God’s Purposes for Forgiveness
Sometimes, we feel as if God is being unfair when he commands us to forgive those who have betrayed and wounded us. We feel as if he wants to give our adversary a free pass while we are left to reap what they sowed into our lives. The truth that we need to cling to is that God has a father’s heart for us and his commands always lead us to the greater blessing. He is also a just God, who will inevitably deal with the wrongs and inequities of this world (see Psalm 73). As we wrap up this series, I want to focus on God’s true purposes for forgiveness so that we might br more willing to surrender to his commands.
- He wants to develop the heart of Christ in us so that we are free to give love and receive love. Unforgiveness tends to close the door to love as we learn to distrust everyone and close our hearts to them…even those who have never hurt us. He forgiving heart gives no room to then devil.
2. Forgiveness minimizes our pain and releases us from that past..We do not have to relive a hurtful moment over and over in order to keep our anger alive.
3. It frees us from the past. Our thoughts are not anchored in the past on our woundedness, so we can focus on our future with hope. Unforgiveness takes emotional energy. It drains us as we continue to reflect on our pain and those who hurt us. We often make decisions based on how the hurtful person might react to what we do rather than on the basis of what is best for us or our family. Unforgiveness continues to give the perpetrator power over our lives. We organize our lives around what they did, what they might do again, or what we might do to them.
Too often, we become the thing we hate because we become what we focus on in life. Forgiveness sets us free from that trap. It frees us from the one who has hurt us. When we forgive, our obsession with that person diminishes. We no longer make decisions based on how he/she might respond or how it might affect that person. Instead, we can make decisions based on what is best for us and those we love and what pleases God.
4. Forgiveness keeps us from poisoning our own well as our anger, distrust, and bitterness will inevitably spill over onto the ones we love, damaging our current relationships.
5. Forgiveness allows us to look at ourselves and the hurtful situation objectively so that we may learn and grow. In nearly every situation, we made contributions to the problem. We all know people who move from relationship to relationship, never recognizing the pattern in their own life that keeps wrecking relationships. As they blame others for their failings, they will never grow though those issues and will never truly find the relationship they long for.
6. Forgiveness creates the possibility that the relationship may be reconciled and that it might be a blessing in the future. We are all imperfect and will inevitably fall short in out relationships. Forgiveness allows the relationship to continue and grow and even become stronger in many cases.
7. Forgiveness fosters love.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. (1 Cor. 13:4-8)
Take note of the phrase, “keeps no record of wrongs.” That is forgiveness. The idea is that we don’t keep an accounting of every failing and don’t assign a payment to each disappointment. If we keep an account, we will either rehearse the bad moments so often that we loose sight of any positive qualities in the person or relationships and will garner an attitude that wants the other to pay up on the perceived wrongs. That will eventually destroy a relationship. In addition, it will discourage the other person who may be working hard to grow and change because they will sense that whatever they do will never be enough.
8. Forgiveness keeps God’s forgiveness available to us. God wants to be merciful but he is also just. Our unforgiveness allows Satan to bring that charge against us in the courts of heaven so that God cannot simply dismiss our unforgiveness. Our decision to forgive allows God to extend his grace as he desires, Until we forgive, the Judge cannot justly dismiss the charge.
9. Forgiveness prevents Satan from establishing footholds and strongholds in our hearts and in our children’s heart .
“In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. (Eph 4:26-28)
For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.” (Acts 8:23)
See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. (Heb 12:15-16)
For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Cor. 10:3-6)
Satan desires to establish a foothold or stronghold in our hearts so that they become poisoned with bitterness, anger, and resentment. Forgiveness closes the door to the enemy and again allows us to give love and receive love as God desires.
10. Forgiveness allows God to fulfill his role as Judge toward those who have wronged us and takes us out of that risky position.
Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. (Rom 12:19)
Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. ( Matt 7:1-2)
Ultimately, we need to trust that the commands of the Father are always in our best interest even if it sometimes seems counterintuitive. He wants to bless his children and have them walk in freedom. Because we live in a fallen world filled with broken people, we will have multiple opportunities to forgive. It will always bless you and those you love to submit to the Father and imitate the Son to do so.
