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The Forgiveness Factor

Forgiveness plays a vital role for the entire human being, their body, soul, and spirit. The Holy Bible clearly points out that our mental and spiritual health affects our physical health, and vice-versa, as you will soon see below.

There is no sin that God will not forgive if we come to Him with a broken heart, and a soft and willing spirit. Perhaps you may feel that you have committed Blasphemy Of The Holy Spirit or maybe you had a special operation that changed your gender. I FEEL THERE IS HOPE! GOD IS A VERY MERCIFUL GOD!

Applying the Forgiveness Factor through the Scriptures outlined below will help you overcome depression, avoid the desires of suicide, and other psychological problems. Cycles of sin can be broken such as child abuse, spousal abuse, verbal abuse, child molestation, vengeance, and much more.

Prayerfully consider the insights below, trusting Jesus to remove the hurt, bitterness, and pain you may be experiencing.

petemacinta@yahoo.com, pastortalk@iname.com

Steps In The Forgiveness Factor:

Let God Forgive You

Let YOU Forgive You

Let Yourself Forgive Others

LET GOD FORGIVE YOU

You may feel that whoever you are and whatever you have done that God will not forgive you. First, let me present to you what God Himself says in the Holy Bible about forgiveness. The Scriptures listed below should begin to clear your mind and open the way for you to receive the wonderful forgiveness that God offers to all of us. Remember that we are all "in the same boat", we were all born sinners (Romans 3:10) and to God, basically sin is sin (see James 2:10-11).

"If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord who could stand?
But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared."
Psalm 130:3-4

NOTE THAT . . .

***It seems that God does not keep a record of sins. Checking the context of this Psalm, viz. v. 5, you see that a condition for this is alluded to. In Revelation 20, at the Last Judgment, those who did not know God in a personal way will be consigned to the Lake Of Fire and Brimstone. Their names were not found in The Book of Life and therefore a record of their works is referred to that reveals that their lives were controlled by sin.

***God will not keep a record of your sins if you truly meet the conditions of verse 5 -
"I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His Word I put my hope."

***God has forgiveness, lots of it, plenty for everyone, no matter who or what. The fact that forgiveness is an integral part of the moral attributes of God is found throughout the Holy Bible. Though He is a Holy God and hates sin, God took care of that through Jesus Christ (explained in the next Scripture).

***To fear God, in this case, means to have reverence for God, not to be afraid of Him. We must learn to love Him.

Remember!-These Scriptures are The Word Of God,

. . . and God surely keeps His Word

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins
and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9

***Confess your sins directly to God, you do not need a go-between (priest, minister, rabbi, etc.).

***."..He is faithful..."-When God makes promises, He keeps them. When He makes a statement, you know it is true.

***."..and just..."-He is just because the penalty for sin was paid for by Jesus Christ Who is 100% God and 100% man. He experienced every type of temptation and problem that you and I face. He was victorious because He did not give in to sin. You may think that it was easy for Him to be victorious since He was God, but Philippians 2, along with other Scriptures, indicate that Jesus chose not to "operate" from His Godhood, but chose to be led of the Holy Spirit just like we need to be. On the cross He became sin for us (2 Cor 5:21) that we might take on His victorious life. Jesus, being very God yet very man, was able to pay the price for sin for everyone past, present, and future.

***STOP AND THINK! Have you committed adultery, child abuse, murder, ... do you hold a grudge? Jesus became that sin. He took these upon Himself so that you might live victoriously. While on the cross, Jesus took the guilt and punishment for all your sins. That is why God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins.

Help yourself to think of it this way- fill in this blank:" Jesus took my sin/s of ________, and He wants to give me His victorious life."

***The cleansing effect is through His shed blood and His resurrected life.

***In A Nutshell . . . It was all done for us! We do not have to do any good works to have our sins forgiven and get into heaven. All has been done for us! ( see Titus 3:5 )

Still Hard To Believe? Well check out this short list of sinners below. Because they were truly sorry before God, and no doubt had asked for His forgiveness, and the Scriptures indicate that they received His forgiveness. You may just be surprised at who you will see listed below.

Moses . . .Committed murder (Exo. 2:12) and disobeyed God in front of the tribes of Israel (Num. 20:1-11). Yet we know He was forgiven, for we see him on the Mount Of Transfiguration with Jesus and Elijah in the Gospels!

King David . . . Became slothful in his duties, became a voyeur, committed adultery with Bathsheba, proceeded to have her husband killed, and was directly responsible for the death of his first child by Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11 &12). Later, he numbered Israel despite God's displeasure (1 Chronicles 21). Some big sins here, but we serve a big God with a big heart of love for all of us. Ps.51 shows us David's broken and contrite heart. Other Scriptures indicate that David was a man "after God's own heart."

King Manasseth . . . Baby killer/idol worshipper. The "god" ""Molech" was an idol worshipped by Manasseth and some of the Jewish people. The images were grotesque, hollow, with arms extended, but curved downward with the base of the mouths on either side of the idol's mouth. To sacrifice to this "god", they would build a fire inside of this metal idol and wait until in got good and hot. Then people would place their children alive on the hot arms and let them roll down into the mouth of the idol for a terrible death! Innocent children! Would God forgive the killers? Read 2 Chronicles 33. Because Manasseth was sorry for his lifestyle and sought the forgiveness of God, God forgave him too! Can you see now, my friend, that God can, and wants to forgive you? Now?

God also forgave me, a
former satanist.

Would You Like To Have The Forgiveness Of God?, Then . . .

  • Be Truly Sorry For Your Sins - Your sins, our sins, caused Jesus to be mocked, tortured, and crucified! He became sin for you and me. Also, think of what sin has done to you, your family, and/or friends. If you feel the least bit sorry, focus on that. Ask God to help you to feel sorry. Let tears well up in your eyes. It is OK to cry, even if you are a man. It is good to cry. Crying has cleansing effect. Permit yourself to cry. Then, . . .

  • Ask God to forgive you. Do not be afraid of God. He made you and formed you and He surely wants to help you.
    Pray This Prayer: Father, forgive me for being a sinner. Please cleanse my heart. Root out all of the filth and heaviness. Make me clean. I ask Jesus to come into my heart. I want Jesus to be Lord and King of my life. Thank you Father for forgiving me, Amen.

    If you have meant what you just prayed, you are cleansed from your sin and are now a child of God. However, if you still feel a little uneasy, you may be in need of either forgiving yourself or others or both. If that it is the case scroll down to "LET YOU FORGIVE YOU or click here for help to forgive others.

    If you have accepted Christ at this time, see some steps in the right direction.

    LET YOU FORGIVE YOU!

    Yes, I'm trying to be a little cute here.

    Now turn in the Holy Bible to Zechariah Chapter 3. If you do not have a Holy Bible handy, I will outline the story here for you, but please read it for yourself later on. Zechariah is located in the Old Testament, between Haggai and Malachi, close to the end of the Old Testament.

    Zechariah has this vision of the current high priest, Joshua (NOT to be confused with the Joshua who God used to bring down the walls of Jericho). Joshua stood before "The Angel Of The Lord" and Satan stood at his right side to accuse him. Exactly what the devil may be doing to you at this moment. He may be telling you that you are a fool, failure, worthless, etc.. But God has better plans for us if we are humble and accept His forgiveness and salvation.

    The Angel Of The Lord then rebukes the devil. He then ordered others to take the filthy clothes off of Joshua and give him clean clothes. Clothing in God's Word often represents righteousness. Here we see God willingly takes the filthiness of sin away and gives Joshua a new righteousness. Zechariah is so excited about all this he cries out "and put a new turban on his head!."

    What does this have to do with you? Well, if you feel worthless, filthy, whatever, sometimes we think that this is God punishing us. However, oftentimes it is Satan, rubbing our face into the dirt, especially when someone has hurt us or we have participated in sin.

    At this point, realize that God loves you immensely, wants to remove the filthiness from you and replace it with His righteousness. Ask God now to forgive of anything you have done wrong. Ask Him to please remove the filthiness from you, and replace it with His righteousness, Jesus Christ, from the top of your head clear down to your feet!

    This is what God says to you!

    "I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake,
    and remembers your sin no more."
    Isaiah 43:25

    This is possible because Jesus paid the price of our sins. If God promises to forgive us this way, why should we not forgive ourselves? Only in God can we find full forgiveness.

    Before I came to know Christ, I was a terrible mess. At one point, I was a Satanist. If you feel that you need further encouragement as to whether God would forgive you or not, you may view my testimony.

    "Whoever believes in Him is not condemned,
    but whoever does not believe is condemned already
    because he has not believed in the Name of God's one and only son."
    John 3:18

    Believe on His Name now. Pray . . .

    Father I see you love me. Help me to love myself. I am truly sorry for my sins. Cleanse me. Take away all of my filthiness and all of the heaviness I feel. Please rebuke Satan for Your sake. Help me to hear only Your voice. I accept Jesus now as my Savior. I commit my all to you. Thank you for cleansing me. I love you. Amen.

    If you sense you still need a good cleansing, it may be you need to forgive others. Ask God to reveal to you whether or not you harbor unforgiveness towards others.

    If this is truly not the case, then cry out to God, making sure you are really believing His Word. Again ask God to rebuke Satan in the Name of Jesus Christ. Plead the blood of Jesus. Claim the blood of Jesus!

    If you have accepted Jesus as your Savior at this time, then go to "some steps in the right direction."

    LET YOURSELF FORGIVE OTHERS

    Very important!

    "And when ye stand praying, forgive if ye have aught against any,
    that your Father also who is in Heaven may forgive you your trespasses."
    Mark 11:25

    "For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
    But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."
    Matthew 6:14 and 15

    Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives,
    and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life,
    so that nothing will hinder your prayers.
    1 Peter 3:7
    (In reality, the converse is true, viz., "Wives, . . . be considerate . . . so that nothing will hinder your prayers.")

    There are hundreds more of Scriptures just like these. The message is very obvious. Forgive others, God forgives you. Do not forgive others, God will not forgive you.

    Though He commands us to forgive, we are still not "working our way to salvation": we still need God's help to truly forgive others.

    Ephesians 4:32 teaches us to forgive others, just like Christ forgave us. The two preceding sub-topics I mentioned above (Let God Forgive You and Let You Forgive You) touch upon how Christ forgives us.

    Yes, it is difficult at times to forgive someone else, but when we sincerely ask God, He will help us. You may have been hurt numerous times by someone, even without cause. It is part of our sinful human nature to harbor resentment, bitterness, thoughts of revenge, etc.

    Jesus lovingly desires to free us from such heaviness. Holding on to such things will make us emotionally, physically, and spiritually sick.

    Give everything over to Jesus now. You will never have real peace until you do so.

    PRAY THIS PRAYER, MEANING IT FROM YOUR HEART:

    Father, I know You love all people, including me. I'm having trouble right now forgiving [ name of person/s here ] for [ tell God what they have done or are doing to you ] . Please help me to forgive this person/ them. O God, remove the bitterness, hatred, sorrow, vengence, and any other foul thing from me, and replace it with your love. O God, cleanse me and make me whole. Help me to love this person/ these people. Forgive me for my sins and I ask Jesus into my heart to cleanse me, and make me a new creation. Thank You Jesus for coming into my heart. I love You. Amen.

    If you have prayed this prayer and meant it, you are a child of God.
    See some steps in the right direction.

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    Text ©2002 Peter Macinta, you may copy, store, redistribute, UNCHANGED in content and not for sale.


    Do You Feel That You Have Committed . . .

    Blasphemy Of The Holy Spirit?

    Many know that the "Unpardonable Sin" is often referred to as the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. Jesus has warned that those who have committed this sin will not be forgiven in this world or the next ( Matthew 12:31 ). Scriptures indicate that those who commit this sin have very hardened hearts. The very fact that you are here taking the time to read this is a pretty good sign that you have not committed this sin.

    However, if you still feel that you have committed this sin, in my opinion, as I look at the Scriptures as a whole, the situation is not hopeless.

    I feel that the Unpardonable Sin can be likened unto the following example:

    If someone jumps off of a bridge to kill themselves, they most likely will not be rescued unless they want to be rescued.

    Hebrews 6:4-6 seems dismal for those who have turned their back from God, but it is always good to read on. I see some hope in verses 7 and 8 which states that the thorns and thistles are in danger of being burned. Note that it does not say that they will be burned, just that they are in danger of being burned. If you were once a Christian and have gotten away from God, scroll down to "For Backsliders Only."

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    For Backsliders Only

    Sometimes when Christians repeatedly, willfully sin, they feel that "they have pushed the limit" and can never come back to God again. Often Hebrews 6:4-6 is thought of and the picture there does seem quite bleak. However, I see a glimmer of hope in verses 7 and 8, which refers to the thorns and thistles as being in danger of being burned.. I notice that it says that they are in danger of being burned, not that they will be burned. We have a very merciful God.

    Now if you were once a Christian, and deep inside you want to come back to your Father, the Scripture gives us much hope. No doubt you feel terrible. You feel like you could never do anything for God again. This is the Devil breathing down your back. He does not want you to return to God. When Satan tells you these things, think to yourself "Alright. I am backslidden, but I know that God is a good and merciful God." Then read this . . .

    "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord."
    Psalm 150:6

    That includes unsaved people too! Go ahead and do it. God deserves it. Do it now. Sing to God. Make yourself do it. Also . . .

    "Come near to God and He will come near to you."
    James 4:8

    "THIS IS A PROMISE FROM GOD! BELIEVE IT!

    Keep reading the Word of God and keep following the first step above (Praising God Anyhow).

    Keep in mind if God has told us to forgive others multitudes of times ( Matthew 18:22 ), how much more willing will He be to forgive us. Go to the top now and read "Let God Forgive You" for additional help.

    Yes, I believe there is hope for you even if you had a sex change, or are homosexual, or have AIDS. I even believe God can heal you from AIDS. The Holy Bible addresses homosexuality directly. You must turn to God and turn completely away from it. As far as those that have had a sex change, although there is no direct reference to this in the Holy Bible, I'm sure Jesus knew that these things would occur and there are other Scriptures that lay out principles that these people can also be saved and that certain actions may have to follow after they become saved. If you are one such person and you do become saved, seek out a God fearing Holy Bible believing minister for additional guidance.

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    Text ©2002 Peter Macinta, you may copy, store, redistribute, UNCHANGED in content and not for sale.