The Transformation Of The Heart Through Forgiveness

Ken

Without forgiveness, how could the family even function? Every one of us have a different background, a different thing we've come from a different personality, different likes and dislikes. How can we come to a place in the family where we can truly operate and function as one? Now I know it's the Holy Spirit. But I think forgiveness is a very big part of having the Holy Spirit operate in our lives. I think there's a very definite reason why Jesus said; When you stand to pray, the first thing you do is forgive.

Dale

Forgiveness positions us in a place where God can minister to us, He can impart to us; it puts us in a place of appropriation.

Roger

We want to be totally vulnerable. Maybe it's a vulnerability under God, maybe it's a higher realm of faith, and are making ourselves vulnerable to people and to situations that our very vulnerability becomes our immunity. But if I get defensive, even if it's only inside, nobody sees it. Where's that coming from, to make myself vulnerable, in a certain situation? Well, there's a part of me that finds that disgusting. But yet, I see all of a sudden, God's speaking here tonight, don't be afraid to be vulnerable, because your immunity and protection if you're doing it in me and under me, your vulnerability becomes your protection. You have nothing to fear. My vulnerability is probably the quickest way to see changes happen in others that they may need to change. You know, I'm I guess that's the whole revelation of forgiveness, that you forgive, so that the other person can have enough freedom to change. There's a realm of being vulnerable before God. And we don't have to fear in that realm. I can be vulnerable. I think that becomes maybe the highest expression of God's nature through us, and our confidence in God, that I can make myself open and vulnerable in situations. Maybe there's a deeper maturity, a deeper level of God's heart, that we make ourselves vulnerable under Him for His sake.

Deborah

Isn't that like when he said to lay yourself bare before Him?

Ron

God's power is perfected in weakness. Isn't it interesting that His power would be perfected in weakness, because if you're vulnerable, those are probably the areas that you feel weak in. You have no confidence.

Dale

When we talk about forgiveness, it's a place where you live as He matures us. That's one thing that He does, He lays out there's a place for you to live is closer to Me if you'll get rid of these things. If you learn to forgive, you'll come closer to Me. Because you'll learn My heart and not your own. If you want to walk and real deception, walk unforgiving, even when you know to forgive. Oh, man, he did it to me again. Who? Well, you know, so so he ripped me off again. No, you didn't leave where you were living before. You are a sitting duck, for God to say, Play It Again, Sam till he gets the idea. What is our desire to be in His presence? An unforgiving heart will never be in the presence of the Lord. A forgiving heart that you've appropriated from the Father, you've had imparted to you by your brothers and your sisters imparted to you a forgiving heart.

Ron

I'm just thinking when you're talking Dale, I don't know if this is an avenue appropriation of His nature or not. But you come to the place where you're just so sick of your nature. It's just not worth not forgiving. It's so distasteful. I don't want to waste any more of my life.

Dale

Why can I walk by myself? Why do I have to have all you Yahoo's around all the time? Why can't I do just go out into the desert and figure all this stuff out and sit there and enjoy it. Why? It's because He created us to need one another. And the stumbling block that is that we're eliminating is the lack of forgiveness.

Roger

Yep. This is in first John. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer. And you know that no murderer, has eternal life abiding in him. We know love by this, that He laid down his life for us. We ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

Dale

If you're having troubles, forgiveness, lay your life down for.

Deborah

But, how can we lay our life down unless we have the Lord imparted to us? I don't know having lay my life down, I draw in Him to be able to lay my life down. If I'm willing to be willing to die for my brother, to give everything in my heart to forgive my brother.

Ken

You can't do that without the impartation of the Father's Spirit to you. He controls all of the things, actually, that make Him happy when He imparts them to you. He's the one that's creating us. He knew us before we were born. Actually chosen before we knew about being chosen. It's an interesting concept, but God takes things that He's created, and keeps on creating us into what He wants. The Kingdom is relationships, and we will never get away from that. It's about all of us together.

Roger

Ron

I just love what you're saying, Roger. And I, I just think that at that moment that He creates, is that the moment of appropriation.

Roger

I think so. I think that term appropriation is tossed around kind of freely, you know, because I don't think we can. We can say I appropriate, but we don't really appropriate until God has prepared our spirits. And then then just like that, our spirits take it. And it's not a big to do about beating our breasts. It doesn't work. In that moment where we can choose I think instantly our spirits appropriate it. And it's done that quick.

Mike

“God being rich in mercy because of His great love with which He loved us. Even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ, by grace, you have been saved and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus in order that in the ages to come, He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” This is where we're at: the Father being so rich in His mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us. For God so loved us He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes on Him should not perish but have everlasting life.