We invest one more day looking at what it really means to be loved by God. And today we shall focus on His unconditional forgiveness.

Last week a brother of mine had some issues with his health. And when he got to a pharmacist, he was diagnosed of typhoid and malaria fever. He was given appropriate medication, and by the next day, the guy was on his feet again. Praise God!

However, the most interesting part of his story is that, when a certain pastor, who felt that the guy had disrespected her (even though the guy in question didn’t even know he had wronged her!) heard about his health challenge, she said that the young man was sick because he had disrespected her.

Have you ever had a challenge, and felt like that’s God getting even with you?
I used to be that way. That’s more because of the kinds of preachings I had received back then. I always interpreted problems as God trying to get back at me. But nothing could be farther from the truth!

That’s such a wrong misrepresentation of who God really is. God is intrinsically good. He is endlessly merciful; infinitely compassionate; eternally forgiving. And He never deals with us according to our wrongs. No, He doesn’t!
The Psalmist said,
“he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.”
(Psalm 103:10, NIV)

Rather, God treats us with infinite compassion. If He keeps a grudge against us or repays us according to our sins, He will be contradicting His nature and His Word.

His Word says,
“I, even I, am He Who blots out and cancels your transgressions, for My own sake, and I will not remember your sins.”
(Isaiah 43:25, AMP)

God has forever forgiven you of your sins and He has absolved you from all your guilt, if you are in Christ. Hear what His Word says,

“As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.”
(Psalm 103:12, AMP)

Not only has God forgiven you, He has also, eternally separated you from your sins, never to be united ever again.
That’s a Hallelujah right there!

God never calls your sins to remembrance. No, He never does!
As powerful and as all-knowing as God is, He has chosen to forget all our wrongs once forgiven. He never keeps a record of what His mercy has forgiven. If you’re in Christ, this is your reality. Fear no more!

This is the truth about God. Study along these lines. Fill up your minds with these truth until they supplant every lie of the devil in your subconscious mind.

When God says I love you, He means that He has forever forgiven you, and will never keep a grudge against you.

Have you ever been hurt by someone so close to you?
And that got you wondering if their love was for real?
Or have you ever hurt someone special to your heart, and that got you wondering if they would still believe your love for them?
Offenses put a question mark on our love and commitment. And until they’re resolved, that silent question may remain in our minds for long, and affect our friendship and deep sense of love.

Restoration of pure love is a deep desire in every heart. Until we believe we are forgiven, we will not believe we are still loved. And that can stand in the way of our relationship, and affect our sense of security.

This also applies in our relationship with God. We all have sinned and come short of His glory. And that separated us from Him. However, He sent His Son to come and give His life for our sins. And reconcile us back to God. Apostle Paul tells us that Christ has lavishly forgiven us:
“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace”
(Ephesians 1:7, ESV)

Christ has already forgiven your sins – past, present and future. He is not holding anything against you any longer. He isnt imputing your sins against you. No!
“It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself, not counting up and holding against [men] their trespasses [but cancelling them], and committing to us the message of reconciliation (of the restoration to favor).”
(2 Corinthians 5:19, AMP)

Not only has God forgiven you, He has chosen never to remember your sins ever again:

“I, even I, am He Who blots out and cancels your transgressions, for My own sake, and I will not remember your sins.”
(Isaiah 43:25, AMP)

… “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.”
(Hebrews10:17, NIV)

God’s forgiveness is a fact. However, you must believe and receive that forgiveness in your heart. Because until your heart believes and receives God’s forgiveness, until this reality is settled in your heart, you will feel too unworthy to be the object of His affection. You will feel God couldn’t love someone like you. Until you “feel” His forgiveness you won’t “feel” His love!
Until you sense His forgiveness, you won’t accept His love. For receiving His forgiveness is the first step towards a love walk with God. If you feel unworthy of His forgiveness, you will also feel unworthy of His love. Until you accept God’s mercy, you won’t live in the consciousness of His love.

Could this be what’s standing between you and the sense of God’s love for you?
Why hide under self-condemnation and shame and guilt, when you can come forward, in faith and receive forgiveness for your sins, even right now?
For shame, guilt and fear can’t live together with love. It’s either you live with guilt and shame or you allow God’s love to stump them out. You can’t settle for both.

Perhaps, you’re trying to feel His forgiveness. God doesn’t deal with us along the lines of feelings and emotions. These aren’t reliable. We connect with God through our knowledge and faith. So believe His forgiveness, then reach out and receive it by faith.

I pray for you, that you won’t live another day without the assurance of God’s forgiveness, and a restored sense of His love for you. In Jesus Name

Life is lived on purpose. You don’t wait for life to happen to you. No, you plan for it. While we may not be able to always predict what may come our way tomorrow, to a large extent, we can determine what our responses should be. For instance, I have already determined in my heart that I shall live a life of prompt forgiveness, no matter what. I have decided, with God’s help, that I will never carry grudges in my mind. I understand that some hurt may be deeper, but I also know that I can always count on the Holy Spirit, to stay true to my resolve. A friend once offended me, and when he came apologizing, I told him, “I forgave you, even before you did what you did.” You needed to see the look on his face!

The decision to live an offense-free life is one of the most important decisions you will ever make today. The reason is that offenses will always come. So it’s wisdom to have a predisposition that will always put you over offenses.

Another tip is PROMPT FORGIVENESS.

Paul the apostle gives us this tip in Ephesians 4:26
“In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry” (AMP)

The battle for forgiveness is first lost or won in the mind. The speed with which you handle a wrong done against you matters a lot. The longer you keep your mind brooding over the offense, the deeper the hurt becomes and the stronger its control over your thoughts and emotions. And the longer you hold a grudge, the more room you allow the devil to come in, and influence your mind for evil.

Also, the longer you hold, nourish and nurse a hurt in a your mind, the more difficult forgiveness becomes. The quicker the easier.

MAKE ALLOWANCE FOR OFFENSES.
The Bible says,
“Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”
(Colossians 3:13, NIV)

This phrase, “bearing with one another” carries the idea of making room or allowance in our minds for others. It’s being able to accommodate; being tolerant. I am thinking of expansion joints. These are put into a building, to make room for expansion due to heat. So that when the building comes under intense heat and it’s forced to expand, those expansion joints accommodate the increase, without any damage to the building.
So today, by the ability of God, begin to create expansion joints in your mind. So that you will not give way when offenses come. For they will surely come.

PRAYING FOR THE OFFENDER
I have found this to be very effective, especially when my mind struggles with the idea of letting go an offense. I have found that, after praying for, and not against, blessing and not cursing the person, my heart begins to become tender towards him/her. And whenever I persevere, in some cases, I even start feeling affection for them.

Apostle James admonishes us to pray for those who offend us. And the result? Healing in our thoughts and emotions.
“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”
(James 5:16, NIV)
Jesus asked us to, not curse, but bless this who hurt us.

Prayer changes us.
While your prayers may not necessarily change the person who has hurt you, they have the power to change you for the better. They tenderize your mind, affect your disposition towards the offender. And makes letting go of the offenses easier.

In summary, forgiveness becomes a lot easier, if we decide in advance to live an offense-free life; forgive promptly; make some allowance in our minds for others; and pray for, but not against, the person who may have wronged us.

Wishing you an offense-free life!

With much love,

Prince Iorungwa Najime

While the act of forgiveness may demand so much from you, especially when the hurt is deep, it’s a worthy endeavour. Its rewards are richer than you may imagine.
And forgiveness is a daily possibility.

The Bible tells us that it’s possible for us to forgive AS Christ did.

“Father, FORGIVE THEM; for they don’t know what they are doing.” (Luke23:34)

That was Christ crying out to His Father for those who had mocked, rejected, despised, spat on His face, crushed His flesh, and now nail Him to a cross.
What a power!

That same power is at work in your life today. The Holy Spirit.
Forgiveness is a power you wield over offense. People may hurt you, betray you; they may take anything from you, but one thing they can’t take from you is this: the power to forgive them.
That’s real power right there! ?

Paul the apostle encourages us to exercise this power, when he said,
“Do not let yourself be overcome by evil, but overcome (master) evil with good.”
(Romans 12:21,AMP)

Paul is saying, don’t give anyone the permission to hurt you any more than they have already done. Rather, exercise your power to forgive, and break the stranglehold of that abuse, betrayal, rejection, disappointment over your mind. Let go the hurt. Let go the bitterness. Let go the resentment.

Forgiveness is a process. It may take just a moment or days or even months, but the first step is always the decision to forgive.
Make that decision today, dear. You’re too precious to be damaged by offenses. Ask the Holy Spirit to supply the strength and wisdom to carry through this process.

I have come to realise, through experience that, sometimes you have to forgive over and over again. Continue affirming your forgiveness, especially when the bitterness still lingers. You will know you have truly forgiven and are healing, when the hurt, bitterness, and the urge to revenge are gone.

Acknowledge the fact that God’s help is available for you.
You’re not alone.
God won’t let you down. You have only to trust Him to overcome the pains.

“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”
(1Corinthians 10:13,ESV)

You can forgive and experience peace again!

With much love,

Prince Iorungwa Najime