Integrity- People of God

We spoke on who we are to forgive, everyone everything. We have explained what we are to do, forgive, because it is a directive from our Lord and King to forgive. We are told when we are to forgive, today, “let not the sun go down on your wrath.” We are informed where, from the heart, not in eye service before men but as unto the Lord we are to do this service. Why, because the blood and death of Jesus is precious to God His Father who forgave us our great debt against Himfor His Son’s sake. Now let us speak on the How of our forgiveness, it is through the power of the Holy Spirit and by faith in the completed work of Christ.

Colossians 3:13 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.  But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 

Ephesians 4:6 “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil. NKJ

Ephesian 6:6-7 not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, 

Hebrews 3:15 while it is said: “Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”

How to perform every command of God is the same as the steps we take to be saved, the steps we follow to the call of faith in Christ unto salvation. All that God requires of us He has provided by grace through faith in the completed work of Christ. The how to perform for His good pleasure is given to us by the Holy Spirit. 

Philippians 2:13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

Once we receive Christ as our Savior He becomes our Lord and King and through the power of the Holy Spirit we have the ability to forgive others no matter the hurt, loss, offence or debt.

The same steps of faith to receive the power of salvation, are the same steps of faith we take to obtain the forgiveness for others. They are same steps we take to receive the answers to all the promises of God, answers to our prayers and our petition to God for provision and protection. The steps of faith unto salvation are the same we need for the forgiveness of ourselves and others. 

The first step to the call of salvation is to acknowledge we are sinners in need of the Savior. The second step is to believe in our heart that God has raised Jesus from the dead, to pay the sin debt that we owed God for our rebellion. The third step is to confess or to affirm that Jesus is our Lord. This is called the AB C of the gospel of faith. We use these same ABC steps to obtain the forgiveness we need toward others and are the same steps to receive any promise of God. 

Acknowledge the truth of what His word states on the matter. Father we acknowledge our wrong and our sin in that we are not letting go of our hurt, resentment and bitterness as our Lord and King has commanded us.

Believe and have faith in God to do what He promised in His word on the matter. Father in our heart we believe you are God and raised Jesus from the dead and through the power of the death and blood of Jesus, You forgave the whole world their sins.

Confess and keep on professing and affirming God’s word regarding the matter. Jesus as Lord of our life we askyou to give us the forgiveness we need to let this thing go and create in us a clean heart and right spirit.

When we acknowledge our sins, this is our will agreeing withGod’s word, that His word is right and we were wrong in our rebellious sinned against Him. We must acknowledge our wrong and our need for forgiveness. Many people want to cover their sins and pretend as though they did not sin but they are calling God a liar. When they refuse to acknowledge their wrong or as Adam did, blame someone else, they are saying they are right and God is wrong.

1 John 1: 8-10 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.   If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

We are to believe in our heart that God raised Jesus from the dead. This is not just a head knowledge of Jesus or some dreamy belief that Jesus was just a good person, a good teacher or just a prophet. To believe in one’s heart, is to believe that Jesus is the Son of God who gave His life that we might have eternal and abundant life. This belief is from our heart and is a firm conviction and certainty of faith that God raised Jesus from the dead for our sins.

Romans 10:9-10 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.   For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 

With our mouth we confess Jesus to be our Lord, Savior and King. Some people want to believe in Jesus but are afraid to confess Him before their friends, family or community. Just as those, who lived during the life of Christ, who believed in Jesus, yet they refused to commit or confess their beliefs because they wanted to be accepted by the leaders and into the synagogues. To have faith in God’s word requires a corresponding action that reveals and reflects our belief. 

John12:42-43 Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

James 2:19-20 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!  But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? 

Words are powerful and they are important to God, He created the whole universe with words. If we believe in our hearts that Jesus is the Son of God, that He died and was raised again for our sins, and we confess and commit to Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we shall be saved. 

Jesus had to die for us to be forgiven of God. It was the death and blood of Jesus that allows us to be forgiven and also allowsus to be in right standing with God. God has forgiven our sinsand has given us a directive to forgive others.  We receive this forgiveness by faith just as we receive salvation by faith. Though our feelings may not change immediately, we must have faith to know that God has given us the forgiveness we asked for, towards others. 

When the enemy comes and tries to bring those old feelings of resentment back, we are to remind him that the blood of Jesus has paid for that debt and they are forgiven and so are we. 

This is not to say people will get away with their wrongs, vengeance is God and He will repay the unrighteous for their acts. Forgiveness allows us to be set free from the pain and to trust God to act on our behalf. We no longer have to feel responsible for paying someone for what they did to us, or have to feel ashamed or belittled because of some wrong done to us. We can now have faith and trust in God’s word and that He is faithful to His word. 

Deuteronomy 32:35 Vengeance is Mine, and recompense;Their foot shall slip in due time;
For the day of their calamity is at hand, And the things to come hasten upon them.’

This does not mean we have to allow those who does us harm into our space. God does not want His children to be misused and though we forgive them, we do not have to give those who harm us space or access into our lives.