YOU MUST FORGIVE TO BE FORGIVEN
If we are to be Kings and Priest (Rev. 1:6 - Rev. 5:10) ought we not to be the
first to make righteous judgment and the first to forgive?
Why was it easy for Christ to forgive? It is because He understood that we are
flesh and blood destined for failure yet he did not judge according to the flesh
rather he judged by the Spirit. He knew what was in the heart of man. The
Apostle Paul said he knew no man after the flesh any longer.
In John Chapter 8 there was a women brought to Jesus for she had sinned. She did
not open her mouth to ask for forgiveness yet after each accuser had went out
one by one convicted of their own conscience, Jesus was left alone, and the
woman standing in the midst.
John 8:10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said
unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She
said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and
sin no more.
Jesus forgave for He had the nature of the Father. He demonstrated every
character trait of God the Father on earth as an example to us.
The Scribes and Pharisees the religious and political leaders of every age have
always judged according to the flesh. It is impossible for them to walk by faith
for their sight in blind. In darkness they pass judgment and do not have a heart
to forgive their enemies. They may give their coat to one that is cold but only
if they have a spare. They never give their best it is always the coat they were
about to throw away. They feed the poor and write it off on their taxes. These
do not have a forgiving heart for their heart and minds are carnal and entwined
in the affairs of the world.
In order for us to become Kings and Priest unto God our Father, we must know the
life of forgiveness and mercy. Ours is a life and experience of love and grace.
It cannot be measured nor a price placed upon the kindness. We go where our
Father goes and say what He says for we follow Him and in every thing, we are
more than a reflection for we ARE the light of the world.
Our existence is only due to His presence.
The King Priest ministry in the Kingdom of God is one that recognizes their
Father, who can reign and rule with righteous judgment and who is able to
forgive. It is not Lordship or a government set up by rules and regulations and
ordinances. It is set up in divine order with authority only given to those to
whom Father did foreknow, he also did predestinate [to be] conformed to the
image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren (Romans
8:29).
The entire seventh chapter of Hebrews is about THE MELCHIZEDEK CONNECTION, that
is, it is about the way Jesus Christ, and thus, His body, the Royal Priesthood,
is related to a strange man named Melchizedek. In addition, the connection
between Jesus Christ and Melchizedek is worth exploring. You can go into a deep
study by visiting this link http://www.theshop.net/gjess/mel.htm.
I am writing this however to focus upon forgiveness. Without forgiveness in our
hearts how are we to minister to the Lord? This special ministry is one only to
the elect of God called to minister outside the camp. "We have an altar, whereof
they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle. For the bodies of those
beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin,
are burned without the camp. Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the
people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth therefore
unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. For here we have no continuing
city, but we seek one to come" (He. 13:10-14).
Verse ten describes the ministry of those high priests who are called to
minister to the Lord, and not to the "house," or to the people. The priests or
servants of the Lord who went astray when the rest of Christendom strayed from
the Lord (2 Thes. 2:1-4 & 2 Tim. 4:3-4) are confined to the duty of "having
charge at the gates of the house, and ministering to the house. And they shall
not come near unto me, to do the office of a priest unto me, nor to come near to
any of my holy things, in the most holy place: but they shall bear their shame,
and their abominations which they have committed" (see Ez. 44:10-14).
Let us read on. "They shall enter into my sanctuary, and they shall come near to
my table, to minister unto me, and they shall keep my charge" (see Ez.
44:15-16). This wonderful King Priest ministry is one where a person is called
of God to minister to Him. Not ALL are called to this, just like not ALL are
called to the marriage supper of the Lamb.
To come to this place of forgiveness we must be under the complete obedience and
will of Father. This means we are to be submissive to Him in ALL things. Hbr
13:11 For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary
by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp.
Knowing that the body (flesh and blood) can never be a part of the heavenly,
which is the realm of the Spirit, or the realm of the kingdom of God, no matter
how healthy it may be (see Ecc. 12:7 and 1 Co. 15:47-50).
This means the "refuse" the fleshly bodies, along with our carnal mind must be
removed. Our carnal thinking will find no place for forgiveness. When Jesus gave
us the example of "Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and
the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken,
and the other left." It is the "refuse" of our being that will be taken from us,
to be symbolically burned in the fiery oven of the presence of the Lord.
It is hard to forgive because the mind wants to remember, dig up the past, it is
the accuser of the brethren, and it is the place where guilt and condemnation
are invented. These are the imaginations that have got to be cast down out of
the heavenly for Christ to rule upon the throne of your mind.
As this new life is birthed forth from us we will find ourselves more patient,
more loving and more considerate. Why is this? It is because the forgiving
character and nature of Jesus Christ is manifesting.
How can you bear the ark (God) or minister to Him, lift Him up if the root of
bitterness has poisoned your soul? You can't.
Have you been chosen for this wonderful election? If you have had your feet in
fetters as Joseph did "He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold as a
servant: Whose FEET they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron: Until the time
that his word came: the word of the Lord tried him" (see Ps. 105:16-21).
You will be at liberty like never before to reign in righteousness and peace as
kings and priests with Christ, even as Joseph reigned in Egypt (see verses
20-21).
Once your feet are loosed then you can indeed tread upon serpents and crush the
head of Satan. Amazing enough it really starts with forgiveness. Mat 6:15 But if
ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your
trespasses.
Your forgiveness stretches into the heavens or the spiritual dimension 2Cr 2:10
To whom ye forgive any thing, I [forgive] also: for if I forgave any thing, to
whom I forgave [it], for your sakes [forgave I it] in the person of Christ;
We could go into great depths with this but the main point to this writing is
Eph 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another,
even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
For His name's sake He has forgiven you.
Dale Thompson