The Power of Forgiveness – Benny Shobo

The power to forgive anyone who has wronged us in anyway, is truly divine and when we forgive those who have hurt, betrayed, or wronged us in one or many ways, we are demonstrating the divine qualities and characteristics of God. The act of Forgiveness is not one to be undervalued or taken lightly because forgiveness is an attribute that sets us free from bitterness, guilt, hurts, illnesses, condemnation, and soul ties. Forgiveness is a choice and it requires us to arrive at a point in our lives where we consciously let go of all grievances and hurts, in spite of the other party or parties involved. Micah 7:18-19, “Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.

The power of forgiveness is truly seen through God the Father, and how quickly He forgives us when we sincerely repent from our sins. The speed at which God forgives us when we ask for His forgiveness, is truly one major reason why He is greatly feared. Psalm 130:4 , “But with You there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve You”. His divine act of forgiveness enables us to make the desired change in us, so that we are saved from sin and death.  The Bible reminds us that as Children of God, we must endeavour to do all we can to be more like Jesus, and this means that we ought to learn And cultivate the spirit of forgiveness too.

The power to forgive anyone who has wronged us in anyway, is truly divine and when we forgive those who have hurt, betrayed, or wronged us in one or many ways, we are demonstrating the divine qualities and characteristics of God. The act of Forgiveness is not one to be undervalued or taken lightly because forgiveness is an attribute that sets us free from bitterness, guilt, hurts, illnesses, condemnation, and soul ties. Forgiveness is a choice and it requires us to arrive at a point in our lives where we consciously let go of all grievances and hurts, in spite of the other party or parties involved. Micah 7:18-19, “Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea”.

The power of forgiveness is truly seen through God the Father, and how quickly He forgives us when we sincerely repent from our sins. The speed at which God forgives us when we ask for His forgiveness, is truly one major reason why He is greatly feared. Psalm 130:4, “But with You there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve You”. His divine act of forgiveness enables us to make the desired change in us, so that we are saved from sin and death.  The Bible reminds us that as Children of God, we must endeavour to do all we can to be more like Jesus, and this means that we ought to learn and cultivate the spirit of forgiveness too.

Forgiveness is very powerful to both the forgiver and the forgiven because it justifies the forgiver and causes the forgiven to see Jesus in the forgiver. It is not always easy to walk in the spirit of forgiveness, but we must understand that forgiveness brings great healing to both the forgiver and the forgiven. Jesus reminded us in the Bible, how we must forgive our brother, especially if he sins many times, but also ask for our forgiveness many times too. Matthew 18:21-22, “Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times”.

Forgiveness is the nature of God and He expects us His Children to remember that we too have sometime or the other sinned; but when we asked for His forgiveness in earnest, He forgave us completely and wholeheartedly. One amazing thing about God amongst many that makes me love Him so much is this: God does not throw our past sins to our face after He forgives us. Although we may have just committed a recent sin, God is ever so gracious, loving, kind and extremely good to us, especially when we truly repent from our sins.

A great example of the power of forgiveness is seen in Matthew 18:23-35, where the master forgave his servant who owed him a debt. However, when that servant who was forgiven by his master saw a fellow servant who also owed him a debt, he was very mean and unforgiving to his fellow servant. As a result, His master after hearing of his servant’s unrighteous act, punished him severely. Another good example is the story of the thief in Luke 23:39-43, who was crucified with Jesus on the cross. Immediately the thief asked Jesus to forgive him for his sins, he was truly forgiven, and he was saved from hell after he died. Lastly, we cannot forget how Joseph forgave his brothers after all the wrongs that they did to him in Genesis 37-50.

12 Reasons Why we must Forgive others

1. It is the will of God.
2. It pleases God greatly.
3. We demonstrate that we are Christ-like and are Children of God.
4. It justifies us before God, the devil and mankind.
5. It destroys the power and strongholds of the enemy over us.
6. It will win others to Jesus.
7. It creates great treasures for us in Heaven.
8. It eradicates hate and releases Agape love in us.
9. It will cause people to fear/respect us.
10. It will help us to grow positively spiritually, emotionally, mentally and physically.
11. We must understand that it is never between us and anyone, rather it is about God and us.
12. It allows us to live in divine peace and have great joy.

Praise God!