This is a foundational teaching of the gospel, yet here we perceive how few take up this teaching on this earth. Forgiveness and Redemption, how greedily we receive it when we hear of Christ! How quickly we roll up our soiled garments and toss them aside for the Robe of Righteousness from the Lord. We are so certain of the finished work of Christ on the cross that we know to our very depths that we are changed and restored. Yet how miserly we are as Christians to forgive others and allow redemption to flow to them.

Everywhere I turn, broken relationships, mean acts, judgment and cruel words attend every-day Christians who refuse to forgive someone. It’s interesting they always want the person whom they refused to forgive, to change. They see all the flaws of that unforgiven one. They can give you a full history of numerous acts committed against themselves. They may focus on one or two major commissions of sin against them. But no forgiveness. A frequent telltale is anger, in fact very deep anger. If you have heard their story before, you recognize the words used and the examples given. Some of these situations have a long history which you will hear. The very thing given to them to heal and restore their friend, they withhold. Forgiveness.

It is multifaceted and requires examination of every point. Forgive whomsoever you have charges against on this earth. Forgive them because they know not what they do. Forgive them because they know what they do and that very thing may have been done to them. Forgive them because they are trapped by the enemy. They don’t know a way out and they may be acting out all the works of Satan. They are trapped, both by what they have said and done. Forgive them because even though they continue on—Jesus says, forgive seventy times seven. Eventually your forgiving heart and subsequent kindness will work a work in them, a work of Jesus.

Here is another consideration. Forgive yourself. You know you have done wrong. You know you have kept the situation going. You have culpability somewhere and yet you are forgiven by God and by others. You only need to forgive yourself.

Finally Forgive God. This may be hidden but it is a very serious matter. You may have charges against God. Things didn’t happen as you expected. The thing you prayed for and waited for is still delayed. It may be a serious injury or illness or death that occurred in your life and you railed against God. Maybe finances that you expected never materialized. This group of people with charges against God may be the more seasoned believer or the more faithful follower. Forgive. This is a serious matter because it is often hidden. It is very serious because it impugns the character of God and will impact your whole walk of faith.

So there it is unforgiveness with resentment, bitterness, disquiet, anger and loneliness. All these accompany the person who will not forgive.

But Jesus forgave you.

It made you whole.

It redeemed you.

It gave you new life.

Shall you continue to withhold from others the gift given you? For if you will not forgive neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive you your trespasses. So do what Jesus did. Forgive even as you were forgiven. Forgive anyone who offends you. Remember the Lord has forgiven you, so you must forgive others.

There is an unrecognized outcome of not forgiving. The enemy secures a stronghold for himself. We have often prayed over individuals where the strongholds of the enemy have crushed the spirit and destroyed relationships. Whether a marriage relationship, a father and son, or a mother and daughter, demonic forces have had dominion in the life of an avowed Christian. We have rebuked demons and spirits and seen the evidence of the cleansed individual.

Not much time passes then we see again the same works of the devil we had previously seen. We had confidence that we spoke with power and authority when we rebuked those evil spirits. And they had departed. We saw the person in their right mind for a time then seemingly the same spirits returned.

I saw the ground they came in on. They continually return to occupy ground not yielded to the Lord. They came in on the ground of unforgiveness. As long as the person refused to get right with God and forgive people in their lives, the enemy could return.

Lets use a picture to help understand this idea. Think of a room in your house that was occupied (by a spirit) but is emptied out. You still go into this room to stew and mope against your favorite unforgiven target, maybe a husband or a wife. Now you have given an invitation to the enemy to return to the formerly emptied room. You are in his space pursuing the same bitter angry accusations, so the devil returns. Even though Satan has been rebuked, you go back to that old place in your mind or heart and complain.

I’ve said before you must forgive. Jesus stretched out his arms on a cross and said to the Father: Forgive Them. And so we were forgiven. We have no right to withhold forgiveness to others. Jesus bore the sins of the whole world. You won’t even acknowledge your own sin and you are letting the enemy make a vessel of you and all because you will not forgive. You have prevented yourself from entering the kingdom and you are a stumbling block to the unforgiven husband or wife or child.

Think it over. You have prayed for others to change. You may have fasted, prayed and waited many years for a change. You—the one who won’t forgive are the impediment to your friends deliverance. Forgive! And everyone gets a new life, you and them. Then move into that unoccupied “room” we spoke of earlier and set up your prayer bench. Occupy that room with prayer and praise and thanksgiving. Occupy the ground in love. It never fails.