Spiritual Warfare Series — Devotional #4
An Unforgiving Spirit
This week we continue to answer the following question:
How does God’s enemy come after His people and His leaders for the sole purpose of distracting, disrupting, and derailing them from being involved in God's great mission?
As we survey Pauline literature, we will discover fourteen tactical strategies the enemy uses to come after God's people, along with specific antidotes to address each problem. See the introduction to this series for an overview of this subject.
4. An Unforgiving Spirit
"Forgiveness and restoration are two different acts. Forgiveness can lead to restoration, but restoration is not hinged to forgiveness." – Gary Rohrmayer
Text: 2 Corinthians 2:7–11
"Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him. The reason I wrote you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything. If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes."
Problem:
"Satan can use lack of forgiveness and failure to receive one who repents to control a church situation." – J. Robert Clinton
Antidote:
"Accept those back whom God has forgiven and who have shown genuine repentance." – J. Robert Clinton
Reflective Questions:
What is the difference between forgiveness and restoration?
How can an unforgiving spirit harm the life of a follower of Jesus? (Ephesians 4:25–32)
How can an unforgiving spirit harm the mission of the local church?
How can a forgiving spirit help the life of a follower of Jesus?
How can a forgiving spirit aid the advancement of the mission of the local church?
Prayer:
Father in Heaven,
Protect my soul and Your church from an unforgiving spirit. Teach us to forgive as You have forgiven us—with compassion and completeness. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, enable us to put away unwholesome talk concerning the offender. Teach us to use language that builds up the church, promotes peace, and exemplifies the gospel. Show us how to remove the roots of bitterness, explosive rage, unchecked anger, and abusive and malicious words. Teach us to put on kindness and compassion toward those who have offended us, so the world will see Your forgiveness in action and believe that You sent Your Son into the world as a ransom for sin.
I offer this prayer in the name of my God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
