Forgiving an offender does not dismiss the "wrongness" of what they did. It was wrong; and it is still wrong. Forgiveness does not say that what was done to you was ok. Most importantly, forgiveness does not belittle the pain & misery you went through.What forgiveness DOES Do is take away the "wrong" your enemy would use against YOU to make you miserable, sick, afraid and angry. Your Savior has made the way for you to be free of the misery, the fear, the anger and weight of the offense. The way He has made does not cost you anything. He has paid in full to take away that very offense that is weighing you down and wearying you. The word for the way He has made for you to be free is the Greek word "teleo". It has a several meanings that are very important to you, but the meaning I would like to share with you today is "paid in full". John 19:30 says that at the cross, Jesus cried out, "It is finished!" It is "teleo"-paid in full!
Most of us have accepted that Christ "paid in full" for ALL of our sins (past ones, present ones, AND future ones)-that is the "good news"...that is the gospel of Jesus Christ. But, Christ paid for MORE than just your sins. He also paid for ALL the sins that have been done against you! He paid to carry away from you the burden of that hurt. He "bore/carried" our sins 1Peter 2:24 and the "our" includes yours and theirs). He bore these in His own body on the cross when He "was made to be sin" for you so you could be made righteous.(2Cor5:21) He paid in full for the sin they did against you so you would not have to pay for it OR exact payment from them. You can be out from under the burden this very moment; and you don't have to wait until they have apologized or changed or made it right with you.
You can accept Christ's payment for the wrong done to you and go free from the prison and burden of carrying those offenses yourself! Freedom is YOURS!- bought & paid for by Christ Himself!- the offenses carried & borne AWAY from you by your Savior. Let Him carry the burden, accept His payment in full for the debt owed you. Declare along with Christ, "It is finished!" Say out loud, "It is paid in full and I accept Christ's payment for that debt. I give over to Him the burden of that debt, the care of it, the anger & resentment, the hurt, the fear, the ugliness of it. I accept the freedom to walk out from under the Enemy's plan to snare me & weigh me down with that person's sin against me. Never again will I let my enemy talk to me about that debt, I will simply remind him & myself.."teleo"paid in full!
Tomorrow tune in to find out the "device" your enemy has crafted to talk you out of your freedom and lead you back into the prison of offense. Learn how to stay free!
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