God Gives Freedom
As I watched a television show recently, one of the scenes stirred my thoughts. A man who had committed a terrible crime was behind bars in prison and the person standing outside the bars was the victim. This victim’s life would never be the same and it was clear that his heart was full of hate. Glad that the criminal was behind bars, he taunted him as he stood outside the prison cell. Then, in a calm voice, the prisoner said to him, “You will always be my prisoner.”
There is a prison that we willingly enter – the prison of unforgiveness. It is a place of unrest, turmoil, bitterness and despair and Satan declares, “You will always be my prisoner.” Held hostage by an unwillingness to forgive those who sin against us, we face being subject to sin ourselves. Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Church, put it this way. “Unforgiveness is choosing to love hate. It produces bitterness, anger, rage, anxiety, and depression. Simply put, it is sin. Instead, we must forgive.”
Jesus taught His disciples about forgiveness. He included in the Lord’s prayer, “…and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.” He continues in Matthew 6:14-15 (NLT) “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.” Although our forgiveness is based upon the shed blood of Jesus Christ, we must confess the sin of unforgiveness so that we can be forgiven. Until we do, we will find ourselves in that dreaded place, the prison of unforgiveness.
Although the chains of unforgiveness confine us, there is hope for freedom. It starts with repentance. You may ask, “Why must I repent? I am not the one who sinned.” We read in Romans 2:2 (NLT) “ Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.” The key that unlocks the door of the prison of unforgiveness requires a choice. “That means you must not give sin a vote in the way you conduct your lives. Don’t give it the time of day. Don’t even run little errands that are connected with that old way of life. Throw yourselves wholeheartedly and full-time—remember, you’ve been raised from the dead!—into God’s way of doing things. Sin can’t tell you how to live. After all, you’re not living under that old tyranny any longer. You’re living in the freedom of God.” Romans 6:12-14 (MSG) God is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness and truth, and forgiving of sin. That is our God. He forgives. We must choose to follow His example.
Because of His love and His mercy, God did not dwell on our sin, but set in place a plan for our forgiveness. Through the blood of Jesus Christ, we are no longer prisoners of sin. He has set us free. We must offer to others what God has offered to us – forgiveness. When we forgive, God gives Freedom, setting us free from the prison of unforgiveness.
So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. Ephesians 1:6-7(NLT)
Carol, I have found when we move toward forgiveness, God enables us to complete it. God’s grace is sufficient always.
Powerful reminder that we should not hold on to hate/unforgiveness, but to forgive as God has forgiven us.
Wonderful post on forgiveness!