Forgiving Others

I've found that one of the great issues among Christians today is unforgiveness. Paul tells us to forgive as we have been forgiven. Jesus says in the model prayer to pray for the Father to forgive us as we forgive others. He said to not even give our offering until our heart was right with an offended brother. He gives a parable saying the kingdom is like and tells the story of a servant owing a massive debt and the king forgiving him. He then goes and shakes down and puts in jail a fellow servant for a very small debt. The king found out and threw him in jail turning him over to the torturers until the debt be paid. Many Christians are dealing with the torturers because they have not dealt with the unforgiveness in their heart. They have been entrapped by the enemy and they have lost their peace and short circuited their destiny.

The word offense is "skandalizo" in the Greek. We get our word scandal from this word. The noun that relates to this word actually means a bait stick. John Bevere wrote a book called The Bait of Satan in which he describes how the enemy uses offense to take Christians captive. I would recommend that book.  When we are offended we have a choice to receive God's grace to forgive or we can reject the grace of God and take the bait and the trap is sprung. Why do we allow hurt to keep us from God's best? The cross of Christ was both vertical and horizontal. Our forgiveness was purchased, and the enabling grace of God was extended that we might forgive others. Someone said that holding offense was like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.

Many people are offended with people that are close to them. This is especially true in marriages. Rather than truly forgiving they just stuff it and move on. Walls are gradually built and their spirit is shut down. If they keep stuffing stuff eventually they'll be overstuffed and will explode and quite often vitriol will spew out. Often times their health will be affected. Unresolved offense will result in a root of bitterness and it defiles everyone around them. It becomes increasingly destructive and the torturers are at work. We must truly forgive from our heart those who offended us.

I could go on and on about the necessity of forgiveness. It is the foundation of all deliverance; there is no freedom apart from it. I want to leave you with some practical application for ridding yourself of offense. I am not into formulas, but I have found these steps to be helpful. Remember that forgiveness is an act of the will. It is the blood of Jesus and washing with the water of the word that cleanses our conscience from dead works and renews the mind. Here are the steps of a forgiveness prayer:

1. Father, by an act of my will I choose to forgive _______________ for _______________ (Be Specific)
2. Father, I ask You to forgive me for the offense I have held toward _________________.
3. Father, I choose to forgive the debt I felt was owed to me and I release ______________ to you.
4. Father, I speak blessings over __________________ in Jesus name.

Take a red pen and line out the offense as you pray specifically through each one. That is just symbolic of it being covered by the blood of Jesus. Satan may try to remind you of the hurt for a season, but resist and dismiss. I hope this will be helpful to someone.
                            In His service,
                            Herb Dean