{"id":1271,"date":"2024-03-12T16:34:06","date_gmt":"2024-03-12T16:34:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.championforest.org\/articles\/?p=1271"},"modified":"2024-03-12T18:53:40","modified_gmt":"2024-03-12T18:53:40","slug":"the-life-changing-power-of-biblical-forgiveness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.championforest.org\/articles\/2024\/03\/12\/the-life-changing-power-of-biblical-forgiveness\/","title":{"rendered":"The Life-Changing Power of Biblical Forgiveness"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

May I ask you a personal question?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is there anyone in your life who has sinned against you (hurt, rejected, abused, betrayed you) whom you have never forgiven?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

God desires for us to experience a life that is full and overflowing with peace, joy, meaning, purpose, and contentment. Just hear these words from one of my favorite Scriptures, John 10:10: \u201cI [Jesus] have come that they might have life and have it to the full.\u201d Sadly, for many of us who claim to be followers of Christ, our lives are often characterized by anxiety, bitterness, discouragement, and fear. Having had the honor of spending thousands of hours in the counseling office helping people who are hurting, I\u2019ve noticed that most people who come for counseling indicate that they have at least one person in their life who has sinned against them and whom they have never forgiven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regarding forgiveness, I\u2019ve heard it said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive.  He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love.  There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us.  When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies (Dr. Martin Luther King).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. A happy marriage is the union of two good forgivers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.  Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as in Christ, God forgave you\u201d (Eph 4:31-32 (ESV).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    If we are to forgive others as God has forgiven us in Christ, then we are called to forgive completely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    So, what keeps us from forgiving those who have sinned against us?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    1. They don\u2019t deserve it.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. They haven\u2019t apologized.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    3. My negative feelings are so strong that I just can\u2019t.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    4. We don\u2019t fully understand biblical forgiveness.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      The Effects of Unforgiveness<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      In Hebrews 12:14-15 we read, \u201cMake every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy;  without holiness, no one will see the Lord.  See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      A bitter root harms us internally (it \u201ccauses trouble,” v. 15). <\/h5>\n\n\n\n

      One definition of \u201ctrouble\u201d is \u201cinner turmoil\u201d (anxiety, stress, anger, resentment, insomnia, depression, critical spirit, negativity).  Unforgiveness produces inner turmoil. Allowing a bitter root of unforgiveness to grow inside us is like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n