Forgiveness is a Path to Freedom, Part 3

This article series was excerpted from the book Forgiveness -- A Key to Success, by Bill Krause.  This book is available for purchase by clicking here.

This article is part 3 of a series.  Click the links below to read the other articles in this series.

Part 1  |  Part 2

Just so you know right now, God warned Fred many times over the next year. God did everything imaginable to bring Fred out of his unforgiveness. The path was broad, and there were so many reasons not to forgive his boss. There was, however, one good -reason to get off the broad path: It leads to destruction. At the end of one year of unforgiveness, Fred lost his job, and his vehicles and his house had to be sold to pay debts. In one year he went from total victory to the loss of everything. Only his family; that was all he had left. Is the wide path worth it? Can we afford the luxury of unforgiveness? In the path of unforgiveness anything goes, everything seems right. Have you ever walked that wide path? Have you ever used logic, justification, and reason to place yourself on that path of destruction? Oh, it feels so good at the time. We have thought it through, and we know we are right. After all, if they had done what was right, we would not be in this mess. You know that it is all their fault.

We go on and on until we are really committed to the wide path, the path that always leads to destruction. We need to realize that we always end up hurting ourselves more than the one we refuse to forgive. Oh yes, it hurts that one who is not forgiven. They lose you. The one who refuses to forgive loses everything. Is it worth it? Can we really afford it? Not at all!

The scripture tells us the wages of sin is death. Unforgiveness is a sin. Worst of all, it separates us from God. When we are separated from God, we cannot get our best results. If we are going to receive a wage, for sure we want to receive a good wage. Forgiveness produces life; unforgiveness produces death and destruction. What is forgiveness? It is walking the narrow path. There is no room for reason, excuses, or justification. There is only one narrow path and one narrow gate to get through. There are no exceptions. It is up to me; it is up to you. No one can do it for us, and no one can keep us from doing it. It is a one person show. There are no other players on stage. No one else is in the courtroom. We are judge, jury, attorney, and recording clerk. What we decide is the decision that stands. There is no appeals court. It is entirely up to you—guilty or acquitted.

You say, "That's too hard. I can't do it." Yes you can. You can make the right decision. You can do the right thing. You have the ability on the inside of you to forgive. Reach down, grab ahold, and choose the right path. If it were easy, everybody would be doing it and everybody would get great results. It may not be easy, but it is definitely not impossible. Many have done it and have had much greater injustices than you. You may think not, but when you get done forgiving, you will see a whole new world of truth.

Let me leave you with this last scripture: Isaiah 35:8-10. It describes a path of freedom, a path of joy, a path of right standing with God. It describes the narrow path of forgiveness. It tells us even a fool will not go astray if he walks this path. If you have had trouble with unforgiveness, let this become a lifetime scripture, one you dwell on daily. Let it be your roadmap.

A highway shall be there, and a road, and it shall be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it, but it shall be for others. Whoever walks the road, although a fool, shall not go astray. No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast go up on it; it shall not be found there. But the redeemed shall walk there, And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing, with everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. 
Isaiah 35:8-10 (NKJV)

This article series was excerpted from the book Forgiveness -- A Key to Success, by Bill Krause.  This book is available for purchase by clicking here.

This article is part 3 of a series.  Click the links below to read the other articles in this series.

• Part 1
• Part 2