By Sukanya Banerjee
Forgiveness is the other name for Love. The Bible says in 1 John 4:8 that “GOD is LOVE.” Therefore, when we decide to live a new life according to the WORD of GOD, we actually start embracing the power of love and forgiveness. JESUS is the greatest example of Forgiveness and HE is the greatest embodiment of Love the world has ever witnessed. The very life and personality of JESUS CHRIST teaches us the priceless lessons of Love and Forgiveness.
JESUS loved us so much that He gave His life for us so that our sins may be forgiven. This is perhaps the greatest Gospel that the world needs to hear more of. It is high time we reach out to every nook and corner of the globe telling every single soul that their sins can be forgiven by JESUS Christ who has not only promised us eternal life but also a brand-new life here on earth through Love and Forgiveness.
The Bible says in 1 John 4:12 “No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.” Truly, we have not seen God, but we do see our fellow human beings here on earth every single day. Therefore, once we start loving those whom we can see, then we would be able to love and worship better, a God whom we cannot see. That is because GOD is a SPIRIT (John 4:24). HE is a Spirit of Love, Forgiveness, Truth and Wisdom. Therefore, there is no better way of serving and worshipping God than by loving and forgiving our fellow human beings.
The way of Forgiveness is not easy at all because it opposes one of the strongest spirits which is at work presently in the world, the spirit of Vengeance which ultimately leads to sin and death. Therefore, embracing forgiveness is actually embracing life. We cannot deny that at times, it really becomes difficult and almost impossible to forgive those who have wronged us. But once we realize the true meaning and purpose of forgiveness, it becomes a lifestyle leading to experiencing joy and peace in our heart which is beyond human comprehension. Forgiving those who have wronged us might sound very weak to an educated mind but it is actually the strongest weapon we can ever use in winning the battles of life. The Bible says in 1 Samuel 17:47 that “…the battle belongs to the Lord…”
Vengeance is trying to fight the battle by our own strength which is otherwise very weak and limited. But Forgiveness is casting over all our burdens and battles onto the Lord’s hand thus making our victory inevitable. Forgiveness is not overlooking the sins and faults of others; it is simply overcoming the sinful attitude of judging others or seeking vengeance. Forgiveness is depending completely on the justice and plan of God.
The Bible says in the Gospel of Luke 6:37 “…Forgive and you will be forgiven…” In Matthew 6: 14-15 the Bible teaches us, "For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." Therefore, forgiveness is a must to experience God’s peace here on earth and also to enjoy eternal life because we can never enter the Kingdom of God without our sins being forgiven. And our sins can be forgiven only when we forgive others.
The key to forgiveness is actually the key to a life of joy and peace. But, where can we find this key to forgiveness? It can be found in the pages of the world’s all-time bestseller, the Holy Bible. The Bible teaches us a very important lesson in Ephesians 6:12 “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” This verse clearly teaches us that our real battle is not against flesh and blood that is, against our fellow human beings.
Our battle is actually spiritual in nature. We are in a spiritual warfare against the powers and principalities of darkness. Then why do we seek revenge against our fellow human beings? This spiritual battle can only be won with spiritual weapons like love, forgiveness, faith and prayer. Therefore, life is not a struggle against our fellow human beings who have wronged us, but our real enemies are the demonic spirits at work in this world like the spirit of hatred, pride, power, vengeance, deception, lust, fear and the list goes on. To win in this spiritual warfare we need to be completely armed by the Word and Spirit of God and “wear the whole Armor of God.” (Ephesians 6).
Forgiveness leads to complete freedom in Christ Jesus. Sometimes, it may feel very difficult to forgive our enemies but when we realize the joy of complete freedom which we can experience only through forgiveness, we become bold enough to let go of the grudges, pain and vengeance. Not being able to forgive results in holding on to grudges and binding oneself to the fetters of darkness where we lose the peace of our mind and heart. But the moment we are able to cast all our burdens on God and forgive our enemies, we not only start being healed but we also allow the power of God to take over and free us from all evil bondage. This freedom which comes as a gift of forgiveness, transforms us to a new person altogether where we start enjoying the peace and love of Jesus Christ.
Forgiveness is not about going back to the same person or allowing others to make the same mistake. It is simply shifting our focus from others to Jesus. Forgiveness is also about forgiving ourselves and allowing God to take over our life and lead it according to His amazing plan. Forgiveness is being assured of the love of Christ which has surpassed all our past mistakes and failures and has blessed us to start life afresh. Yes, we can start a brand-new life in Christ boldly because HE has forgiven us and has empowered us with His love to forgive others.
Sukanya Banerjee is a Communicator, Vocalist, Writer, English Trainer, Speaker and a Radio Jockey. We would love to get a feedback from you about this article. Kindly post a comment below. Thank you.