This week we witnessed the widow of Charlie Kirk publicly forgive the man who assassinated  

her husband.  Forgiving one who has betrayed you, wounded you, taken life from you, stolen from you, slandered you, etc.  is one of the most defining aspects of our faith and, sometimes, one of the most difficult to live out.

However, for us, forgiveness is an imperative.  It is not optional.  Jesus clearly stated in several places that if we do not forgive those who sin against us, God will not forgive our sins against Him.  I am uncertain if you can cross the threshold of heaven if there are any sins on your ledger not blotted out by the blood of Christ, but I think not and the question highlights what a serious issue unforgiveness is.  I am certain that unforgiven sins give Satan access to believers because unforgiven sins give him a legal right to afflict us. As we have ministered deliverance through the years, we have often seen demons refuse to leave until the person to whom we were ministering had forgiven someone who had dealt them a great deal of pain.

So, in light of Ericka Kirk’s decision to forgive, I want to remind us of the necessity of us doing the same as needed.  One thing was clear when Ericka forgave her husband’s killer…it was a decision of the will not a decision of the heart.  That is always the first step.  In the same way that we don’t have to always like someone to love them, wd don’t have to feel warm and accepting of another person in order to forgive them.

Let’s explore that thought briefly.  First of all, we are commanded to forgive those who have wronged us.  We cannot command our emotions but we can command our will.  First of all, forgiveness is a decision to let Jesus be the judge of the other person.  We let him decide if they should be punished and how.  Biblical forgiveness, initially, is a decision to release the judgment to God and to no longer act in ways to make the other person pay for what they did. Jesus often framed the act of forgiveness as a willingness to release another person from a financial debt they owed.  The debt was real and sometimes extensive, but in his parables, they simply no longer required payment for the hurt that was done. 

In the human context, we usually try to make the one who wronged us pay through our angry outbursts, by withholding loving behaviors, by our constant reminders to them of their past failure, by our subtle slander of them as we try to undermine their relationships with other people, our silence and a cold shoulder, or simply by ending the relationship. In our own way, we decide to settle the score by making them pay for what they did.

Satan helps us justify our anger and our revenge.  We don’t forgive because they “don’t deserve it.”  We don’t forgive because they haven’t adequately repented and begged for our forgiveness. We don’t forgive because our anger makes us feel powerful and righteous or we believe it keeps us from being hurt again. But Jesus forgave when no one asked and forgave before he had seen repentance.

Forgiveness requires faith.  We must believe that God and wisdom will protect us from further hurt, that God will see justice done if that is needed, and that he will heal the hurts we believe only revenge can heal.  The first step then is to declare that our betrayer is forgiven and to choose to no longer act in any way designed to make them pay.

The second step is also an act of the will.  In Luke 6, Jesus tells us to love our enemies which consists of doing good to those who hate you, blessing those who curse you, and praying for those who mistreat you (Luke 6:27-28). You do it, even when your flesh pushes back.  The blessing comes to you because the act of forgiveness and the act of loving your enemies brings 
God’s blessing as you take the high road, even though your enemy takes the low road.  It keeps anger, bitterness and a victim mentality from taking root in your heart. It keeps the door of your life closed to the devil and anger and bitterness from sloshing over into the other relationships in your life.  The very act of praying for them eventually shifts your view and your emotions. You may have to ask God to soften your heart or give you strength to pray for things your flesh rebels against.  But keep it up.  Be obedient.  Your heart will change so you no longer want revenge but truly want the best for someone who once hurt you.  Then you will be truly free of that person.

Your forgiveness keeps those who wounded you from continuing to have power in your life.  To keep the anger fueled, you have to replay the wrong they did to you over and over…each time tearing the scab off the wound so it never heals.  You end up making decisions on the basis of how they will impact your enemy rather than on the basis of what is best for you.  You indirectly continue to give them power in your life. 

When God calls us to forgive, it is our response to the immense grace God gave us through the sacrifice of his own son.  We forgive, not because the perpetrator deserves it, but because Jesus deserves it.  It is also a call to bring us freedom, healing, and wholeness is our lives.  Jesus never asks us to do anything that does not bring a blessing through our obedience. 

Let me say, forgiveness does not require letting hurtful people continue to hurt us or to keep putting ourselves or our children in harm’ s way. We can love from a distance and forgive from a distance if needed and we can set healthy boundaries.  Forgiveness is required but reconciliation is conditional. 

So, at this time, in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s death we can hate or love, seek vengeance or forgive, slander all those across the aisle from us politically or we can live out a witness to the reality of Jesus and the grace he has brought to our lives.  

Let me encourage each of us to forgive every hurt and be blessed.

We have all heard the phrase “speaking truth to power.” Historically, we know that carries great risk.  John the Baptist was beheaded because he confronted Herod about his immoral lifestyle.  Jesus was crucified at the insistence of the Jewish Sanhedrin for speaking truth to them about their legalism and hypocrisy.  Charlie Kirk was assassinated for speaking conservative and biblical truth to our culture. 

Speaking to his own unbelieving brothers, Jesus declared. “The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that its works are evil” (Jn. 7:7). He went on to tell his disciples, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you” (Jn. 15:18-19).

We cannot be surprised that there are many who apparently hated Charlie Kirk. Obviously, the man who killed Kirk hated him, but also those who celebrated his death on social media and other venues.  I read The Days of His Presence by Francis Frangipane several years ago about the end times.  He made a statement that has stuck with me.  I’m paraphrasing, but he said something to the effect that, in the end times, everyone on earth will be fully possessed…either by God or by Satan.  I think we are seeing that.

What we are witnessing is not just a political struggle, but a spiritual struggle for the soul of this nation and, in fact, the world.  If you have seen the irrational rage that seems to possess a number of people who hated Kirk and his message, you might automatically sense the demonic realm at work.  If you look beyond the United States, you will see that the number of Christians being killed world-wide now is the highest number in any period in history.  We should not be surprised if this continues.

This is not a statement of capitulation in which we simply accept the idea that Satan will win until Jesus comes.  Jesus said the gates of hell will not prevail against his church.  We still have our assignment to preach the gospel, make disciples, and redeem cultures.  And, in fact, we are seeing the pendulum swing in that direction in America.  We need to ride that wave as long as God sustains it…which could be for a generation or more.  I am saying, however, that as we take back territory that has been given to the enemy in this nation, while the church often sat on the side lines, we should expect fierce, irrational, and sometimes violent opposition from those that are enemies of the cross, of life, of this nation, and of God’s truth.

Charlie Kirk has become an inspiration to many and I am glad for that.  However, as we honor him, we need to remember that Jesus is our Savior and our ultimate inspiration.  If we make any man a cult hero of Christianity, we have missed the mark and altered the gospel that Charlie passionately preached.  On the other hand, martyrs for the faith have fueled the faith of others for centuries and encouraged them to stand and face the fury of the devil in their own lives…so we should honor all those who have suffered for the cross.

Satan wants to silence those who speak God’s truth and he wants to further divide this nation.  Our response must be to continue to speak God’s truth in love, love our enemies, pray for them, and overcome evil with good. We are to be salt and light in the world. Love, prayer and doing good, even to our enemies, will be our weapons and our testimony to the reality of Jesus.  We are not to withdraw from the public square because to do so prevents us from being the leaven for righteousness that is our assignment.  But our words must not only reflect the truth of Jesus, but also his Spirit. God will deal with those who persecute his people.

There has been a meme on Facebook that says a great deal.  It pictures the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s death with people in numerous circles standing arm in arm in prayer.  Below that picture is a picture of the aftermath of George Floyd’s death, which was burning neighborhoods to the ground and looting stores.  We want to be part of the top picture.

As we see the move of God across this nation, our prayers should fuel what heaven is doing.  The assassination of Charlie Kirk has added focus and energy to this move of God.  This is a window of opportunity to redeem this nation once again.  May we, along with many others, be bold and passionate as we stand for Jesus and confess him before men.