Forgiveness and Healing There is significant peer-reviewed research that demonstrates the impact of both harm to the health of the body when unforgiveness is fostered and enhanced healing when forgiveness is intentionally practiced. Increased blood pressure and heart rate, greater skin conductance, and ongoing stress that inhibits recovery have been shown to be the result of rehearsed offenses and magnified bitterness. A separation from the power of stress to afflict the mind and body was shown to be significantly affected when forgiveness displaced animosity and grudges. Though the impact of the moment, when wrong doing is experienced, may be devastating, if that moment is allowed to take root in unforgiveness, unresolved stress will spread throughout the body with each passing moment. However, in the choice to let go of all condemnation, no matter how great the offense, forgiveness becomes a barrier and shield against any harmful ramifications to the body and mind. This same principle is especially influential when we’re the ones who have sinned. The weight of guilt for things that were great to the small things no one else knows of can create a stress induced culture in the body that is susceptible to disease. Self condemnation can become an embraced sentence of sickness that forms a barrier to any recovery. When forgiveness is received, though, a pathway to full recovery is enabled as the released guilt takes all stress and its infirmity with it. In Christ we have first been released from any weight of sin and its claim of infirmity in our life. By grace, there is zero condemnation to those who have experienced the removal of all sin and its sentence of death. Within the heart of the believer is a culture of life, where all roots of bitterness are rendered powerless. The flow of healing virtue is able to move unhindered by any barrier of animosity, and healing anointing breaks through all the power of sin to raise to new, healthy, and complete life in Him. Notes This is our God - first removing sins so that healing and all that is good in Him will be known. Psalms 103:2-6 (NLT) 2 Let all that I am praise the LORD; may I never forget the good things he does for me. 3 He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. 4 He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies. 5 He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s! 6 The LORD gives righteousness and justice to all who are treated unfairly. Natural assumption - infirmity is caused by sin. John 9:1-5 (NKJV) 1 Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. 2 And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. 4 I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." Validation of forgiven sins - healing. Mark 2:5-12 (NLT) 5 Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “My child, your sins are forgiven.” 6 But some of the teachers of religious law who were sitting there thought to themselves, 7 “What is he saying? This is blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!” 8 Jesus knew immediately what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you question this in your hearts? 9 Is it easier to say to the paralyzed man ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk’? 10 So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, 11 “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!” 12 And the man jumped up, grabbed his mat, and walked out through the stunned onlookers. They were all amazed and praised God, exclaiming, “We’ve never seen anything like this before!” To be in Christ is to be free from any cursed guilt. Romans 8:1-2 (NKJV) 1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. It’s in the exposure of and repentance from sin that prayer avails much. James 5:16 (NKJV) 16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Seeing the Lord with the pursuit of peace and holiness. Hebrews 12:14-15 (NKJV) 14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: Care is necessary to live in the realm of grace, where all sins are covered 15 looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; Great application of faith - forgiveness/uprooting of established offense. Luke 17:3-6 (NKJV) 3 Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4 And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him." 5 And the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.” 6 So the Lord said, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. Though it would seem they do, they really don’t know. Luke 23:34 (NKJV) 34 Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” And they divided His garments and cast lots. Putting away and being are our responsibility. Ephesians 4:31-32 (NKJV) 31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. In forgiveness is the learning of Godly fear and it’s powerful benefits. Psalms 130:3-4 (NLT) 3 LORD, if you kept a record of our sins, who, O Lord, could ever survive? 4 But you offer forgiveness, that we might learn to fear you. Freedom in Righteousness - the abolishing of sin and awakening of healing. Malachi 4:2 (TLB) 2 “But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture. Overview In the praise of God, it all begins with forgiveness and its accompanying healing. The power of God at work by grace completely removes the power of sin to disqualify. Healing is the validation of sin’s forgiveness. In Christ, condemnation is no longer a barrier to healing and all the goodness of God. Prayer for healing is made powerful in a culture of forgiveness. Beholding God with confidence in faith is cared for by the uprooting power of forgiveness. Faith for all the promises in Christ begins with faith for forgiveness. Forgiveness looks like praying for the offender, aware that they really don’t know what they’re doing. Removal of bitterness and all manner of hard-heartedness towards anyone has been provided for us in Christ, but must be activated intentionally and with care. For those who fear the Name of the Lord and access to Him through forgiveness, healing is rising with complete healing - body, soul, and spirit. Prayer Father, how great is Your love and mercy towards me demonstrated in the incredible sacrifice that paid the price for all my sin. What forgiveness, what grace, and what desire is inspired by Your nature to receive and share the liberating deliverance from condemnation. Let Your healing rise with freedom from all infirmity of body, soul, and spirit as I care for this culture of forgiveness that is in Your Name. Declarations I have been delivered from a kingdom of darkness, where condemnation is ever lurking in the shadows, to the kingdom of Light, where all power of sin is exposed and removed. I am continually growing in the knowing of the One who’s Name is learned through the forgiveness He’s established in Christ. My passion has been transformed from holding and nurturing bitterness to a pursuit of peace with all and the healing that comes with it. I intentionally activate the prerequisite to faith in the uprooting of unforgiveness by faith in the One who has given me His nature. I put away, with all malice, any hardness of heart to anyone and give them the same forgiveness I’ve received. Because I fear the name of the Lord, I am rising on His wings of healing to leap with joy in the freedom it brings.