I have walked through a long journey of learning how to love and how to forgive. The Holy Spirit has indeed taken me by the hand many times and counseled me. It may be true that I have been through more than most, bullied through childhood, spiritual abuse, and divorce to name some big events that psychology would consider traumatic, life altering events.
When I say not forgiving disqualifies you, I mean just that. You can be disqualified from the high call of God. When I speak of the high call of God, please refer to my first article, where I talked about how God had given me supernatural love for a person. I don't want unforgiveness to rule me! God has given me grace to be ruthless when it comes to choosing to let go of offenses and choosing to love. That is the only way one can overcome in this area, and only the overcomers will achieve the high call, according to the book of Revelation. We are to guard our hearts with ALL diligence.
It is true that the more you choose to love and forgive, the stronger you will get in this area, not in your own strength, but God's. Back in by twenties I went through a period of spiritual abuse where the persons I lived with told me I was not saved. Worse than that, it was also suggested to me that if I wanted to be saved it was too late, I was damned and going to hell no matter what I did. These words brought me much emotional torment. Fortunately this situation did not last very long, and I moved out from the family I was living with back into my parents' home.
Living with my parents, I went back to work for the cleaning service that my church ran. I always found that cleaning was a time for me to get wrapped up in my own thoughts. In the first few weeks and months of "recovery" from being told what I was told, I first began to realize that what was said to me was wrong and thoughts of anger and bitterness against those that had attacked me surfaced.
However, the Lord's voice within me at that time told me I had to let go and forgive. It was not easy, but eventually I found healing out of obeying the Lord. After all, forgiving is one of the real tests to proving one's salvation, and I passed the test!!
I have included a poll to ask readers where they personally stand on this issue, please take it and realize the importance of forgiveness!!
When I say not forgiving disqualifies you, I mean just that. You can be disqualified from the high call of God. When I speak of the high call of God, please refer to my first article, where I talked about how God had given me supernatural love for a person. I don't want unforgiveness to rule me! God has given me grace to be ruthless when it comes to choosing to let go of offenses and choosing to love. That is the only way one can overcome in this area, and only the overcomers will achieve the high call, according to the book of Revelation. We are to guard our hearts with ALL diligence.
It is true that the more you choose to love and forgive, the stronger you will get in this area, not in your own strength, but God's. Back in by twenties I went through a period of spiritual abuse where the persons I lived with told me I was not saved. Worse than that, it was also suggested to me that if I wanted to be saved it was too late, I was damned and going to hell no matter what I did. These words brought me much emotional torment. Fortunately this situation did not last very long, and I moved out from the family I was living with back into my parents' home.
Living with my parents, I went back to work for the cleaning service that my church ran. I always found that cleaning was a time for me to get wrapped up in my own thoughts. In the first few weeks and months of "recovery" from being told what I was told, I first began to realize that what was said to me was wrong and thoughts of anger and bitterness against those that had attacked me surfaced.
However, the Lord's voice within me at that time told me I had to let go and forgive. It was not easy, but eventually I found healing out of obeying the Lord. After all, forgiving is one of the real tests to proving one's salvation, and I passed the test!!
I have included a poll to ask readers where they personally stand on this issue, please take it and realize the importance of forgiveness!!
