Thank you so much for tuning in and Welcome everyone – Hope you’re well!  I’m your host, Ben Lively, and you’re listening to “Shaken Awake” – Episode #46!  

 

I just want to thank you for tuning in with us today, wherever you are and whatever you’re doing right this very moment.  It means everything to me to share the messages that God’s lays on my heart to share.  

 

And, as always, I promise you another great show – But, more than anything, my HOPE for you today, and always, is that you have an actual encounter with the Lord, not just another podcast episode.   

 

And, if you find ANY value in these episodes, would you take 1-2 minutes to pass the word to at least one person you know to help spread the show to other’s that you feel could benefit.   It takes a couple minutes, yes, but it allows word of mouth to spread for others to know that there’s thumbs up that this show, out of the millions out there, is something worth taking a listen to.  Perhaps they’re relationship with Christ will strengthen as a result.  God works in so many ways, this is but one of them.

 

So, without further delay, let’s get ready to invite God in with us, right here, right now and allow Him to speak directly to your heart and minds.   

 

So, today’s topic is: “God Will Not Forgive You If You Do Not Forgive Everyone!”

 

I don’t know about you, but just hearing that out loud gets my attention.  It’s like, we know God forgives, unconditionally, to those that are repentant – but we don’t often think of the fact that it’s a two-way street.  At least I don’t.  We can often forget and many actually do not know, there are more than double the amount of do’s and don’ts in the NT than there are in the OT!  Over 1,100 to be exact!  Yes, I’m dead serious!  We see God as an all-forgiving God without the responsibilities of doing His will, which is multi-faceted, or multi-pronged.  One of them is to forgive others.   I know, I know, that’s easy, right?  I just say, I forgive them and all’s good. But the question really is:  When God looks directly into your heart, which the Bible says He does – in fact, that’s all he looks at and the motives and desires of your heart…. does He see pure forgiveness?  To take it just a stretch further, is there anyone in your life you truly haven’t, 100% forgiven?  I’m not talking about forgetting them or perhaps forgetting what they did, but purely forgiving them – erasing their debt from your life?  Now, that’s a more difficult and thought-provoking question to answer, is it not?  I would expect it to be!  It’s one most never think about, answer, and unfortunately, do.  And that is, forgive everyone as your Father in Heaven has forgiven you.  

You know, I saw a really good, relatable quote from Mark Twain the other week that caught my attention.  You may have heard it – it goes, “Worrying is like paying a debt you don’t owe.”  Another is just like it and perhaps equally or more damning – this one from Marianne Williamson – it goes, “Unforgiveness is like drinking poison yourself and waiting for the other person to die.”

 

The reason I use both quotes is that they both are self-fulfilling prophecies that we do to ourselves by not forgiving.  We inflict the additional damage on ourselves, not realizing this compound the issues stemming from the original acts that cause the unforgiveness to begin with.  It’s a double-death!  Here’s the third-death and the worse death we get from unforgiveness that most don’t know, or don’t realize – God does not and will not forgive our sins unless we forgive others!  Yes, it’s true and here is the scripture to back this up – 

 

Matt. 6:14 “For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

Matt. 6:15 “But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.

 

 

When we repent and confess our sins, as a believer, the Lord will grant us relief from His discipline, but Jesus says in Matthew 6 that if a believer is so hardhearted that he or she withholds forgiveness in earthly relationships, then the Lord will withhold His forgiveness for that person's sins as well, which means the Lord will visit earthly discipline against such a hardhearted believer.

 

Did you know this?  I never knew, until I began reading my Bible and once I got to this verse, must’ve read this about 10 times in a row until I started scrolling through my rolodex of people (some of you don’t even know what that is!  LOL – it’s a directory, or a list), of people that perhaps I didn’t fully forgive.  It made me take a deeper dive into my heart and mind and I determine, while I was no longer “angry” at most or I had forgotten about them, I had never truly given them my full, 100%, true forgiveness.  And yes, a couple of them, my blood pressure still raised at simply the mentin or hearing of their names.  So, forgiveness was definitely not there.  You know what?  Forgiveness was nowhere to be found, then, for me either!  Let that sink in (pause)…..

 

“For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” “But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.”

 

I cannot forget that to this day.  Each time I get annoyed or I feel anger, resentment, or tensions arrives, I think of this verse.  How then, can I NOT forgive them?  It doesn’t mean I have to agree to or approve of the situation that occurred, it means I forgive them because it’s not them we’re fighting against anyway! Did you know that?  DO YOU KNOW THIS??  Don’t believe me or is it hard to imagine?  It says so in Ephesians 6:12 - For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  It is the constant temptation and destruction by the darkened spiritual realm that we’re coming up against.  This reminds me of one of the most powerful quotes I ever heard regarding the sins of others against us.  It put everything into perspective for me and I imagine that it will be with me the rest of my life – and I thank God for leading me to it.  It helps me forgive, it helps me TRULY forgive, it helps convict me of my own sins and the need for others to forgive me for my wrongs, as well.  It’s by an unknown source – I contribute this one to God:  it states, “Don’t judge others just because they sin differently than you.”  Now, in full disclosure, this verse was targeted towards judgement and the judging of others.  But the way in which I was convicted was to look at WHAT caused the unforgiveness and WHY they may have done what they done.  So if you take Ephesians 6:12 which helps us to understand it’s not even them we’re fighting, then you take the quote I just read, and what do you have?  It’s the ultimate equation of forgiveness.  It’s the way God intended us to look at and LOVE others’.  For who are we to not forgive them of their sins, yet expect God to forgive us of ours?  For the Bible says all sins are counted equal.  James 2:10 for instance states, “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.”  Sin is sin is sin is sin – in God’s eyes.  

 

Romans 12:17-21 

Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

1 John 1:9 

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Ephesians 4:31-32 

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, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Ephesians 4:26-27 

Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.

2 Timothy 2:23-26 

Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

Romans 12:19 

Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

Luke 6:37 

“Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven;

Mark 11:25 

And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”

Luke 7:47 

Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”

Matthew 5:44 

But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

 

And so I’ll conclude this portion with a parable that some of you may not know or may have simply forgotten, but is so vital to take with you and you remain steadfast and not veer off the narrow path.  This is Matthew 18:21-35 

The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

21 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.

23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants.  24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.  25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place.32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

 

Now I’m going to be selfish for a moment to conclude today’s show.  Besides the fact God forgives those that forgive others, there are many earthly benefits and rewards we receive on earth that are payment in forgiveness, as well.    Who listening today is proud of their entire past?  Who listening today has no regrets?  Who listening today has a chain, or even more, possibly, a handful of chains attached to you that lead to a person in your life that you have not forgiven?  That you still have bitterness, or anger, or pain, or hurt, or sadness, or hate, or unanswered questions, or haunting memories from?  Let me ask you that in a different way – is there anyone (that is one or more) that had they not hurt you in some way, either once or many times, you would be more at peace today?   I’m here to let you know, it’s not too late to have that peace.  It’s not too late to erase the pains of the past that haunt you today.  It’s not too late to erase the wrongs and be lifted up and unchained from what some would raise their hands to as literally decades of pain – GONE – in one instant!  Yes, I’m talking about in one second, all hurt – GONE!!!!  You see as Jesus stated, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)

 

We will never be able to do this alone, but thank God, literally, that we have Him who has the power to eliminate in one moment what has been burdening us for some time and for many of us, for a lifetime.   When you try to do life alone; when you try to not include God in everything, you reap the pain that comes with it.  You’re only as strong as you are – but with God, you can become as strong as He allows. One person robbed me of my childhood.  One person beat me for no reason, constantly, for many, many years.  One person who was supposed to be a protector and father-figure was the worse demon I had ever met and treated me worse than anyone in my life – in fact, all combined, has ever treated me.  That one person, who had I not fled, I would’ve killed…..is the same one I would sit and have a meal with today, and befriend and have open and honest and wholesome communication with.  In fact, I really wish I could.  It took me 34 years to figure out, that I could never do what God did for me in one moment in time.  He lifted decades of hate, pain, anguish, retaliation, fear, unforgiveness, resentment, and regret and He took it upon Himself, and took off all those chains and threw them away.  It was if, it had never happened!!!  Do I remember, if I really sit down and think about it – sure.   But my blood pressure does not elevate even 1 degree.   I have no ill feelings, I have no pain or hurt or anger.  I just want to tell that one person, I forgive them; because, I allowed God to intervene and provide what I now know to be true forgiveness, beyond the words of, “I forgive you.”  You see, once you truly forgive another person – the enemy has lost.  You get to forgive, God then also forgives you, and you have no chains that are shackling you to whatever the enemy hopes to have you chained for, for life.  You get your life back – the one God has designed for you and you get what most people attempt to obtain and buy their way to – and that is a life that is free from the enemy’s grips on your heart and mind.  He and God are always at constant battle for your soul – forgiveness helps God continue to win that battle, and it helps you to remain in the fight, and free to keep your mind and heart and body and soul moving forward towards the light and focused on the prize….the prize TRULY worth fighting for.

 

 

 

So, in closing, my final statement is this and I have no better statement than what is already written in the Bible – here’s your homework:  As it is written in Matthew 5:21-26:  You have heard that it was said to the ancients, ‘Do not murder’ and ‘Anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’  But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ (this the only passage in the Bible where the term raca is used. Raca comes from the Aramaic term reqa. It was a derogatory expression meaning “empty-headed,” insinuating a person’s stupidity or inferiority. It was an offensive name used to show utter contempt for another person. Jesus warned that the use of such a word to describe someone was tantamount to murder and deserving of the severest punishment of the law.) will be subject to the Sanhedrin (traditional court of the elders).  But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be subject to the fire of hell.

So, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.

Reconcile quickly with your adversary, while you are still on the way to court. Otherwise, he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison.  Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.

 

So, my final questions to you is this:    How many more hours or days or years do you want to remain in bondage over a person who God can help free you from in the blink of an eye?  The answer to that belongs to you and rests solely on your shoulders, or in this case, your heart and your faith in God.  Don’t wait another day!

So, before we end today’s show, I just want to thank you all again for tuning in and I HOPE you were touched by today’s message and scripture.  I’d like to ask you a favor only IF you received any value out of today’s show – would you tell at least one person you know – call them, text them, email them, talk to them – tell them to give this show a listen.  

 

Check out the show at shaken-awake.com, email me at ben@shaken-awake.com or call or text me directly for any reason at (407)-493-3208 (repeat).  If you have ideas for the show – LET ME KNOW!  If you know of someone that has an incredible testimony of coming to the Lord, and you think they would be a great guest of this show, please connect with me – I’d love to hear more.

 

Next week!!!!  Tune in Next Sunday – or WHENEVER YOU’RE ABLE, as we dive into another important topic of today, which is, “Does the World Recognize You as a Christian, or One of Them?”

Next week’s episode is another powerful and DO-NOT-MISS episode – thanks for joining!  

Until next week, take great care of yourself and each other, and God Bless You all.