The Power of Forgiveness: How the Holy Spirit Helps Us Let Go

Forgiveness is a daily part of our lives, yet there are degrees to it. Some things are easy to forgive, while others take root as bitterness and anger that can last a lifetime. In a world driven by retaliation and wrath, we as believers are called to live differently - to approach our emotions and responses in a way that reflects Christ.

Why is forgiveness so difficult for many Christians?

The challenge with forgiveness is that too many of us are consumed by how we feel. We deal with life directly from that emotional place. But we aren't just souls with emotions - we are alive in Christ with the Spirit of God living in us. We are born again, new creations in Jesus.

Unforgiveness is a destructive force the enemy uses to keep us in bondage. The Holy Spirit wants to help us walk in freedom - freedom to forgive and freedom from all the things people have done to us. We're never more like Christ than when we choose to live in forgiveness.

How does the Holy Spirit teach us about forgiveness?

The Holy Spirit teaches us through promptings - those moments when you just know there's something you're supposed to do. You might not have chapter and verse in the Bible for it, but you know in your spirit that you need to forgive someone.

These promptings come from your spirit to your mind, not the other way around. The Holy Spirit speaks to your born-again spirit, and then that spirit speaks to your mind. As you become more aware of God's Spirit in your everyday life, you'll become quicker to obey these promptings.

Six ways the Holy Spirit helps us with forgiveness

1. The Holy Spirit teaches us that unforgiveness hinders our fellowship with God

"If you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." (Matthew 6:15)

Our inability to forgive has a direct connection to our fellowship with God. While unforgiveness may not affect our religious activities like attending church or worshiping, it impacts our intimate relationship with God - making it harder to study the Bible, focus on God's principles, and experience His presence.

2. The Holy Spirit allows Christ's forgiveness to penetrate our emotions and mind

"Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage." (Galatians 5:1)

The forgiveness we have in Christ should penetrate beyond a spiritual experience and affect us on an emotional level. Paul tells us to "stand fast" - revealing that our freedom in Christ doesn't function automatically. We must actively resist guilt, anger, and unforgiveness by standing firm in our own forgiveness.

Liberty means the right and power to act and express oneself in a manner of one's own choosing. When we stand in the liberty we have in Christ, we choose His ways, not our own. If we don't, we become "entangled again in a yoke of bondage" - ensnared and held in a net of our own unforgiveness.

3. The Holy Spirit teaches us to be merciful as our Heavenly Father is merciful

"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." (Matthew 5:7)

The mercy we need is found in the mercy we give. With the merciful, God shows Himself merciful. If you're not experiencing mercy in your life, perhaps you need to examine how merciful you are toward others.

Mercy is not getting what we deserve, while grace is getting what we don't deserve. We must allow the Holy Spirit to help us be less critical, less judgmental, and less harsh with people, remembering how much God has overlooked our own faults.

4. The Holy Spirit helps us heal from past rejections and abuse through His grace

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God." (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

The Apostle Paul experienced severe tribulation - imprisonment, beatings, shipwrecks, hunger, and constant danger. Yet he relied on the strength of Jesus, not himself. In our weakest moments, God's strength is made perfect.

Like a metal container that can't be crushed when there's equal pressure inside and outside, when we're filled with the Holy Spirit, we can withstand the pressures of life. Victory doesn't depend on external pressures but on the comfort within.

5. The Holy Spirit helps us resist vengefulness and live by the Golden Rule

"Just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise." (Luke 6:31)

This requires long-suffering - endurance and patience in dealing with difficult people and situations. We're often too impatient, too angry, too bitter, and too vengeful. The Holy Spirit helps us do for others not what they deserve, but what we would want if we were in their position.

Life Application

Today, I challenge you to identify the barriers you've put up that keep you from dealing with unforgiveness. The power of forgiveness is about you, not the other person. They may never know or understand what you've decided to do in your heart.

Jesus made a decision for all mankind simply because He chose to. There was no need for permission from us. He chose to bear the weight of our sin and be our example.

Ask yourself:

• What unforgiveness am I holding onto that's hindering my fellowship with God?

• Am I standing fast in the liberty Christ has given me, or am I entangled in a yoke of bondage?

• How can I show mercy to others this week in the same way God has shown mercy to me?

• What past hurts do I need to allow the Holy Spirit to heal?

• In what situations do I need to practice long-suffering rather than vengefulness?

There is no greater liberty than freedom - freedom from bondage, hurt, unforgiveness, and guilt. Let the Holy Spirit fill those places of anger with mercy and grace. Choose today to forgive as Christ has forgiven you.