Set Free Through Forgiveness

There are two different types of prisons that we can find ourselves in. There is the obvious. The physical state of being locked behind iron bars when convicted of a crime through our court system. This is usually imposed on a person who has been convicted of a crime and sentenced to a certain amount of time behind locked doors. In this type of prison the key to freedom is held by another.

There is another prison, the one into which we ourselves have walked in the prison, closed the door and locked it... all the while holding the key to freedom in the palm of our hand. This is a place of pain, hurt, anger, bitterness ...this is the prison of unforgiveness. It's a most sorrowful place to be because it is of our own choosing. We hold the key to this prison and there are times that we refuse to let go and be set free.

Why would we do such a crazy thing? Why would we imprison ourselves? Other people may be responsible for the pain in our lives but we have the choice to imprison ourselves and allow the pain to continue and damage our present and future. The longer we stay there by choice the more it will affect not only the relationship with the one we refuse to forgive, but the collateral damage affects other relationships as well and ultimately builds a wall between us and our heavenly Father.

We struggle with and even avoid forgiveness because it's so difficult to do when we have been hurt so deeply. Without a doubt forgiveness is a superhuman undertaking apart from God. Yet we are called to do so.

Colossians 3:12-14
New Living Translation (NLT)
12 Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Make allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.

Forgiving those that hurt us is not an option. We are called to "forgive anyone who offends [us]". I haven't found any loopholes in Scripture. There isn't a clause that states, "forgive all but the sin of ______ against you." You can fill in the blank. Scripture says we "must" forgive. The reason? "Remember, the Lord forgave you." Without Jesus paying our debt for sin on the cross we would not have a chance to be forgiven for our sin. He did all the work; He paid the price to set us free from the prison of hell for eternity.

It is only when we know Jesus as Lord and Savior of our lives, when we grasp the enormity of what He did for us that we can even entertain the idea of forgiving those who have sinned against us. Even then it is impossible to forgive in our strength or will. It is in the surrendered life to Jesus that we can forgive because it is Christ living in us Who gives us the strength and power to forgive others.

When we choose to forgive others we use the key that we have held so tightly to open the door of our prison and we are free! Free of the entangled roots of anger, bitterness and unforgiveness! No longer is there a wall between us and the Lord. It allows us to have a deeper more intimate relationship with the Lord AND others in our lives.

Is there someone you think you can't forgive? Go ahead make the choice to forgive, not through your strength or power but through Jesus Christ who is your power and strength. Set yourself free!

Mary Ann

Mary Ann Kiernan and John have been married for 36 years, have 2 grown/married sons and are the proud grandparents of three grandsons and finally... praise the Lord... a granddaughter! She serves at America's Keswick as a Biblical Counselor and the Intake Coordinator for the Colony of Mercy. Her life verse is Romans 8:28.

DIGGING DEEPER
James 4:14b
What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.