WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO FORGIVE OTHERS? (EPH. 4:31,32)
ALL OF US, AT SOME POINT, HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE ISSUE OF UNFORGIVENESS. WHEN WE ALLOW A BITTER SPIRIT TO LODGE OUR SOULS, WHERE IT GROWS AND FESTERS, IT BECOMES BOTH PAINFUL AND DESTRUCTIVE. UNFORGIVENESS LIES AT THE ROOT OF MANY PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL,AND PSYCHOLOGICAL AND SPIRITUAL PROBLEMS WE SEE TODAY.
THE APOSTLE PAUL WROTE, "LET ALL BITTERNESS, WRATH,ANGER,CLAMOR,AND EVIL SPEAKINGS BE PUT AWAY FROM YOU, WITH ALL MILACE. AND BE KIND TO ONA ANOTHER, TENDERHEATED, FORGIVING ONE ANOTHER, EVEN AS CHRIST FORGAVE YOU (EPH,. 4:31, 32). WHEN PAUL SPOKE OF BITTERNESS, WRATH ,ANGER,CLAMOR AND EVIL SPEAKING. HE WAS DESCRIBING THE UGLY MANIFESTATIONS OF THE "SPIRIT OF UNFORGIVENESS"
A SPIRIT OF UNFORGIVENESS GOES BEYOND TEMPORARY ANWILLINGNESS TO FORGIVE, THE PERIOD BETWEEN THE TIME A PERSON GETS HURT AND THE TIME HE FORGIVES THE ONE WHO HURT HIM. A SPIRIT OF UNFORGIVENESS DEVELOPS WHEN THE ONE HURT CHOOSES TO REMAIN IN THE UNFORGIVING STATE.
PEOPLE WHO DEVELOP THIS NASTY SPIRIT OFTEN SAY " I JUST DONT THINK I COULD EVER FORGIVE THAT." THEY MAKE THE STATEMENT WHEN THEY FEEL THEY HAVE BEEN TREATED IN SUCH AN UNJUST,UNFAIR,HARMFUL WAY THAT THEY SIMPLY CANT LET GO OF THE PAIN.
WE ARE ALL GOING TO BE HURT, ARE HURTING NOE, OR ARE GOING TO BE HURT BY SOMEBODY. THE ONLY WAY WE CAN INSULATE OURSELVES AGAINST BEING HURT IS TO COMPLETELY REMOVE OURSELVES FROM THE POSSIBILITY OF LOVE. TO RISK LOVE IS TO RISK HURT.
HURT IS UNAVOIDABLE, BUT WE CAN DEAL WITH HURT. NO PAIN IS TO DEEP OR TO WIDESPREAD TO LIE BEYOND THE POWER OF GODS FORGIVENESS,WORKING IN AND THROUGH US. UNFORGIVENESS IS A CHOICE WE MAKE WITH THE WILL- AND ITS A DEVASTATINGY BAD CHOICE, NOT ONLY FOR THE CAUSE OF CHRIST, BUT ALSO FOR THE ONE WHO REFUSES TO FORGIVE.
WE SHOULDNT FORGET THAT IT WAS LOVING SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST, WHO ENDED A STORY ON THE NECESSICITYOF FORGIVNESS WITH THESE WORDS: '' AND HIS MASTER WAS ANGRY, AND DELIVERD HIM TO THE TORTURES UNTILL HE SHOULD PAY ALL THAT WAS DUE TO HIM. SO MY HEAVENLY FATHER ALSO WILL DO TO YOU IF EACH OF YOU, FROM HIS HEART, DOES NOT FORGIVE HIS BROTHE HIS TRESPASSES" (MATT. 18:34,35)