Written by Deon Duncan (brother of Donnell)

I am so happy to be sharing with you today. Before I start I want to give kudos to Donnell for the work that he is doing here on thecrackeddoor.com and I pray that God will continue to use him in a mighty way.

I want to deal with something that has been on my heart for the last few weeks, The Importance of Forgiveness.

1 John 1:8-9 - 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.

Forgiveness is one of the pillars of Christianity. In fact, it is because of forgiveness that we can call ourselves 'Christians'.

There are four contexts of forgiveness that I will discuss today;
1. God to Man
2. Man to Man
3. Man to himself
4. Man to God (Yes Man forgiving God!)

God to Man

As 1 John 1:8-9 says, for us to be considered Christians we must confess our sins and by faith believe that we have been forgiven by God. There is no other way!

Man to Man

Matthew 6:9-15(KJV) - After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

The above is an excerpt from "The Lord's Prayer". It is interesting to note that in verse 12, Jesus is telling us that we will receive forgiveness from him, once we forgive those that trespass against us. But I mentioned before, for us to be called Christians God must forgive us of our sins. Which all means that in order for us to maintain our salvation (i.e. God's continual forgiveness) we must continually forgive those who hurt us!

Man to Himself

Often enough people ascribe the blame to themselves when they get hurt and many people sink into depression and guilt to the point that it affects their well being. A good counselor is able to identify that individuals like these need to forgive themselves and absolve themselves from any guilt.

Man to God

Believe it or not there are many individuals who place the blame for the situation that they are in on God himself! This is definitely a lapse in judgment. Many also question God and I must say that they do this at their own risk. It is important to understand that it is the devil behind this grave deception. He is trying to pit man against his creator. But the devil is a liar! We must forgive God and in turn ask him for his forgiveness in cases like these to enjoy full deliverance.

Forgiveness is not an event, it is a process! We begin by saying we forgive, but we must invite God into the situation so that He can give us total deliverance. Saying 'I forgive' may not be an easy thing, especially when you have been hurt. However, just like when we first received salvation we confessed our sins and by faith believed that God forgave us. Similarly we must do the same when we are forgiving, believing that he is faithful to help heal us from our hurt. This is important because having been hurt for years and years a simple 'I forgive' would not automatically ease our pain. Remember forgiveness is primarily for you 'the victim' and secondarily the perpetrator of the hurt.

Alternatively, if you are the perpetrator; seek forgiveness. It is your responsibility!

THERE IS POWER IN FORGIVENESS! Forgive today.... your salvation depends on it!

Announcement

Listen to my mother, Pastor Jemma Duncan's talk show on the weekly radio program, "It's Your Date With Destiny - Ask Pastor Jemma", from 3PM ET (New York, Atlanta, etc.) on 98.1 FM Radio Isaac out of Trinidad and Tobago. You can access the live broadcast online with the following link;