Lesson Song & Prayer
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Lesson 8
EXPERIENCING DEEP FORGIVENESS
Experiencing Deep Forgiveness
It’s so easy to write people off, place blame and point fingers. What if in the revealing of another’s pain and perspective it had within it the ability to completely transform our perception? Forgiveness transforms anger and hurt into healing and peace. Forgiveness can help you overcome feelings of depression, anxiety and rage, as well as personal and relational conflicts. Experiencing forgiveness is essential to your health, healthy relationships, and your mental and emotional peace. The Bible says the following:
Proverbs 17:9- “Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends.”
There have been times when division and strife occurred in my personal life due to a lack of forgiveness. Years, energy, ego, stubbornness and wanting to be “right” were the underlying factors to my behavior along with downright rebellion. God commands us to forgive in order to be forgiven by him. Ephesians 4:32 says, “be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God has forgiven you”. God knows the damage that is done when unforgiveness is present.
What is experiencing deep forgiveness?
Simply put, it’s total and complete surrender. It frees you from the chains of bondage or emotional prison. When you choose to surrender to the act of forgiveness you empty your soul of bitterness, wrath, decay, hate, anger, jealousy and many other strongholds that are a “cancer” to your body, soul and spirit.
What if you began to surrender and release the sin, pain and hurt others have shown you by living according to Jesus’ example on the cross? As Jesus was breathing his last breath on the cross he whispered, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”- Luke 23:24. So if not now, when? And if not you, who? Take back your life and live in peace by seeking reconciliation and forgiveness with all mankind. Romans 12:18.
You cannot have peace without faith, and you cannot have faith without trust, and you cannot have trust without forgiveness. Therefore, choose forgiveness!
Tips/Nuggets
What if you began to surrender and release the sin, pain, and hurt others have shown you by living according to Jesus example on the cross? As Jesus was breathing his last breath on the cross, he whispered, “ Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”-Luke 23: 34.
When you choose to surrender to the act of forgiveness you empty your soul of bitterness, wrath, decay, hate, anger, jealousy, and many other strongholds that are a “cancer” to your body, soul, and spirit. So, if not now? when? And if not you? Who? Take back your life and live in peace by seeking reconciliation and forgiveness with all mankind. “Do all you can to live in peace with everyone.”-Romans 12:18. And finally, remember that, in the end, God will judge and make everything right. This is our hope. There are limits to human justice we know that all kinds of wrongs go unpunished in this world. But we take comfort in knowing that in the end, God will deal with everything in accordance with his inflexible justice, perfect wisdom, and eternal goodness. You cannot have peace without faith, and you cannot have faith without trust, and you cannot have trust without forgiveness.
Therefore, choose forgiveness!
How can you practice deep forgiveness? Here are eight steps you can take to achieve forgiveness:
1)Know what forgiveness is and why it matters
2)Become “forgivingly fit”
3)Address your inner pain
4)Develop a forgiving mind through empathy. Seek to understand
5)Find meaning in your suffering, pain or hurt
6)When forgiveness is hard, call upon other strengths (close, friends, prayer, mentor, Pastor, scripture, etc.)
7)Forgive yourself
8)Develop a forgiving heart
“While we are healing from the sting of sin, pain and hurt, we need to remember that our Lord and Savior has scars. He himself experienced the carnage of mankind in this world, and he has felt the deep affliction that comes from sin, pain and hurt .
Going Deeper in the Word
Deep dive!
The reality of forgiveness is challenging. But, while challenging, forgiveness also offers us a way into a better life. The freedom you will experience is worth it.
Let’s dive into some Bible verses about forgiveness.
What is forgiveness?? The dictionary defines it as this:
“ to cease to feel resentment against an offender” or “to grant relief from payment of debt.”
Simply put, to forgive is to let go of the wrongs that have been done to us. We are called to forgive those around us. Forgiveness is a reflection of God forgiving us our sins.
Isaiah 1:18- this describes our sin as a bright red stain and God’s forgiveness as washing is white as snow.
Psalm 32:5, 38:3-4, 51:2-5, 86:5, 103:10-14,140:4- David writes extensively in the book of Psalms praising God for his forgiveness.
Proverbs 17:9- Solomon talks about the wisdom and benefits in forgiving others.
Matthew 26:28- Jesus embodies God’s forgiveness of us.
Matthew 18:21-22-Jesus builds on this by saying we are not only to receive forgiveness but to give it.
Romans 3:23- this verse tells us that we all have ALL fallen and we are all in need of forgiveness.
Forgiving someone does not mean that we forget their actions. Nor is it excusing the pain they caused us. It actually means we let go of their sin. We aren’t going to dwell on it anymore and let it affect our life.
Forgiveness is more for you then the one who has caused the offense.
I encourage you to look up and meditate on these scriptures. Allow them to take root and then put them into action when necessary. I found this quite below and it really put forgiveness into perspective. I hope you enjoy.
“The practice of forgiveness is our most important contribution to the healing of the world”- Marianne Williamson
Real Talk
Let’s start with Hebrews 12:14 “pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and it might be defiled.
We have a command to live in peace with all men. Unforgiveness, if not dealt with will turn into anger, bitterness, hate, jealousy etc. this is the opposite of peace. All of these things are destructive forces working against you from the inside. It will also keep you in bondage to the one whom you choose to not forgive. God has a path for us to take and that is to win and enjoy the blessings and only Love will get us there.
Here is the good news! Jesus came to set us free and free indeed. (John 8:31 & 36) release the offense to God and you will find it is a very liberating experience. You will see the Holy Spirit move in and invade your life with love. You will feel a weight lifted, your countenance, your appearance, your outlook on life, your energy and health will be so much better. The more you practice forgiveness the easier it becomes.
Blessings from your authors ❤️
Food for Thought
Here is some “food” that I hope you digest.
“I think the first step is to understand that forgiveness does not exonerate the perpetrator. Forgiveness liberates the victim. It’s a gift you give yourself.” TD-Jake’s
“Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future.”- Paul Boise
“Good to forgive; best to forget.”-Robert Browning
Resources
Take Advantage of the Resources we have put together for you!
When you utilize the workbook along with these resources, you will create lasting and undeniable results!