See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled. Hebrews 12:15.
Today your LORD (יהוה) God (אלוהים) says:
The path of life is the path of forgiveness.
Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. “But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:17-21.
I often speak of forgiveness. My Son even put it into your basic pattern for prayer, “And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” He is commanding you to speak forgiveness over yourself and others. And I tell you that if you do not forgive others, I cannot forgive you.
Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions.” Mark 11:25-26.
You set the standard of whether you consider the Blood enough to take out sin and pay you in full for anything anyone did against you. You see, I forgive you by the Blood of Jesus and I ask you forgive others as I do you. By the Blood.
Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:29-32.
Unforgiveness, bitter words, evil intentions towards another, hatred and ill will, all grieve the Holy Spirit in you by whom I have sealed you for the day of redemption, the giving of your glorified body. These are of the flesh of the “old you,” that is, who you were before you confessed Jesus as your Lord and became a new creation in Him. You should be walking in newness of life, which is freedom from all that would hold you back from the amazing plan I have for your life.
Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord. 1 Peter 2:1-3.
It is the Holy Spirit that I put in you that quickens your mortal body and leaps up to eternal life, but you quench and grieve him with the driving force of unforgiveness that can ruin your life and the lives of those around you. Be careful what others are feeding you and planting into your heart when you listen to hate-filled, bitter, unforgiving words.
Why is forgiveness so very important? I will tell you why in one word: slavery. When you cannot forgive someone and that becomes a bitter root in your life that is looming up before your eyes constantly, that hinders you from receiving from Me and going forward to your high calling in Christ. Your heart is not free but entangled with that other person’s image and domineering nature. It puts you in slavery, absolute bondage to that other person because you just cannot get them out of your mind. No matter where you turn it is like a veil of darkness blocking you from true fellowship with Me and others. The threat to your freedom and happiness continues to confront you constantly even in the absence of the other.
It should not be like this with My children for you are partakers of My Nature and I forgive. In other words, no action of man or angel puts Me into slavery to that evil. I am unentangled. How? I walk in the freedom of love. And that is the freedom of My children, the children of God.
For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. Romans 8:19-23.
Unforgiveness is relentless. It will pursue you all day and be under all you face. As soon as you let it into your heart, it grows like weeds that choke off any good seed. It makes you like the fruitless fig tree that was only cluttering up the ground. It robs you of joy and hangs over you like a dark and threatening cloud that holds no life giving rain.
Jacob’s son Joseph was hated by his brothers. They had unforgiveness towards him because of his favored position with their father. They just could not get him off their minds and it colored their whole lives so that they were very unfruitful compared to Joseph. And as is often the case in families, the very one they hated, were jealous of, and could not forgive for his excellence became the one that had to care for them and carry them through life. They sought to put him in slavery to them but that was never the case for his heart was free of unforgiveness though you know in his long years as a slave and in prison the devil tried to plant it there. Then the devil would have taken down the descendants of Jacob though the bitter roots of unforgiveness. But Joseph carried them through, the man who knew how to never let unforgiveness get a hold in his heart.
When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph bears a grudge against us and pays us back in full for all the wrong which we did to him!” So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father charged before he died, saying, ‘Thus you shall say to Joseph, “Please forgive, I beg you, the transgression of your brothers and their sin, for they did you wrong.”’ And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” And Joseph wept when they spoke to him. Then his brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your slaves.” But Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in God’s place? 2As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive. So therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.” So he comforted them and spoke kindly to them. Genesis 59:15-21.
They were slaves to Joseph even while he was out of their lives for thirteen years. They knew he was not dead. He was like a dark cloud of that hatred that filled their lives and choked off their fruitfulness. And if you are wondering, that too is a meaning of the dream Joseph had long before it was realized in his brothers bowing down to him as ruler in Egypt to obtain food, what he saw in his dreams as a teenager was how their hatred and unforgiveness of him put them in slavery to him in their hearts long before.
That did not stop Joseph, however, all are blessed by one who loves. My sun shines on the good and the bad, My refreshing, life-giving rains fall on the just and the unjust. The one who can forgive has the upper hand. The one who cannot is in bondage even now.
If you want to walk in freedom, learn how to forgive. Learn from your Teacher Jesus. There is no rest for the wicked, come to Him to find rest, He is the Lord your righteousness.
“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30.
Satan tries to blind your eyes to love and keep you trapped in hating and being hateful, blaming the other person for your not walking in love. But, you, child of God that you are, are set free of all that, released by the Blood of Him who loves you and gave His life that you might live the abundant life that He does. And remember the standard you use on others, I must use on you. That is a spiritual law. The Blood is enough ransom for you all. And you must forgive yourself as well or you will be the slave of your flesh. Think about that.
And one more note, bitter roots wind around, twine around, and seal over the door to your heart so that although I am showering you with showers of blessing, and every good thing and perfect gift from on High in Christ, you do not receive them. Why? They are all piled outside your door trying to get in, but the door is shut tight and you will not rise up and open it by pulling out the bitter roots.
I love you. Forgiveness puts you above with Christ at My right hand. Come claim all that I have given you in Christ, which includes a pure heart, free from malice and bitter roots. How do I do not? I pour My love into your heart by the gift of My Holy Spirit. Drink. When that dark spirit of unforgiveness, hate, bitterness, and fear of the other comes upon you put it under your feet and tread right over it as you put on the garment of praise instead of that spirit of heaviness and sing for joy under My wings. Unforgiveness will lock you in darkness and weigh you down with chains. Remember how Paul and Silas got released from their chains in the dark prison in Philippi? Yes, singing hymns and praying in the Spirit. Learn from them.