All of us have a serious spiritual problem and it is called sin. All of us have a deep indebtedness because of our sin!
Our pockets are empty while our debt is millions. We don't need salary; we need a gift! We don't need swimming lessons; we need a lifeguard! We don't need a place to work; we need someone to work in our place! AND THAT SOMEONE IS JESUS CHRIST!"
Forgiveness is the most basic Christian quantity. Without forgiveness, we would not have Christianity as we know it. Without forgiveness, we would all be doomed to hell, condemned sinners without hope of any kind. Knowing this, a proper understanding of forgiveness will transform our relationship with God, with others and with ourselves.
The meaning of the word "forgiveness" is: to dismiss, to release, to leave or abandon. We hear of a judge that has " dismissed" the charges against a defendant. That person is then forgiven of any wrong doing. We also hear of a person that is released from an obligation, such as a loan or debt. That person is then forgiven. The word forgiveness also has the meaning to restore someone back to their original condition.
Forgiveness is a characteristic of God. Forgiveness is a gift and privilege from God. And because we are beneficiaries of this privilege, responsibility is place upon us to also forgive others as we too have been forgiven. But, truth be told, forgiving people can be one of the toughest things that Christ commands us to do, but it is something that we are commanded to do all the same.
Unforgiveness is an internal standpoint hurting the wounded more than the wrongdoer. The offender may carry on with life whereas the injured person clutches to new pain with the memory of the transgression. Those negative memories and feelings bring repeated sufferings.
Some wrongs seem unforgivable because they are unforgettable. But forgiving does not equal forgetting. FORGIVENESS is purely the waiving of our right to penalize. Forgiveness is forgetting that you should blame or punish the one who hurt you.
NOTE: Forgiveness does not vindicate an offense. It is forgiveness that releases us from the offense. A forgiver quits shouldering the burden of injustice, and receives in that place freedom and eventual healing.
As we release the right to revenge, blessings and opportunity flood into our lives because grudges are dams that hold back liberation. Once that dam is broken renewal begins straightaway. So dear friends," possessing an unforgiving spirit can lead to disastrous consequences".