The Landmine of Unforgiveness

Who has not struggled with the landmine of unforgiveness? The answer has to be no one! The truth is that we all have struggled with the spirit of unforgiveness that looms all around us on a daily basis.

However, I do believe that people who are not born again in Jesus Christ are much more intensely vulnerable to the physical landmine of unforgiveness. Why? Because they are caught in the web of the spiritual deception that unforgiveness, and the related state of refusing the need for repentance, need not be dealt with in their own lives.

Let me explain.

I have been reading Dr. Charles Stanley's new book, "Landmines in the Pathway of the Believer." It is truly an excellent book and I would recommend it to all. When I reached the chapter on unforgiveness, something became more clear to me than ever before. I am going to illustrate this through the recent posts I have done on the homosexual agenda, but you could take any compromising, sinful movement and apply such "darkness of sin through deception type of agenda" towards what I will share here, too.

I have often been perplexed about why gay activists absolutely hate ex-gays and ex-gay ministries.

It seems the more I read about this ongoing battle here at Talkwisdom, at online ministry sites and at other blogs, the more intense the rage becomes.

This phenomenon used to make me question...why?

Why does the gay community have such intense hatred for ex-homosexual people; especially those who have been saved through the grace and redemption offered through Jesus Christ?

The secular humanistic "politically correct" reasons and answers to my question are blaringly obvious, of course. However, as was stated in the comment section of this post, I have often wondered why Christians are so silent on this issue.

Could it be fear?

Could it be laziness?

Could it be their own struggle with immorality?

Could it be insecurity to speak out against it and deal with it?

Could it be pride?

These are just some of the "landmines" that Stanley describes in his book that can hurt one's Christian walk and obedience to God.

So, if believers have difficulty with such issues, then what of the non-believer?

I personally think that they must have it far worse.

How could I possibly know this? Because I was once a "nominal Christian" who acted more like a "worldly" unbeliever than a follower of Jesus Christ.

What was missing from my life at the time? Answer: true faith in Jesus Christ, the gospel message of salvation and the knowledge and obedience to God's Word.

The Gospel message of the Cross exemplifies our fallen nature due to sin and the need to repent of our sins in order to receive forgiveness. It is only then that the unmerited grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and the salvation of our souls can be given.

We can't skip over our individual need to repent in order to become heirs to the kingdom of heaven and live eternally with God forever. Jesus took the punishment that we each deserved (because of our sins ) on that cross at Calvary in order to satisfy the death penalty that sin brought upon us.

God does not take sin lightly. He is the Righteous and Holy Judge of the universe. It is part of His character to keep His Holy Word.

When we, as individuals, realize the magnitude of what Christ accomplished at the cross, it is then that we can humble ourselves, repent, turn away from sin out of love for our Savior, and obey God's Word.

Jesus said, "if you love me, keep my commandments." (bold mine) Jesus would not have said that if it didn't matter how we live our lives after the moment of salvation. It is then that the sanctification process of the soul can begin. With it, the healing of our hearts through the power of experiencing God's forgiveness afforded to us through Christ Jesus takes hold in our lives. We then want, and desire to please God, not ourselves.

Selfishness becomes selflessness.

The desire to sin doesn't have it's power over us as it once did.

Keeping our eyes on Jesus, studying His Word, the Bible, and living our lives with Him indwelling our souls through the power of the Holy Spirit keeps us from our former selfish desires.

We would rather do anything than "grieve the Holy Spirit of God."

Eph 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.


Eph 4:31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:


Eph 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

I have a theory about non-believers. I would like my fellow Christian blogging friends to add any insight or comments they would like to share about this theory.

From what I have gleaned from Scripture, it appears to me that those who do not experience God's forgiveness through salvation in Jesus Christ, have a much harder time (if not impossible task) of forgiving others.

Now, I know what some will say. They will adamantly claim that they have, and can, forgive others through their own flesh without the help of God or Jesus Christ and have done so many times. That's not the kind of forgiveness that I am referring to. The forgiveness I am talking about is a spiritual forgiveness. It is one that cannot be accessed until a person humbles themselves to first receive it from God through Jesus Christ; then they are able to release it towards other people through the guidance of the Holy Spirit's indwelling within the soul.

Here's an example:

In a previous post I shared the story of a PFOX ex-gay person being persecuted by a gay activist. Here's a portion of the account:

The gays became infuriated when our ex-gay volunteers testified about leaving homosexuality. They adamantly refused to accept the ex-gays' sexual orientation. One gay man went so far as to hit our ex-gay volunteer because he refused to recant his ex-gay testimony. We summoned a police officer, who ejected the gay man off of the fairgrounds. Our ex-gay volunteer decided not to press assault charges against the gay man because he wanted to turn the other cheek as Jesus had done.

It could have been very easy (and reasonable) for the ex-gay man to press assault charges, but he chose not to. What (or more specifically Who) made the difference for him to turn the other cheek?

Answer: Jesus Christ!

I truly believe that this ex-gay man knew that the gay man had not experienced the release from bondage of sin afforded to all through repentance in Jesus Christ; and therefore, he also understood that the gay man was still in the midst of the power of darkness because of his unconfessed sin, and unrepentant heart. Therefore, the gay man had the spirit of unforgiveness upon him that would not let go and allow him to accept the ex-gay man.

That is the reason why gay activists can accept anyone and everyone who has a sinful sexual orientation that they agree with; yet when a person is released from such bondage, it infuriates them.

Why?

Because the ex-gay Christian man or woman has been released from the bondage that they (unrepentant gay men and women) are still in bondage to.

That's the truth, folks.

Whether gay activists and their supporters want to admit it or not, that is why "anything but formerly gay expression" is allowed in their "community."

Repentance leads to the destruction of the spirit of unforgiveness!!


What can keep us from repenting and receiving forgiveness of sin through Jesus Christ?

All of these landmines:

1. The Landmine of Pride
2. The Landmine of Jealousy and Envy
3. The Landmine of Insecurity
4. The Landmine of Compromise
5. The Landmine of Unforgiveness
6. The Landmine of Disappointment
7. The Landmine of Fear
8. The Landmine of Immorality
9. The Landmine of Slothfulness (laziness)

Stanley's book goes through each and every one of these individually, then in the last chapter presents ways to defuse the landmines along your path.

While reading the chapter on the landmine of unforgiveness, I realized that the spirit of unforgiveness can be one of Satan's most powerful weapons against all of us. We must all admit that we have been on both sides of the unforgiveness landmine; the receiving end as well as the giving end of this landmine.

In my own life, I recently felt that I was being led by a spirit of unforgiveness towards my best female friend. We have been friends for over 15 years, and I can only remember one other incident where we had a "spat." But this time, I was so hurt, disappointed and angry by what I perceived as several uncaring, unthoughtful, commitment-breaking acts by her that I was seriously thinking that our friendship might be over.

I ask you, from whom do you think these thoughts were coming from?

I needed this chapter on the landmine of unforgiveness to break me free of my funky feelings toward my best friend!!

Back to my questions regarding why homosexual activists hate ex-gays; particular Christian believers.

I think that you could pick any number of the landmines listed above to understand what leads the gay community at large, as well as the homosexual activists, in particular, to attempt to portray them as "non-existent people" and/or bash them as phonies, fakes, liars, etc. because they don't walk lock-in-step with the gay agenda. Once you pick one or more of the landmines listed above, the one that stands out the most is the landmine of unforgiveness.

You see, they hate the fact that Christian ex-homosexual people have found the peace that forgiveness brings.

Why?

Because they don't have it...that's why!!

In order to receive the peace that forgiveness brings, each individual person must own up to his/her own sinful nature and repent of it. Only then, is the peace that surpasses all understanding through the love of God and our Lord, Jesus Christ, available to heal the heart and the brokenness within.

The enemy of our souls loves to keep people in bondage to sin. He puts forth this feeling of "no need to repent" to those who are steeped in sin; thus, they miss the forgiveness and peace that Jesus Christ could bring to them.

Satan has twisted the minds of reprobates to such an extent that they perceive those who are trying to share Christ with them as the enemy!! How perverted is that?? But it's true!

I pray that each person sitting at his/her computer who are currently not believers will have their hearts and minds quickened by the Holy Spirit who is outside of their bodies, knocking on the door of their hearts and individually inviting them to be born again in Christ Jesus so that they will experience the peace that forgiveness brings and spend eternity with God when this brief life is over.

I would love to share the entire chapter here, but time constraints allow me to paraphase and just share a few brief quotes.

The landmine of unforgiveness can cause a "feast of emotion" that causes a "desire to retaliate" until a root of bitterness grows within. Then, it's payback time, tempers flare, anger erupts and someone gets hurt.

Stanley tells us that "refusal to forgive is one of the most exhausting struggles we face."

He continues:

The landmine of unforgiveness is unlike the other landmines. It explodes, but the devastation is not immediate. There is a "click" within your emotions. You feel hurt, disappointed, or angry, but you may deny it by pushing these feelings aside.

As time passes, you reexamine the hurt you have felt. You hold on to it. And slowly the explosive work of unforgiveness takes a toll on your life. As long as you refuse to forgive those who hurt you, you remain bound to them through the anger and resentment you feel. You are not free but bound emotionally and spiritually to this deadly sin.

***to be continued***