There are two places in the bible where Jesus is recounted as saying, “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. Revelations 3:22″
Why was this remark made? The reception of the gospel is not by duress. It is of great necessity, but optional to align with what the Spirit of God is saying. And sometimes the instruction of God may be difficult to accept, but then again, he that has ears let him hear.
What do we need to hear? There is no place in heaven for believers, pastors, and members who live in grudges, malice and have a heart of unforgiveness.
Grudges are simply past wrongs we still carry in our hearts, making it hard for us to relate well to those who have wronged us. It could be family, relatives, fellow preachers or fellow believers.
Will people wrong us? Yes! Offences must come, Jesus said (Luke 17:1), but then love covers a multitude of sins and offences. The question is, do we even have God’s imparted love in us? If yes, grudges should be dead and crucified to us.
The Bible encourages us to forgive and to let go of the offences meted out on us by others. This is Christ’s nature. But the question here is, are we true Christians? Are we Christ-like indeed, or by mouth? If we are positive about the life and Spirit of Christ in us, forgiving others should not be too difficult for us.
Matthew 6:14 tells us that when we forgive others their trespasses, God will also forgive us our wrongs. Another question here – Do we even know that we have personal faults, and that we need God’s forgiveness when we default?
What if those who wrong us do not apologise? Herein is mercy tested with us. Mercy does not always count on the apology or recognition of faults by the defaulter. Mercy overlooks wrongs and continues on the path of love and peace. If we, as believers, will show others mercy, God will, in return, show us mercy: Covering some of our faults.
It is not an easy thing to forgive and put away grievous offences, but we rely on the Spirit of God to help us overcome our humanity. The knowledge of God’s word will also help guide our hearts unto purity. For only those whose hearts are pure shall see God. – Matthew 5:8
Finally, our resolve to run the Christian race and to make it into the Kingdom should convince us on the matter of letting go of offences. Especially when we know that there is no place in heaven for believers who live with grudges.
