"The POWER of FORGIVENESS!"

In the Greek language the word "forgiveness" is translated, "aphesis" or "freedom" and represents the utmost of maturity and integrity in a Believer. I am by no means saying it is easy to forgive, but it is absolutely necessary to do so. Our ability to forgive is rooted and grounded in God's ability to forgive us (Psalms 103:12).

Carrying the anger and weight of unforgiveness will reduce the host to a shadow of him or herself replaying the video of the hurt over and over again in their minds. The mental images quicken our mortal bodies whereby we re-live the episodes that kindle and activate our most base instincts and responses to our transgressors. In short, the images make you mad as hell!

What would you do to the person who wronged you if you could get away with it? Would your retaliation involve physical harm, slander, defamation of character or worse? How did you feel after you "got even?" Was God pleased with your response? Did you or your transgressor feel the spirit of freedom after your encounter?

The course of action for the Believer is simply to forgive them (Luke 15:11-32). The Lord God even declares that we should LOVE them! Are you kidding? How do we do that? In order to be healed and delivered from the stench of your wrath, you must forgive AND forget. The ability to love them can only come from the love of Christ through the presence of the Holy Spirit. Your heart of stone is transformed into a heart of flesh.

As God forgave us our many transgressions, so to must we forgive others. Just think what we would look like without the ability and the desire to forgive one another.

The conclusion of the matter is this; true forgiveness must involve "forgetting" in order to be authentic and effective. If  you say to your transgressor, "I forgive you, but I won't forget what you have done," that is not true forgiveness. 

Forgiving someone starts the process of healing and forgetting what they did cancels their debt entirely! Selah...