Christian Living

The Freeing Power of Forgiveness

by Thomas Kirkpatrick
03/27/19
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"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." (Mark 11:25)

Many, many, years ago when I was a younger kid than I am today it was my birthday. My father had come to me earlier in the week searching for what I would like to have on my special day. I had always admired my father as he wore his business suits and always looked dapper wearing his felt hat. What distinguished him in my childhood mind was the briefcase that he carried everywhere he would go. As he was sitting across from me with his briefcase laying on his lap, picking my brain for what would please me on my birthday, I shouted, “a briefcase just like your’s dad. That is what I would like so I could be important, like you.” My father looked at me and gave a big smile and said, “We shall see about that.” Then my father left for work to go to the Church as he was a minister of the gospel.

Later that day my mother told me about my father’s briefcase. It was an expensive case made of leather and was given to my father by my grandfather many, many years before. It was my grandfather’s briefcase, as he also was a minister of the gospel. After hearing the story that my mother told I wanted a briefcase like my father’s ever the more. Finally, that day changing the digit from seven to eight came. At supers end the birthday candles were lite and the wax was dripping into a lush pasture of chocolate icing. A deep breath and a huge puff and the candles were blown out. Lazy strings of smoke curled up into the air as I tried to break the strings wrapped around the box that my father had given me. Yes, it was more than I had asked for, it was my father’s briefcase. My father had given me his father’s briefcase. I was the happiest kid on Virginia Street in Charleston West Virginia.

A few days later my father came to me and said his new briefcase was not big enough for all the papers he had to carry, he asked if I would mind if we exchanged briefcases for a while and at the right time he would return it to me. “Oh no, dad! I could not possibly part with this briefcase as it is my grandfather’s briefcase.” My father looked a little sad and left the house with his smaller briefcase and a garbage bag full of his papers. As the day grew older I began to feel that I wanted my father to have what was now my briefcase and by the end of the day could not wait for him to come home.

When my father came home I was waiting for him on the porch. I ran up to him with the briefcase and said dad I really want you to have this and I can wait till you no longer need it. “No,” my father said, “It is yours now.” And he walked away into the house. A sadness came over me that day and as time passed it continued to grow.

A week or so passed and I watched as my father came home. Wearing his fine suit and looking dapper in his felt hat. But now he was carrying two garbage bags full of papers and no longer looked distinguished. He looked tired and wearied by the burden I had placed upon him with my selfishness. I walked up to my father and pleaded with him to take his briefcase back. I told him that the briefcase was half my size and more than I could handle. I said, “Dad please take it back until I am grown up like you.” My father took the briefcase and smiled and said, “thank you.” I felt happiness come over me, as I was freed from the guilt of my selfishness.

Years have passed now and my father has gone home. I do not know whatever became of that briefcase, as it got lost somewhere in the shuffling. I have given it some thought, I have given my eighth birthday some thought, and I now know the significance of this past adventure. It is the same truth that God has given to me this life, but I took it and ran in my own selfish way for so many, many years. Years that I have fallen into a sadness that I knew not the cause of. As I thought of the old briefcase I realized that I had taken something that I was not big enough to carry. I realize that I had taken the life God had given me and that I was not big enough to live. I traveled down that prideful, selfish and lustful way until the sadness had bound me to the chains of my past. Then I realized that I should give my life back to God until I am big enough to carry it. To this day I am not big enough, but I have the freeing power of His forgiveness.

God’s forgiveness is the power of being free. It is because He has forgiven us that we are able to free others. It is not easy to forgive sometimes but the hardness of forgiveness makes it a valuable asset. I have worked hard for everything that I value and that which came easy has someway slipped from my grasp and I do not even miss it. Our forgiveness of others is important because if we are unwilling, then God will withhold his forgiveness towards us. We cannot even honor God for the blessings He has given to us if we harbor un-forgiveness towards others. If God reconciles us unto Him then we should make reconciliation with those who harbor ill towards us. "Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering." (Matthew 5:23-24).

Forgiveness is not a onetime deal. We cannot truthfully say to someone you are always forgiven. Forgiveness is not an emotion, it is a commitment that we have released a wrong that has been committed. It is a commitment and it is a recommitment that we must be willing to make consistently. The Apostle Peter asked that question. How many times should we forgive someone? Jesus gave him the answer. "Then Peter came and said to Him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven." (Matthew 18:21-22) Jesus is not saying 490 times as the number seven is the complete number in the Scriptures. How many times have you forgiven your children? How many times has God forgiven you? The Scriptures tell us this truth, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9) Forgiveness is as eternal as eternity.

If we are to receive God’s mercy, then we must be merciful towards others. (Matthew 5:7) If we are to receive God’s forgiveness, that we must be forgiving towards others. "For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions." (Matthew 6:14-15)

Consider the cost of the little white lie, it is no less than your adultery, murder, or covertness of your neighbor's possessions. God robed Himself as a man and came amongst us to live a perfectly righteous life. He then sacrificed Himself on the Cross as the Lamb of God to pay our sin debt. Do you not understand the word paid? The sins of the world are paid for. (John 3:16) If you have called upon the name of the Lord Jesus, accepted His sacrifice as payment for your sins, then you are forgiven and your sins are no longer hanging over you. God is able then to remove your sins eternally. "As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us." (Psalm 103:12) Ask yourself this. If God has forgiven you of your sin, has removed them from the record, then why can you not forgive yourself. The chains of sin in your life have been broken let them go.

And, if you cannot forgive yourself as God has, then how can you forgive anyone else. God may forgive them someday for their acceptance of the atoning blood of Jesus into their life, so do we want to be chained to the burden of not forgiving them? If we are walking in the light of God’s truth, we are walking in His forgiveness, then the blood of Jesus is constantly cleansing us of our sin. "If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin." (1 John 1:6-7)

It is a hard thing to forgive people for their little annoyances and much harder for those who commit evil acts against us. It is not only for them that we offer our forgiveness but it is also for our self. It is the transaction of our forgiving that opens the door for God’s forgiveness into our lives. More importantly, it allows God to work His purpose and to glorify His name. God is love and He is also just and all the works of man in the flesh will be justified before God. God searches the heart and mind of each man and justice will be served by His righteous standard. "I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give to each man according to his ways, According to the results of his deeds." Jeremiah 17:10)

Neither in the society of man or in the community of the world was a man to be the vigilante dispersing justice according to his own wisdom. The payback attitude of many today only breeds escalation to greater violence. When the Pharisees openly displayed their suffering while fasting Jesus told them they have their reward. When we take our revenge we receive an earthbound reward. We deny the offender the wrath that God has stored for them in the near future. It is not for us to judge, but for us to live in forgiveness, as this is true freedom. "Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord." (Romans 12:19)

By forgiving others we actually cleanse ourselves of resentment, bitterness, and find ourselves praying for those who have sinned against us. Living while unforgiven is living in the chains of sins bondage. Living without the willingness to forgive is living without the full love of God in our lives. It is all about God and God is all about love. If you do not have the love of God within you, then you do not know God. (1 John 4:8) Living in the truth of God’s Word you will have compassion for those who are ignorant of His truth. Instead of condemning them for their evil acts against you, your prayers for them may open their hearts to understand the truth of God’s Word. This is great for them and it is great for you, as you now will have an eternal friend. An eternal friend to share in the life of complete freedom of God’s Righteousness. "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." (John 8:31-32)

Thomas N Kirkpatrick

First Baptist Church of Durant, November 30, 2017