And when He said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of anyone they are forgiven [because of their faith]; if you retain the sins of anyone, they are retained [and remain unforgiven because of their unbelief].” John 20: 22-23 AMP.
Greetings Beloved of the Lord! I trust you are still standing firm in your walk with God. May His love and mercy be upon you always.
Today I want to talk about the power of forgiving others; the act of pardoning comes with the blessing of restoring the person and allowing them to start anew in making better decisions. There is so much liberation that comes with knowing that your sins are pardoned. Therefore, it is good to let people know that you have forgiven their wrongdoing.
I grew up in a catholic church, and what I used to enjoy as an eleven-year-old was the time of confession, kneeling in front of the priest and confessing all those silly sins of stealing cookies and sweets from my grandmother’s cookie jar. My highlight always came when the priest declared me free of those sins. I would walk out of that room with so much joy and understanding that God had forgiven me. That was a point of restoration and starting afresh for me.
Even though I was still a young girl, those words made so much difference in my life in general. That knowledge empowered me to be a good girl and stay away from any form of mischievousness. Had the priest retained my sins, I would walk around feeling guilty; that would have brought so much condemnation in my life, and I would not have continued to grow into this woman I have become.
It is important to set people free and let them know that you have released them by the power of forgivenes.
When we retain sins, we are binding the lives of people from progressing and moving forward. Their lives become imprisoned until you set them free. The sad part is that you also bind your life along with them. They will not experience hardship alone; you also will join in their suffering; you will become one with them until you set them free.
We learn about this matter in Matthew chapter 18, verses 21-35; When a man refused to forgive others shortly after receiving forgiveness from his master. As a result, he received the very same harsh punishment he issued to his fellow brethren. The same condemnation, he gave to his fellow servant was also bestowed upon him because he could not show the same kindness he received from the master.
The most important thing about forgiving others is that, as you release them, you are also setting yourself free. That allows the work of the Holy Spirit to begin to bring healing and restoration. As they gain the freedom to start afresh, you also receive the liberty to move forward-leaning on the Lord Jesus.
May I encourage you this day to take the necessary time and call people who have wronged you in the past or recently and let them know that you are willing to forgive them! May you resolve within yourself to forgive and let go of the hurt and allow God to transform their lives, and also watch God as He takes you to another level of transformation in your life.
In Pursuit of My First Love 
Forgiveness is a really big deal. I start the day with “I will accept God’s forgiveness and will let go of … ”
Thanks for the encouragement.
Blessings.
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That is so beautiful; I like how you start your day by removing anything that might hinder your prayer and your time spent in the presence of God. I will also apply this in my morning prayers- Many blessings to you, brother Michael.
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To God be the glory. This is so true.
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Amen
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Amen! Great post, there truly is power and liberation in the forgiveness of sins! God bless
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Amen 🙏🏾
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Hi Zama-Zoe. The Roman Catholic church claims mortal sins can only be forgiven by its ordained priests while also dichotomously teaching that all other religionists, including Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and even atheists are also able to merit Heaven. Only God forgives sins through salvation in Jesus Christ. There are no priests or confession booths found in the New Testament church.
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Greetings Tom
Thank you for stopping by and taking the time to read this post; I genuinely appreciate you. Part of me felt a little bit sad as I read your comment because you did not get the context of this post. This post is not about the salvation of souls; but about releasing people who have wronged you. It has nothing to do with having your soul saved, and the post was not meant for the sinners, the people of the world, but it is more for us believers who are born again; and washed in the blood of the Lamb, hence the salutation.
I was raised in a catholic church but was never a stout catholic, I got served at the age of nine years at school, and when I told my grandmother, She told me never to utter that kind of word ( Salvation) in our house. So I continued in the catholic till I was in my twenties. However, while in catholic I used to encounter God in a way that only God could understand. For that reason, I am very patient and very kind to people who are still perishing. And I am very accommodating because God waited many years for me to grasp the message of the cross, and of which I was able at the end to stand up against my family and tell me that I was born again.
I have written a book on the subjects of false churches, my supernatural encounter with God in those false churches, and how God set me free and delivered me. Kindly buy this book, also available on Amazon; I share how my mother responded when I told them I had accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B087D536P7 – The Wide Path
May God be with you and bless you and your family as we labor in His vineyard!
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Thanks, Zama-Zoe, for clarifying. It wasn’t altogether clear from your post if you were endorsing auricular confession of sins to RC priests or not.
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You are right, I also realized that. I will be more cautious next time, I have learned my lesson
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It was after I told my father that I forgave him that he then accepted Christ
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Wow! What a mighty God we serve! That touched my heart, that act of forgiveness allowed your father to see God for who He Is; and opened a path for the salvation of his soul. We give all the glory to God for using you to win a soul for the kingdom. May God continue to use you for His glory. This minister to me; Thank you for sharing your testimony and many blessings to you.
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Great read! Unforgiveness stagnates our walk with God! When we set others free, we get liberated as much!
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Greetings Mary! You are right! I wish many could have this kind of revelation, It will bring a lot of peace and rest in their lives, and they will experience growth in all aspects of life. Thank you so much for stopping by and taking the time to read- Many blessings.
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Such a great and powerful message! I speak a lot about the importance of forgiveness and how it’s helped in my growth in various ways. Thank you for sharing.
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Amen!Amen! Indeed; Forgiveness does open a path of personal growth, especially in our walk with Christ. Thank you so much for stopping by and taking the time to read; I genuinely appreciate you- Many blessings.
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Grateful God has saved you!
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Amen!
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And amen!
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Forgiveness is the key for Jesus says in the Lord’s prayer (should be renamed ‘The Believer’s Prayer’): “Pray like this: Our Father who is in heaven, uphold the holiness of your name. Bring in your kingdom so that your will is done on earth as it’s done in heaven. Give us the bread we need for today. Forgive us for the ways we have wronged you, just as we also forgive those who have wronged us. And don’t lead us into temptation, but rescue us from the evil one. “If you forgive others their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you don’t forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your sins.”
Matthew 6:9-15 CEB
I recently had something happen in my life where constant forgiveness is the only thing that proves fruitful. If not, then I would still had my mind focused on revenge and not pleasing God.
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We give all glory and honor to God for giving you an obedient heart, and your reward will come from the Lord Jesus. May the Lord Jesus heal you and restore you; I can sense that it was hard, but your love for God helped you to forgive. Thank you so much for sharing your powerful testimony; may you continue to abide in Him and allow Him to fight all your battles. Thank you so much for stopping by and taking the time to read- Many blessings to you.
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It is not in the recent past but still going on. There are times when I want revenge, but I go back to the verse where it says, “Revenge is Mine,” saith the Lord (Rms. 12:19 CEB). Please pray for me as I go through this hard time.
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