FORGIVENESS

Greetings in the name of Jesus. In introducing the above subject of forgiveness, I want to mention that because of many people who are offended and hurt , due to different offenses in life, some people are failing to forgive and forget. Forgiveness is very crucial and important in our spiritual journey. Unforgiveness is usually triggered by an offense which causes anger and bitterness.

The Bible says, " Be ye angry and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wraths neither give place to the devil. ( Ephesians 4vs26-27).

It is necessary that we break the cycle of offense, which causes unforgiveness and bitterness.
Many marriages, homes, families and churches have been divided because of offense. Sadly, this cycle continues because the offended person rarely realizes that they are the problem.
Unforgiveness is often triggered by an offense, anger and bitterness, leading many people to have scars in their hearts and fail to forgive and forget.

We should avoid corrupt communication which provokes anger, and whatever comes out of our mouths must be edifying and building one another. ( Ephesians 4vs29).
Let us not grieve the Holy Spirit by our corrupt communication and anger ( Ephesians 30).
" Let all bitterness and wrath and anger, and clamour and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice. and be kind one to another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you" ( Ephesians 4vs31-32).

Jesus said in Matthew 18vs7, that offenses will come. The issue is not whether  or not offenses will come, but how we handle them. To hold onto an offense brings unforgiveness, pain division and destruction. Releasing the offense and " letting it go" will bring peace and unity. God's plan for the believer is to live offense -free.

We need to be liberated from the fear of hurt and allow ourselves to enjoy the blessings of God.   Learn how you can be released from the cycle of offense. Try to accept rebuke, correction and advice, in order to develop the fruits of the spirit, that will enable you to forgive yourself first and other people. ( 2 Timothy 3vs 16, Galatians 5vs22-23).

To understand how to deal with the spirit of offense and break the cycle of offense you must know:
> How to deal with offense people.

>Offense keeps us from fulfilling God's plan in our lives.

>Offense carries serious repercussions that affect every aspect of our lives.

>Reasons why we get offended.

>How to release offense.

>How to keep from being offended.

It is important to know that offended people are everywhere - they are not only in the world, they are also in the church. No matter where you go in life, you can meet someone who is upset and offended.
Because offense is such a widespread problem, Satan uses it as a tool to detour or derail believers from what God has called them to do. Many people have destroyed their families, relationships, plans and visions because of unforgiveness that was caused by offense and anger.

The Greek word used for offense in the New Testament is "Skandalon" which can be translated "bait stick".
Offense is Satan's bait stick that allows him to destroy your life.
As long as you are determined to the offense, your freedom will escape you. While you desperately cling to the bait, the devil effortlessly moves in with death and destruction.

The devil will instil fear and hurt in you, bitterness which leads to stress, fatigue, high blood pressure, hypertension and sugar diabetes. This is the bait that is destroying many people.

As I continue with the subject of forgiveness, I want to define what forgiveness is about?

What is the definition for forgiveness?

Answer:-

The definition of forgiveness could be -giving up my right to hurt you, for hurting me. It is impossible to live on this earth planet without getting hurt, offended, misunderstood, lied to, and rejected.

Learning how to respond properly is one of the basics of the Christian life. The word forgive means to wipe the state clean, to pardon, to cancel a debt. ( Colossians 2vs13-14).

When we wrong someone, we seek his or her forgiveness in order for the relationship to be restored.
It is important to remember that forgiveness is not granted because a person deserves to be forgiven. Instead, it is an act of love, mercy, and grace. If you love someone you will forgive and show mercy and compassion towards one another. ( 1 John 4vs7-18).

How we act towards that person may change. It doesn't mean we will put ourselves back into a harmful situation or that we suddenly accept or approve of the person's continued wrong behaviour. It simply means we release them from the wrong they committed against us.

We forgive them because God forgave us (Ephesians 4vs31-32, Romans 5vs8). What does God say about forgiveness?
The Bible gives much instruction when it comes  to forgiveness,
We forgive because we have been forgiven by God ( Isaiah 43vs25, Ephesians 4vs32). We forgive in obedience to God (Matthew 6vs14-15, Romans 12vs14-18).

We forgive others to gain control of our lives from hurt emotions ( Genesis 4vs 1-8, Genesis 45vs1-8). If you haven't forgiven you do not have full control of your life. The person who offended you will control your life, peace, joy and freedom. We forgive so that we won't become bitter and defile those around us ( Hebrews 12vs 14-15).

What if I feel like forgiving others?

There are times we do not feel like forgiving those who have wronged us. It is easier to act our way into feeling than to feel our way into acting. Having a nature of not forgiving others brings about bitterness and bitterness has been linked to stress -related illnesses by some medical researchers. Some of the diseases caused by unforgiveness are high blood pressure and hypertension, stress and depression, as I mentioned earlier on.

Remember, depression are thinking thoughts that can weigh you out and destroy your health and ego. By forgiving others, we free ourselves spiritually and emotionally.

Forgiveness is an act of our own personal will in obedience and submission, to God's will trusting God to bring emotional healing. ( Proverbs 22:4, Hebrews 4vs16).

How can I help those struggling with forgiveness?

People who have experienced abuse, trauma or loss need time to sort things out and let God bring them to the place of forgiveness in His time. God's timing is always the right time for each individual.
The act of forgiving others is between us and God. The only time we need to forgive a person face to face is at the moment we are asked by that person to forgive them for hurt they have caused.( Matthew 18vs25-35; Psalm 43vs25).

There are things we can do to help those struggling with forgiveness of others. We can support them with encouraging words and listening to them. Taking our time and being gentle with them will allow them to progress through the steps of forgiveness the way God wants them to proceed.
The devil wants to steal your joy and peace, he wants to destroy your vision and future plans, he wants to kill your opportunities, and kill all your hope and purpose for life. ( John 10vs10).

Remember, Satan has no new strategies - he uses the same old tactics to prevent Christians from producing fruit. And because offense prevents God from moving freely in your life, it has become one of Satan's most effective strategies. Whether you realize it or not, hurt and offense are designed specifically to prevent the Holy Spirit from bringing God's blessing in your life ( 2 Corinthians 2vs 11-18, Isaiah 59vs 1-4, 19.

Offense stops the blessing of God. Jesus expressed the benefit of remaining unaffected by offense in order to receive our breakthrough and worship the Lord freely. ( Matthew 11vs4-6).

Offense comes with a purpose and a number of objectives. The devil will bring offense in order to destroy you, your anointing, your marriage, your family, your finances, and your friendships.
Another reason offense comes is to disrupt your communion with God.

Mark 11vs25 says, " And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses".

This verse clearly reveals the connection between forgiving others and being forgiven by
God. Offense will not only produce a barrier between you and God which hinders your prayer life, it will keep you in a constant state of being upset towards the person who has offended you.

Many times, the person with whom you are angry doesn't even realize that they have done something to hurt you. So while you are being eaten up with hurt and unforgiveness, they remain care-free. However, the issue is not whether the hurt was intentional or not, what matters instead is that unforgiveness and offense are not allowed to take root in your life.

The third reason the devil brings offense into your life is to steal the word of God that has been sown in your heart. ( Mark 4vs14-17). After the word of God has been sown in your heart, the devil will immediately bring trials, tribulations, and persecution for one purpose, to steal the word of God before it takes root.

The Greek word "Skandalizo" is not only translated "offend," but also "stumble". That means when someone is offended, there is a stumbling block in their path, prohibiting any advancement.
Although these people receive the word with gladness, they have no root in themselves, (Mark 6vs2-5, Matthew 7vs11).

Unforgiveness is one of the many reasons for offense,  - such as being oversensitive - People who are overly sensitive are easily offended-making everyone nearly feel like they must walk on egg shells, there is also unrealistic expectations -Another person who is easily offended is one with a root of bitterness - falling victim to unrealistic or unfulfilled expectations.

Rebellion -Someone with a spirit of rebellion , who refuses to submit to any form of biblical correction or authority, can succumb to offense. There is also the critical spirit - still, others harbour a critical spirit -finding fault with everyone and everything.

Most people who refuse to forgive or even release the offense, have so much pride that they don't truthfully see themselves.
We need to keep our hearts clean from offense, so that we can serve the Lord freely and joyfully.
( Proverbs 4vs23, Jeremiah 17vs9-10, Psalm 51vs10-17).

A person who keeps an offense in their heart is in prison and lives in a cage because of unforgiveness. Such a person has no freedom and peace.

Let us forgive and forget, as the Lord forgave us and does not remember our past ( Colossians 2vs12-14, Isaiah 43vs25).

In conclusion, I pray that the Holy Spirit, may help us to release everything from our hearts, which may be hindering our prayer life right now, in the name of Jesus - Amen!


May God richly bless you all !!



Evangelist Fanuel Masikati
Divinerevelations7@gmail.com
Cell:263778495363




























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