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Scripturally Based Answers For life's Questions
Answer—Forgiveness
Why is forgiveness, which God extends freely, seem to be so difficult to attain? Why are so many people full of guilt and seemingly no way to get rid of it? What are the keys to being forgiven?
Firstly, here are some things that forgiveness does.
There is a story in the Bible recorded to illustrate the power of forgiveness. There was a man sick, a paralytic, that was stretched out in a bed without the ability to function at all - Paralysis is a nerve disease that takes away all ability to function, just like sin affects the soul. His friends brought the man to Jesus, and Jesus spoke forgiveness, first, and then also healing to the sick man.
Click-Mark 2:3-11 After the skeptical Jewish leaders questioned Jesus about just declaring forgiveness to this sick person, Jesus challenged them. He wanted people to understand the, like healing sets a person free from the disability of sickness, forgiveness frees a person from the debilitating bondage of sin.
Forgiveness to the soul is like a miraculous healing to the body; it frees and enables a person to walk away from sin and evil, and function as a child and servant of God.
The primary focus of forgiveness is to remove the offense that stands, first between us and God and then between us and another person. Often, people won’t talk to each other because of forgiveness, and when one tries to break that silence, the one that has forgiveness in his hear t won’t listen. It is like that between us and God - when we are guilty, or when we do not forgive there is tension between us and God, and the fellowship is lost, and the relationship is damaged, Then, when forgiveness takes place, there is restoration of the relationship.
Sin drives us from God without the ability to return, but forgiveness brings us back to Him. Forgiveness unites us with God and with each other. Click-Colossians 2:13
How to obtain forgiveness
In Luke chapter 17 Jesus was teaching about forgiveness. Not only did He encourage people to forgive others, but that repentance must precede forgiveness.
This speaks about one person forgiving the other, but it is same with God, repentance has to precede forgiveness.
Click-Luke 24:47 Another verse in Luke declares this plainly,
Many people seek forgiveness solely to clear their conscience of guilt, but not with the intent to forsake the sin itself. Seeking forgiveness with this intent will not produce authentic forgiveness. Repentance is simply seeking forgiveness with the intent to not continue in the sin.
Click-I John 1:5-10 To confess simply means to bring into the light;
This passage from 1 John describes this point very well:
The context in this passage describes confession well. God is light, and when we seek forgiveness from Him, we bring the sin into the light for it to be fully exposed. As long as we seek to hide, or deny what we have done, there is no forgiveness. If, however, we are willing to confess it before God openly, then He will show His faithfulness. He will not only remove the guilt, but fully restore the person to His righteousness.
To receive forgiveness from the Lord, it is important we forgive those who have hurt us in any way. This is putting the truth of forgiveness into practice. Unforgiven always blocks communication and connection.
Part of the sample prayer the Lord Jesus gave to His disciples, and to all who want to follow Him, are these verses that speak to the topic of Forgiveness.
In Matthew 18:21-34 Is a parable of the person that was seeking forgiveness, but was not willing to forgive those who had wronged him, in the following verse Jesus gives the conclusion to this significant teaching.
When we come to God to ask for forgiveness, but we are not willing to forgive those who have wronged us, we simply will not receive forgiveness ourselves. Recognizing God s truth about forgiveness and accepting His way into our hearts will give us that deep and liberating freedom of forgiveness.
It liberates
It restores
It unites
Repentance
Confession
Practice
