Miracle Healings of Forgiveness

All this has changed. Why? Miracles are occurring. A case in point—Ray's cardiovascular illness took a turn for the worse. The doctor suggested to his wife that the children visit because Ray may not survive. When she told Ray, his face reddened with anger as he said, "don't invite John!" Ray had not spoken to his son John for twenty years. Nevertheless, John showed up. As the eyes of Ray and John met, tears ran, hearts melted and flowed together in love. Ray forgave John, as father and son embraced. Ray had a miraculous recovery.

Dr. Glen Mack Harnden, a noted Psychologist, is enthusiastic about the personal benefits of forgiveness. "It not only heightens the potential for reconciliation," he says, "but also releases the offended from prolonged anger, rage, and stress that have been linked to physiological problems, such as cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure, hypertension, cancer, and other psychosomatic illness." Yes cancer is now classified as stress related.

The American Psychological Association, Boston August 1999, concluded, "holding a grudge is hazardous to health" and that "humility encourages people to let go of slights and betrayals."

"Fearfully and Wonderfully Made"

Well did the Psalmist say, we are "fearfully and wonderfully made." Psalm 139:14.The human body is indeed an awesome creation of God. Our body contains a complex and delicate chemical plant. Because of our imperfection and the polluted environment, toxic chemicals and harmful bacteria continually assail cells in our body. But our body has defensive chemicals to withstand these assaults. If our minds are in a happy or contented mood, our nervous system activates these defensive chemicals to the occasion. That is one reason "Godliness with contentment is great gain."1 Timothy 6:6. If our minds are agitated or stressful, our defensive mechanism is weakened. Of course, because of Adamic condemnation our delicate chemical plant eventually loses its balance and all are overtaken by death. Also some are born with greater diseased prone bodies than others.

Harnden observes, "Forgiveness does not preclude the enforcement of healthy and natural consequences on the offender. Smedes, a counselor, agrees. "Some people view forgiveness as a cheap avoidance of justice. If forgiveness is a whitewashing of wrong, then it is itself wrong. Nothing that whitewashes evil can be good."

God's Justice

The Bible has always taught this. God is the Judge of the universe. Laws are necessary for the welfare of all. To be effective, the violation of law requires a penalty. Once Adam was informed that death was the penalty for disobedience, then that penalty was just.

A basic fact to remember is that God in His foreknowledge knew that Adam would disobey. Therefore, long before the creation of Adam, God's wisdom devised a plan of recovery and ultimate happiness for the human race that would require the death of His only begotten Son. Thus I Peter 1:19, 20 speaks of the blood of Christ for the redemption of mankind as foreordained before the world began. The Creator used the time-space situation in Eden to demonstrate the dependability of His justice. It is vital for man to know that "justice and judgment [just decisions] are the habitation of your [God's] throne" Psalms 89:14.

If when Adam disobeyed, God said, "Oh, I will overlook your disobedience this time, I will pardon you. I will not punish you as I promised to do." Adam might say, Wonderful! I am glad God is more loving than just.

Wonderful? No! Arbitrary! The Creator and Ruler of the whole universe could never be trusted throughout eternity. At any time, in any place, God might at the slightest whim change His mind and turn on His creatures. Eden proved the unchangeableness of God's justice. Thus God declares in Malachi 3:6, "I am Jehovah, I change not." And James 1:17 states, "The Father of lights in whom there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."

Why didn't God first create us perfect like father Adam and try each one of us individually? Lacking experience, each one of us would probably have disobeyed like Adam. Then where would we be? Instead, we were tried collectively in father Adam. Thus as the Psalmist observed (Psalm 51:5), we are born in sin and shaped in iniquity. Consequently, we could be redeemed collectively. "As in Adam all die so in Christ shall all be made alive." 1 Cor. 15:22; Romans 5:18

Daily we sin and daily through faith in Jesus' cleansing blood, we have forgiveness of sin. We are thankful that Jesus is not only "the propitiation (satisfaction) for our sins . . . but for the sins of the whole world." 1 John 2:2 Therefore, like Jesus, we can forgive all who Jesus died for-all humankind. To the degree we love and forgive like Jesus, to that degree our minds will be less stressful and anxious. Consequently, our body can attain its maximum as we lay down our "bodies a living sacrifice" in God's service. Romans 12:1

These columns have often presented the Biblical teaching that Jesus died for the sins of every man. Hebrews 2:9; 1 John 2:2; 1Timothy 2:5,6. That God is only calling a "little flock" during this Christian Age. Luke 12:32; Acts 15:14-17. Then this little flock will share with Christ as kings, judges, and priests (Rev. 20:4; 1Cor.6:2; Rev.22:17) in God's Kingdom, helping the world during their time of probation.

Compounded Revenge

The bitterness, anger, and hate raging in the unforgiving heart of unregenerate man is compounded by the national, racial, tribal and ethnic thirst for revenge. Harnden observed, "From the 1500s to the 1800s—four centuries—a total of 34.1 million died in war." Wars have killed nearly five times that many (165 million) during the 1900s alone. Why the spiraling increase-retaliation by unforgiving victims of war. The cycles of ethnic cleansing in former Yugoslavia, tribal massacres between the Hutu and Tutsi tribes, strife between capital and labor, black payback murders of white estate owners in Zimbabwe and South Africa after decades of white suppression are examples. This ongoing cycle of repaying vengeance with vengeance contributes to the perpetuation of an increasingly violent society. Revenge-unforgiving hearts is the scourge of our time. This is the substance of papers by Psychologists.

Where will it lead? End-Time prophecy is upon us. The Antichrist/False Prophet scenario will yet play out, followed by the last feature of Armageddon-the invasion of Israel by the armies of the north (Ezekiel 38). While God is fighting for Israel and setting up His Kingdom in Israel (Ezek.39; Zech.12: 9-12), these group hatreds will erupt. Nations will be torn from within by class violence. Classes will disintegrate as "every man's hand is against his neighbor." Zechariah 14:13.

While the masses are in the throes of anarchy, God will command these raging Gentiles—"Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the Gentiles. I will be exalted in the earth." Psalm 46:10. Satan will be bound. Revelation 20:1-3. War and all violence will cease as a massive education program is set up. "The knowledge of the Lord will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea." Isaiah 2:4; 11:9. Christ and his church, the spiritual rulers of God's Kingdom, will appoint the Jewish people as the agency of the Kingdom blessings (Rev. 20:4,6;Zech.8: 20-23) with Jerusalem as its capitol.

What a humiliation to many in realizing they are not of the true church but were Christians in name only (Matt. 7:22, 23). Under Jewish administration—what a humiliation to most Gentiles and to those professed Christians who believed they replaced Israel in God's plan. Remember the reports at the American Psychological Association—holding a grudge is hazardous to health and humility encourages people to let go of their grudges.

Forgiveness in God's Kingdom

Humility makes one teachable. Being humbled the Gentiles will more readily accept Jesus as their Savior. By asking for forgiveness of the Lord for their sins, their hearts will experience the healing of repentance. But personal grudges will still burden their hearts. They will need to interact with their enemies, estranged friends and even estranged family members. Murderers will face victims, robbers those they robbed and whoever disfigured others those they maimed. These agonizing dramas of confrontation and forgiveness will play a major role as minds and bodies respond to the healing dynamics of both repentance and forgiveness.

The resurrection of the unregenerate to their trial or probation time will have begun. John 5:28,29 NAS. All will be taught to develop a pollution-free Eden. Isaiah 30:23: 29:18. Television drama of sex and violence will be replaced with heart-rending drama of once dysfunctional families struggling to replace their selfish cravings with justice, love, kindness, generosity and patience. Christ and his church will reward each step of love and obedience with a healing of body and mind until perfected.

Today, the Creative Arts reveal the ills of a society. In the Kingdom, the Creative Arts will extol God's holy principles and the joy, peace and brotherhood that come from living these principles. Eternal life will be the reward of the obedient. For a complete discussion of the healing work of God's Kingdom send for the free booklet offered. Remember, holding a grudge is hazardous to one's health.