Power in Forgiveness

Power in Forgiveness 

by David Brenneman 

"As they were passing by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots up. Being reminded, Peter said to Him, “Rabbi, look, the fig tree which You cursed has withered.”  And Jesus answered saying to them, “Have faith in God. Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him. Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you. Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions.” Mark 11:20-26.

There's a very very distinct correlation between asking in prayer and the forgiveness we are to bestow on others...and ourselves. 

Besides being haughty and proud, the Pharisees and Sadducees had a big problem of misplaced pride in their status and position before God.  They wouldn't dare think of God coming through to the people through any other means than themselves...but He did.  They would miss out on the Holy Scriptures that pointed to the coming Christ.  These who who were supposedly the teachers of Israel. 

When Nicodemus came at night to talk to Jesus, Jesus used that title of him. "Nicodemus said to Him, “How can these things be?”  Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and do not understand these things?" John 3:9-10.

It may not be evident in this passage, but to see the truth later after the crucifixion, Nicodemus went back to the Scriptures and his eyes were opened. 

How about you?  While you may be one who prays, are your eyes opened to the truth of God about you?  Are you one who's actually harboring ill towards others that you deny and yet wonder why it's with great difficulty your answers to prayer come, if they come at all?

Jesus plainly says, without disguising it as a parable, if you are unwilling to forgive yourself or others, don't expect to be forgiven. 

Expect your prayers to be hindered.  Expect these things until you get right before God. 

Our pride can and does get in our way when it comes to effectual prayer. James says that effectual prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.  Righteousness and holiness are hand-in-hand things to consider.

You cannot carry around a walking stick of bitterness towards yourself or others and not expect to be tripping up because of it.

Roots of bitterness, roots of anger, roots of idolatry, roots of these poisonous things will cause your prayers to be hindered if not withheld from being answered entirely. 

These roots are not at all in the character of Christ.  Some may point to the displays of anger that we read coming from Jesus.  Read more carefully into those instances. Righteous anger is that which comes from God concerning sin. 

Jesus flipping 300 plus pound tables in His Father's house and clearing out the place with a whip, there's absolutely nothing sinful about purifying the Temple of God. 

We jump onto the anger bandwagon easily.  We tend to stay for the ride longer than we should. 

My Dear Reader, we are to confess our sins and He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  But we must start there, we must mean it, we must turn away from those things and go the opposite direction from them. 

Cease and desist from those things.  There's much freedom in true forgiveness.  Just as much for the forgiver as the person being forgiven.  

In Christ you aren't to condemn people as unworthy of salvation in Christ.  That's what is meant by judging others.  We have no right to say anyone is unworthy of attaining salvation as we have attained ourselves.  The shed blood of Jesus Christ washed away all sins from those who have believed.  

When we get to a point of not forgiving, we become just like the Pharisees and Sadducees. We begin to block people from the very world that Jesus wants us to exemplify in Him. 

On Facebook, X, Instagram, SnapChat, all forms of social media, throwing daggers at others is commonplace.  Moreso than what people ever would do in person.  Lashing out in bitterness and anger rather than forgiveness as we have been forgiven ourselves. 

People go on and on about why this or that isn't trending more with regards to Veterans or those who have disabilities...what should be trending is forgiveness. 

My Dear Reader, don't trust yourself.  Yes, that's what I am saying.  Do not trust yourself to be truthful with yourself concerning bitterness, anger, and even your withholding forgiveness from others.

Go right now in prayer and ask God if there's anybody you need to forgive in order to restore your relationship with Jesus.  This isn't negotiable.  You read it yourself earlier. It's for you and you alone to take care of between you and Jesus. 

There's immense freedom in forgiveness.  Start your day off right and get back to the righteousness life that God desires for you. 

All NASB 1995 and NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. (C) Lockman Foundation.