Unforgiveness Unites One with Unforgiving Consequences (Part 3)
“..and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not everyone his brother their trespasses.” - Matthew 18:34-35 (KJV)
To recap, in Matthew 18:21-35, a servant who owed a substantial amount of money to his master was forgiven with a magnanimous measure of mercy. However he did not measure out the same mercy from which he had benefited. Instead of reciprocating the love and mercy that he had received, he willfully walked in wickedness toward another servant that owed him a minuscule amount of money. He physically assaulted the servant (grabbed him by the throat) and when the servant fell on his knees and begged for mercy, the servant’s plea for patience parked him immediately in prison. When fellow servants witnessed what went down they shared with the master what the wicked servant had done to a peer.
The master that had moved in mercy was now jacked with judgment. The word of God states that he delivered the wicked, unforgiving servant over to be tortured!
“We incur greater wrath by refusing to forgive than by all the rest of our indebtedness." - Charles Haddon Spurgeon, The Gospel of the Kingdom: A Popular Exposition of the Gospel
I submit to you that God delivers the unforgiving over to tormentors. I suggest that these tormentors are personal afflictions and spiritual and emotional dynamics such as demonic oppression (1 Samuel 16:14-15), depression, bitterness, and other disquieting influences which biblically I refer to as vexation of the body and soul (Psalm 6:3; Job 27:2b). Vexation in scriptures is described as being disturbed, dismayed, terrified, and anxious. This is a direct result of disobedience to the divine call to forgive.
Now it is important to note that this passage is not promoting salvation from sin. What our Lord has in mind is one's fellowship with the Lord. Intimacy and fellowship with God is nonexistent when we engage in unforgivenesss with others. When we choose not to forgive those that sin against us our prayers and sacrifices to God are a noxious odor as opposed to a sweet smelling fragrance!! So it is only right that God will not hear our prayers (Psalm 66:18).
The hard truth that can soften a hard head and heart is that if you believe that your intimacy and fellowship with the Lord is not adversely affected when you choose to not forgive, you are fixed in falsehood. Your feel good faith is a fantasy, your deceptive heart has dumped you in delusion and you are bound by ropes of rebellion.
You cannot be close to God when you have closed the door of forgiveness for others.
God calls us to forgive and be merciful kind and tender to those that wound and injure us (Ephesians 4:32)!
A deliberate decision of unforgiveness dismisses the immeasurable vast and deep ocean of the Father's love, mercy and forgiveness that God has delivered to us with the death of His Son.
If you harbor unforgiveness, repent and confess your contemptible spirit to the Lord and loose yourself from the ball and chains of unforgiveness or you will be delivered over to tormentors sent by God.
NOT A SERMON BUT A THOUGHT
- PBKSr.