Your 7 Final Words - 1. Father, Forgive Them

Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. – Luke 23:34

Unforgiveness is often a major stronghold in the minds and hearts of believers and unbelievers alike. The mind, will and emotions like to hold on to the wrongs that you perceived were done to you, replaying them over and over, in one way or another. Very often these memories lie dormant, hidden in the recesses of your mind until something similar in nature happens, and you react.

Have you ever thought you had forgiven someone only to have that memory triggered, and you feel the twinge of uneasiness or pain again? That is an indication of the psuche (pronounced ‘soo-kay’) being still alive in that area.

The first step in your walk out of the psuche or soul-dominated life and into the zoe (pronounced ‘zoh-ee’) life is the act of forgiveness. Forgiveness is not a feeling; it is a decision. It is the doorway, so to speak, through which all other things in your relationship with the Lord must come. Without forgiveness it is impossible to have right relationship with the Father. He forgave you of all that you have done, are doing and ever will do.

In forgiving someone you give up the right to be right. You release your offender from any obligation to make it up to you. How do you do that? Let’s examine Jesus’ choice of words.

“Father, forgive them…”

Because the Father’s life is already the powerfully limitless zoe life He can forgive in a way that you may not yet be able to. God will not do anything that you don’t ask Him to do, so in essence you “empower” the Father to extend His forgiveness on your behalf in a particular area. The Christ in you is then able to forgive, and you can release the offenders and yourself from the burden of the offence. You no longer are affected by the “nail” of unforgiveness.

“…for they know not what they do.” – This is the key to forgiveness.

There is a saying that ‘hurting people hurt people’. People hurt others because they themselves had been hurt. Think of your offender as a wounded animal, bruised by the pain of some past offence – whether real or perceived. When a wounded animal is backed into a corner – when it has to face the reality of its own vulnerability – it strikes out at whomever or whatever is closest. This is the way it tries to convince itself that it still has some modicum of control. It is the same with hurting people. Hurting people are in survival mode – functioning from the level of the soul – so their mind, will and emotions are in control.

Now, see yourself as that wounded animal. Have you ever lashed out at someone either deliberately or instinctively? Was it not an effort to retain or regain control in some area of your life? If you had it to do all over again would you have said the same words? Done the same thing? You hurt that person because you didn’t fully know the extent of what you were doing. Your offenders hurt you for the same reason.

People hurt others because they don’t fully understand who God is, or who they are. Genesis 1:26 tells us that God created all mankind in His image and in His likeness. You have your parents’ physical DNA imprinted in you, so you look like and act like them in many ways. Similarly, you have God’s DNA embedded in you. The characteristics of God are a part of your make up. It is when you don’t recognize this truth that you malfunction in your thoughts, attitudes and resulting behaviors.

Are you willing to do as Jesus did and ask the Father to forgive? In doing so, you deny your soul the right to have its own way. Be cautioned that your soul will not submit without a fight for its right to survive in this area. It may lie dormant for a while, and then arise again at an unexpected time, showing up as anger, depression, resentment, feeling overwhelmed or some other negative emotion. But if you are willing, the Father will enable you to tell your soul, “Be quiet!” when the temptation to hold a grudge presents itself.

Will you take the time now to quietly ask the Father to bring back to your remembrance any offenders that you have not been able to completely release in forgiveness? Then ask Him to forgive them. In doing that, you will be forgiving them also, and you will have taken the first step out of the psuche-dominated life and into the limitless zoe life that Jesus always intended for you to have – the zoe life that is part of your spiritual DNA.