, Lord, how many times may my brother sin against me and I forgive him and let it go? [As many as] up to seven times?
22 Jesus answered him, I tell you, not up to seven times, but seventy times seven!
23 Therefore THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS LIKE [similar to] a human king who wished to settle accounts with his attendants.
24 When he began the accounting, one was brought to him who owed him 10,000 talents [probably about $10,000,000],
25 And because he COULD NOT PAY , his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and his children and everything that he possessed, and payment to be made.
26 So the attendant FELL ON HIS KNEES, begging him, Have patience with me and I will pay you everything.
27 And his master's HEART WAS MOVED WITH COMPASSION, and HE RELEASED HIM AND FORGAVE HIM [canceling] the debt.
28 But THAT SAME ATTENDANT [the one just forgiven of a debt it was impossible for him to pay], as he went out, found one of his fellow attendants who owed him a hundred denarii [about twenty dollars]; and he caught him by the throat and said, Pay what you owe!
29 So HIS FELLOW ATTENDANT FELL DOWN AND BEGGED HIM EARNESTLY, Give me time, and I will pay you all!
30 But HE WAS UNWILLING, and he went out and had him put in prison till he should pay the debt.
31 When his fellow attendants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and told everything that had taken place to their master.
32 Then his master called him and said to him, YOU CONTEMPTIBLE AND WICKED ATTENDANT! I FORGAVE AND CANCELLED ALL THAT [GREAT] DEBT OF YOURS because you begged me to.
33 AND SHOULD YOU NOT HAVE HAD PITY AND MERCY ON YOUR FELLOW ATTENDANT. AS I HAD PITY AND MERCY ON YOU?
34 And in wrath his master turned him over to the torturers (the jailers), till he should pay all that he owed.
35 SO ALSO MY HEAVENLY FATHER WILL DEAL WITH EVERY ONE OF YOU IF YOU DO NOT FREELY FORGIVE YOUR BROTHER FROM YOUR HEART HIS OFFENSES.

As I began to study the subject of "unforgiveness," God began to reveal to me through His Word about the SERIOUSNESS OF UNFORGIVENESS.

Unforgiveness affects EVERY AREA of your life and EVERY RELATIONSHIP in your life beginning, first, with your relationship with God.

Unforgiveness affects your fellowship with God, and when fellowship with God is stifled, the flow of God's life into your life is cut off! Where there is no life, death is present. Death is from the devil and separates us from God!

When you operate in unforgiveness as a Christian, it shuts off the flow of "God's life" into your life. When the "life flow of God" is cut off, death and destruction will begin to filter into every area of your life. Now we know that death and destruction comes from the devil (John 10:10)!

Unforgiveness will affect your mind and thoughts, robbing you of your peace; and, it will affect your physical body, robbing you of your health. Unforgiveness will take your very life, if undealt with, and will lead you to death and an early grave. UNFORGIVENESS' ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO SEPARATE YOU ETERNALLY FROM GOD!

When you choose to operate in unforgiveness, you have REJECTED operating according to the "kingdom of God." This implies you have chosen to reject operating according to "God's way of doing things and being right in doing them that way."

In turn, you have chosen rather to operate according to the ways of the devil - "the kingdom of satan," satan's way of doing things and "thinking" that it's right to do it that way.

Jesus came that we might have life and that we might have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows in every area of our lives and relationships); but, on the contrary, the thief (the devil) came to steal, kill and to destroy in every area of your life and in all your relationships (John 10:10, Amplified).

The devil came to rob you of life and give you death instead. The moment, the exact second, you open the door to unforgiveness, you activate "the force of satan" in your life which ultimately leads to death.

Unforgiveness opens the door to death and destruction which comes from the devil, AND it closes the door to life, and abundant life at that, which comes from God!

Where there was once peace, there is no peace. Where there was once open channels of communication, communication has decreased and in some cases stopped all together. Where there was once expressions and acts of love, there are acts of hatred, anger, resentment, bitterness, hostility, etc. Where there was once acceptance, there is rejection.

Unforgiveness opens the door to death and destruction in every area of your life and will ultimately affect every relationship in your life, beginning with your relationship with God and spreading to your relationship with others.

UNFORGIVENESS PUTS YOU, as the one holding unforgiveness in your heart toward someone else, IN PRISON! A spiritual prison! Jesus made it quite clear in the law of forgiveness (Matthew 18:21-35) that when you don't forgive, you open the door to spiritual bondage and imprisonment in your life. Not to mention, you open the door to "the tormentors" (the devil and his demonic hosts) to harass and torture you in every area!

Beloved, it's like you taking the key to a jail cell and unlocking it yourself, stepping inside, shutting yourself in and handing the key back outside the cell to the devil. You step into a spiritual prison! When a person is in prison, he can not get to others on the outside, and those on the outside can not get to him.

Unforgiveness hinders you from expressing love to others, and it hinders you from receiving love from others including God! Not only are you not willing to give love, but you are also not willing to receive love either!

When you are in a spiritual prison, due to operating in unforgiveness, it is impossible for God to get His life to you. You shut Him out through your unforgiveness until you repent and forgive! Also, until you choose to forgive that other person, you have shut God out from getting His flow of life to you in other areas of your life!

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.

To operate in unforgiveness is a choice. To not forgive someone is a choice. To be unforgiving is a choice. Beloved, operating in unforqiveness as a Christian is deadly!

If left unhandled and not dealt with, unforgiveness can ultimately lead to separation from God. Separation from peaceful communion and fellowship with God while upon this earth, and eternal separation from God after you die.

Yes, you heard me right, eternal separation from God after you die. Operating in unforgiveness is a very serious matter, and the Word of God makes it quite clear that unforgiveness towards others, makes it impossible for God to forgive us. Unforgiveness is more serious than you think!

You must choose to exercise the free will God has given you and forgive those who have hurt you! Beloved, you must choose to do it, and you must choose to do it today! Don't let another day pass! Haven't you been holding it long enough already?

Remember, it's the forgiveness of God extended to us which gives us access into a relationship and into fellowship with God in the first place. Further, it's the forgiveness of God extended to us which gives us the hope of eternal life, spending eternity with Him, after physical death occurs.

Remember, Jesus came that we might have life and that we might have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows in every area of our life and relationships); but, on the contrary, the thief (the devil) came to steal, kill and to destroy and this means in every area of your life and in all your relationships!

Satan's ultimate goal is to keep mankind from entering into a relationship with God. If he can not keep you from entering into a relationship with God and you do, satan's second goal is to keep you from living the abundant life Jesus purchased for you. Satan strives to drive you from that relationship with God and ultimately back into separation from God.

Through operating in unforgiveness, you are playing right into satan's plan of death and destruction for you. Remember, there are only two ways of doing things God's way and the devil's way. There are only two kingdoms "the kingdom of God" and "the kingdom of satan."

The "kingdom of God" is God's way of doing things and being right in doing them that way; and, the "kingdom of satan" is the way that seems to be right. It's satan's way of doing things and "thinking that they are the right way" when indeed they are wrong, wrong, wrong.

Proverbs 14:12
12 There is A WAY which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are THE WAYS OF DEATH.

When you choose to operate in unforgiveness, THE WAY WHICH SEEMS RIGHT, you have chosen to REJECT operating according to the "kingdom of God" - "God's way of doing things and being right in doing them that way." Throughout the Bible, we are told to forgive others as we have been forgiven! This is God's way!

When you are unforgiving, you have chosen rather to operate according to the ways of the devil "the kingdom of satan," - satan's way of doing things and "thinking" that it's right to do it that way.

"Well, they hurt me, I have a right not to forgive them." "She slept with my best friend, I can never forgive her for that!" "He raped me, I will never forgive him! He ruined my life." "You don't understand what they did to me, I can never forgive them for that!"

It is never right, no matter what has happened, to operate in unforqiveness!

Unforgiveness is a characteristic birthed in the heart of satan himself for the purpose of destroying your life. "The thief cometh not but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy..."(John 10:10a).

Unforgiveness is to operate in wickedness which comes from the wicked one. To think that it is right to operate in unforgiveness is "wicked thinking!"

This type of thinking is "twisted thinking." That is, thinking that something is right when in actuality, it is wrong. This type of thinking comes from the "wicked one" the devil.

"The word "wicked" comes from the same root word that we get the word "wicker" from. The word wicker as in "wicker furniture."  Wicker furniture is furniture that is made up of a bundle of fibers that are "twisted" together.

No matter how we try to justify it, unforgiveness is wrong and thinking that it's okay to operate in unforgiveness is "wicked (twisted) thinking."

When we think about all that God has forgiven us of, we should be quick to forgive everyone that does anything against or to us! Beloved, like the man who owed the great debt in Matthew 18:21-35, we COULD NOT PAY THE DEBT WE OWED FOR THE SIN WE HAD COMMITTED. It took Jesus Christ going to the cross and shedding His blood to pay the price for our sin and the sin of the whole world, a price that we could not pay in a lifetime.

After being forgiven of so great a debt (all of our sins), how can we justify not forgiving another human who owes us a small debt?

So, why haven't you forgiven those who have hurt and offended you? It's your choice! When you choose to forgive them, you will release yourself from the prison of bondage that you have allowed the devil to put you in. You will once again open the door back to God, and will begin to enjoy God's flow of abundant life in every area of your life.

John 10:10
10 The thief cometh not but for to steal, and to kill and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Open your heart and life again to God's abundant life! Don't delay another moment, you've done that long enough, FORGIVE TODAY! 

This message continues in Par 2.  Click this link  So, Why Haven't You Forgiven? -- Part 2


                                               
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