‘…“Lord, how many times will my brother sin against me and I forgive him and I let it go?… Jesus answered him, “I say to you, not up to seven times, but seventy times seven.”
Matthew 18:21-22 (AMP)
Saints, “seventy times seven,” is a divine formula that, when applied, will cause one to find peace by not only forgiving others but also forgiving oneself. Many persons who have not forgiven themselves are inwardly tormented by guilt, so much so that some either commit suicide or adopt suicidal tendencies by being involved in unhealthy lifestyles such as the excessive drinking of alcohol, habitual use and abuse of drugs, cutting their skin, etc.
When you forgive others for their transgressions toward you, you are also shielding yourself from the root of bitterness, which, if allowed to fester, will produce the fruit of anger, hatred, and, in extreme cases, murder. In addition, research has revealed that ‘bitterness’ is medically categorised as ‘post-traumatic embitterment disorder’ (PTED). Moreover, there is a strong correlation between bitterness and illnesses such as cancers, allergies, and auto-immune diseases. Chronic anger, which is a by-product of bitterness, may increase the risk of depression, heart disease, and diabetes, among many other conditions.
To forgive those who sin against us requires the transformational power of God in our lives. There is something deep within fallen human nature that thirsts for revenge and urges retaliation in kind. We naturally want to inflict the same type of injury on the one who injured us; an eye for an eye seems only fair. In Christ, however, we are admonished to love our enemies, do good to those who hate us, bless those who curse us, and pray for those who mistreat us (Luke 6:27-28).
We, who have been lavished with grace, have no right to withhold grace from others. Colossians 3:13 (NKJV) proclaims, “Bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another, even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.” Whatever grievances you may have against one another, forgive as the Lord forgave you. Matthew 6:15 (NLT) states, “But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
Remember, saints, forgiveness is not an opportunity to keep a record of wrongs committed against you, thereby enabling you to count the many transgressions you have had to forgive. This only grows bitterness in your heart to the point when you may say, ‘Enough is enough’ and react in an act of vengeance against the transgressors. Rather, forgiveness is ongoing. It is a lifestyle that must be revisited and redone. It is a state of being, and it brings blessings.
Read: Psalm 32:1; Mark 11:25
Bible Reading Guide: Psalm 41:7-13; Luke 10:25-42; Luke 11:1-4; Deuteronomy 2:24-37; Deteronomy 3; Deuteronomy 4:1-14
Praise GOD who daily forgives us. Hallelujah