Episode 10: Forgiveness is the key to a total cleanse

 Hello friends, and welcome to a podcast dedicated to your personal growth journey alongside my personal insights. This episode asks: How is it possible that forgiveness is a powerful key towards a total cleanse? We explore the benefits of seeking forgiveness and repentance after committing a mistake. Why holding on to grudges is like living in bondage. How forgiveness then leads to the truth, thanks to God. Learn how to forgive, let it go, and experience true healing and freedom in truth. 

Transcript

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Is it possible that forgiveness is a powerful key towards a total cleanse? Why is it healthy to seek forgiveness and repentance after committing a mistake? Why is it good to receive forgiveness from someone who hurt you? Most of the time, we don't think too much about this, and yet somehow it feels like we carry guilt, a grudge, or shame by not letting go. Not forgiving is almost like carrying a break around, hoping that life would somehow shift, but nothing happens until someone makes the move. Hello and welcome back to Wisdom Encounters Over Coffee, the show where we talk about the complications of a faith journey and how you can improve today to make your tomorrow a little better. My name is Peter, and on today's episode, we'll be discussing the power of forgiveness and repentance, and why they are a crucial step towards personal freedom. If you like what you hear and feel inspired, don't forget to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell. Not listening on YouTube, don't worry, as the show is also available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you listen to your podcasts. With that being said, get some coffee, grab your nearby Bible, and let's dive in, shall we? Why is forgiveness and repentance an important part of our healing journey? First of all, we have to understand the nature behind this. As believers, we must be merciful towards the people who are misguided around us, the people who have hurt us, or the people we have hurt. As it is written in Colossians 3, verses 12 through 13, since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tender-hearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. God forgives us for our sins, and we have no right to judge others for their sins. Picture Jesus when he died on the cross and he said, Forgive them, Father, for they do not know what they're doing. He suffered so much just so we can live another day. But Peter, you're telling me, why forgive all the wretched scum of the world who have thrown so much dirt in my life? Those who have betrayed us, those who have stolen from us, and those who perhaps have committed an unforgivable crime against our lives. Why forgive them? Well, yes, it is true that there are very difficult circumstances that go beyond an apology letter, and we must not allow this to affect our personal walk with God and carry a break around. Ask yourself this. God allowed all of this insane amount of torture to befall on his one and only Son, just so that he can save us from our sins. Forgive them, Lord, for they do not know what they are doing. This is probably one of the greatest complications as a believer. One complication most disagree with, as they want the person who hurt them to suffer a worst fate than them. What if I told you that in the act of not forgiving, you are carrying a backpack full of bricks, a backpack full of clutter, and my goodness, is it a heavy backpack? But you ask, why is it that I would carry such a thing if all I want to do is give them hell and want them to suffer more than me. Well, my dear listener, let's have a look at John 20, verse 23. If you forgive anyone's sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven. Consider it like this: things aren't about getting even. Holding grudges only affects your own mental health. You tend to hurt yourself even more if you begin to walk through a dark path of vengeance. If you begin to allow the spirit of victimization to affect you and hurt you, even if the other person never forgives you for what you have done, you have forgiven them. We don't have any right to control our neighbors' lives. We only have the right to control our own minds, thoughts, actions, and decisions. We forgive. Then a chain is cut loose and torn in half of our own lives. Should the other person never accept your apology, it's not on you anymore because you already asked for forgiveness. Now they have to accept the apology so that they can be free. The ball is on their court now, and chances are that they may eventually accept or they probably won't. However, so long as you have done the work to set yourself free, that is the first step to freedom. Freedom from self-infliction, freedom from fear, and freedom from shame. This is a step that leads to peace, but you won't always get the good ending in your relationship. Chances are that you will never speak to them again. And sometimes that's for the best, because sometimes God allows bad things to happen to good people just to protect their hearts, because that's how much he loves us, folks. What if you're the one waiting for an apology? What if your neighbor never asked you for forgiveness? How should we then proceed? In Matthew 6, verses 14 through 15, it is written, If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your father will not forgive you for your own sins. Most of the time, we think that if they don't forgive us, then why should we ever forgive them for hurting us? Why do we have to make the move when clearly it is them who have to forgive us, regardless as to whether you'll ever get the apology or not? You should never have to wait till they ask you for forgiveness. You should always forgive for your own part of the mistake or conflict. Cuz if you're not free, how can you ever expect the other person to comply? Granted, in some cases, they won't comply. They'll stay silent and they may talk behind your back, creating more harm than good. Should that bother you? Absolutely not. It is the worst case scenario, but not often the default. So long as you have apologized, brought it up to the Lord, and repented, then you are slowly breaking the chains off of your own life. You are not responsible for their lives, only yours. Do not let the enemy steal energy from you. Chances are that you haven't tried to seek out for an apology, that you are living lost, shameful, and tied up. This isn't the truth, and living in the truth will set you free, as it is written in 1 John 1, verses 6 through 7. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God, but go living in spiritual darkness. We are not practicing the truth, but if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other. And the blood of Jesus, his son, cleanses us from all sin. The more you live in the darkness, the more you beat yourself up, the more you encounter all sorts of pain. Energy gets stolen, and all you feel is empty and depressed as much as a couch potato. What does this have to do with forgiveness, you might ask? Well, forgiveness is a key step to breaking the bondage of emotions, giving you freedom, and oftentimes is also revealing the truth. Whether it's your fault or not, Jesus always reveals the truth in the middle of the darkness. It's time to let go of it all with the truth revealed, whether it stings or leaves you torn into pieces. Know that God allows things to happen for the sake of your own growth. Praying and bringing everything up to Him will bring in so much peace. Such is the case in Mark 11, verses 24 through 25. I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you received it, it will be yours. But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins too. Ladies and gentlemen, freedom starts with forgiveness, and forgiveness leads to truth. Once you develop a personal relationship with Christ, life begins to shift, a cleanse begins to take over the mind, heart, and soul. Clean yourself up, invite him to your problems, and he will bring in peace everlasting. He will shine a light in the truth, but that truth isn't always pretty. Ephesians 4, verse 31 through 32 says, Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. The cleanse starts here, folks. The more you let go of your clutter, your garbage, and allow God to do his work to clean you, life begins to shift. He loved us so much that he allowed his one and only son to be sacrificed for our own sins. He could have stopped it. He could have ended the world with a snap of a finger, but he didn't allow fate to change. He loved us so much. He allowed so many bad things to happen. We may never understand a thing, but only he does. That's how beautiful God's love and God's mercy really is. To end this session, let's have a look at Luke 17, verses 3 through 4. So watch yourself. If another believer sins, rebuke that person. Then if there is repentance, forgive. Even if that person wrongs you seven times a day, and each time turns again and asks for forgiveness, you must forgive. Forgiving is hard and very much not a common factor in the nature of this world. We think that just because we fight, we carry conflict, that there is never a resolution until we get even. This is wrong. And you should forgive. Forgive those who have hurt you. Forgive those who have stolen things from you. Forgive those who have lied to you, who have betrayed you, and have been hiding so many things for you. Forgive, and you will be set free from your own pain. Ladies and gentlemen, forgiveness is not an easy subject to talk about, but it is something that we must reflect. No matter what walk of life you're in, no matter what issue happened, no matter who said what to who, forgiveness is the key to freedom. Wow. Thank you, Jesus, so much for this time. Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for this day. Thank you, Lord, for this topic on forgiveness. I just pray for the listener on the other side of the device to please bless them, keep them, make your face shine upon them and give them so much peace, love, and joy. I just pray for the lives. I just pray, Lord, that you can highlight people in their lives who they need to forgive if they just bring them up, bring them up in their lives, highlight them and show them who they need to forgive and who they need to move on from. Because Jesus, you allow certain people in our lives to come in and bless us, but also to test and challenge us to help us grow into the person that you have called us to be. Thank you, Jesus, for this beautiful session, this beautiful episode. I just pray, Lord, that you can just bless the person on the other side of the screen, give them so much peace, love, and joy, and forgive them for their sins. Thank you, Jesus. In your name we pray. Amen. Wow. Thank you very much for listening to this very special episode of Wisdom Encounters Over Coffee. If you like what you heard, don't forget to like, subscribe, and leave a comment as to what word impacted you the most. What is it that forgiveness means to you? How can you set yourself free? Be sure to type that down in the comments. And don't worry, if you're listening to the show on a platform outside of YouTube, you can always come by and visit the channel and type in your comment. Thank you so much for your time. God bless and have a wonderful day.