CONSEQUENCES OF UNFORGIVENESS:

CONSEQUENCES OF UNFORGIVENESS:

Read Text: Mathew 18: 21-35

This portion of the bible has the totality of Christ’s explanation to forgiveness and unforgiveness. In verse 21 of our text above, Peter asked our lord Jesus Christ the question, how often can my brother sin against me, and I forgive him. He went ahead to provide the answer, Seven times? In verse 22, our Lord Jesus Christ answered him, until seventy times seven. Some Christians will go ahead to do the mathematics and say until 490 times. This is not what our lord Jesus means here. He means to tell us that we should keep on forgiving without limit. The word is indefinitely. In the last verse, which is verse 35, the bible clearly stated, “So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your heart do not forgive your brothers their trespasses”.
Most believers today do not see unforgiveness as something that should be taking seriously. In fact many do not see it as a sin. If any believer has an unforgiving spirit, he shall not obtain mercy from God. Unforgiveness is one thing that can make a Christian to pray from year to year without result. Most Christians have caged their destinies and glory because of unforgiving spirit.  There is no way any Christian can receive mercy and blessing from God if he/she does not forgive his neighbor, brother, sister, friend etc.
*****FACTS ABOUT FORGIVENESS & UNFORGIVENESS:

·         Seven (7) in the bible stands for indefinite time. This means that you are supposed to forgive anyone who offends you indefinitely if you want to move forward in life.

·         Unforgiveness is a common sin in the Christendom today. If you obey all commandments of God and fail to forgive, you are a sinner and will not make heaven.

·         Despite all they did to Christ, he forgave those that crucified him. Even if someone hurts you when you have not done anything to him/her, forgive.

·         God forgave us and gave us the chance to be his children even while we where yet sinners. You have no reason not to forgive one another.

·         Forgiveness in words is not forgiveness. True forgiveness shows in your action to the one who offended you.

·         If we do not forgive, God will be justified when he punishes us. Our lord’s prayer that we say every day says “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgave those who trespassed against us” That means “Don’t forgive us if we don’t forgive”.

*****CONSEQUENCES OF UNFORGIVENESS:

Ø  It causes everything from mental depression to other severe health complications.

Ø  It causes unnecessary burden to your heart. Let go and be free.

Ø  It opens up avenue for curses and torment to work in your life.

Ø  Unforgiveness will make one to lose his glory.

Ø  It denies you God’s blessings no matter how you pray.

Ø  It keeps the Holy Spirit away from one.

Ø  Peace will be far from your heart because the prince of peace will depart from your life once there is unforgiveness.

Ø  Your Gift, Offering, and tithes will be a waste as they will not be acceptable unto God.(Mathew 5: 23-24)

Ø  It gives the devil upper hand over one.

Ø  It makes spiritual gifts in one’s life not to be fruitful and useful to one.

Ø  It will prevent one’s life from moving forward as it will be like a heavy load in your heart.

Ø  One will look older than his/her real age because of the pressures of the unforgiveness in one’s heart.

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO BE FREE FROM UNFORGIVENESS AND ITS EFFECTS?:

1.        Repent from all known unforgiveness that may have been weighing you down.

2.       Learn Active Forgiveness, How? Decide to forgive whoever offends you no matter what the person did. Cry out to the Holy Spirit for help whenever someone offends you. Pray to God to reveal to those who offended you of their mistakes. Finally stop repeating an offence.

3.       Be patient with others and accommodate other people’s differences/weaknesses.

4.       Keep and Obey God’s word in John 15:12 (As a commandment, love one another as God loves you).

5.       Always open up and speak out anytime someone hurts or offends you. It will help you to delete that from your heart quickly.

6.       Never you report an offence to anyone that is not a child of God or to someone who has a biased mind against the person that offended you.

7.       Have a genuine salvation. You can only apply all that is stated above when you are genuinely a redeemed child of God.

PRAY LIKE THIS:

ü  Blood of Jesus purge my heart of every unforgiveness in the name of Jesus. Amen

ü  Every good thing of life that I have lost as a result of unforgiveness, I recover you back now in Jesus name. Amen.

ü  Every Good door closed against any area of my life as a result of unforgiveness, I command you to open now in Jesus name. Amen.

ü  Oh God my Father, help me to practice Active Forgiveness in Jesus name. Amen.

God bless you as you decide to develop a forgiving heart from this moment forward in Jesus name. Amen.