Many people live with resentment and hold a grudge against others for all the wrongs and injustice that has been done to them. Their mind is filled with painful memories of the past and thoughts of them being wronged, which controls their mind and their life. They take on a victim role and share their sorrows with everyone, they meet. They are disappointed and filled with anger and sometimes even hate and are not able to forgive the other person(s). Ona o lena, they don’t live in freedom, but they live in bondage to the past. Ae paga lea, this phenomenon doesn’t only happen among unbelievers, but among Christians as well. Many Christians don’t know the secret of forgiveness, because if they would know the secret of forgiveness, they would forgive others instead of holding a grudge against others. What does the Bible say about forgiveness? Why is it so important to forgive others? O le a le mea lilo o le faamagalo atu?
The bitter fruit of unforgiveness
E tele tagata talitonu, who don’t live in forgiveness, but in unforgiveness, ma o lea, they don’t live in freedom, ae i le pologa. They are not able to forgive another person or persons and let go of the past, and therefore they live as slaves of the past. They accuse and blame others for their sorrows and the injustice, that has been done to them, and they can’t or actually, they won’t, let go of it.
But isn’t it ironic, that you are overloaded with sermons of love in the church, and that many believers (mis)use the word ‘alofa'Ma the message of love i taimi uma, to justify and accept sins and iniquities, but they don’t apply the message of love to themselves and forgive others?
They sympathize with people, who habitually live in sins, and do things, which are an abomination to God and go against Lona finagalo, but they don’t sympathize with people, who have consciously or unconsciously made a mistake and have done them wrong.
The injustice, which is done to God, by habitually living in sin isn’t wrong and isn’t bad, and shouldn’t be punished, but the injustice, which is done to people, is wrong and bad and should be punished.
This behavior proves again, na i le talalelei faaonaponei man has become the center, nai lo le Atua.
This behavior shows, lena tagata, who claims to be a Christian, is not born again, but still belongs to the old carnal generation o le tagata pa'ū, and still sits on the throne of his/her own life and is dominated by the flesh. The flesh hasn’t died yet but is still alive. The person doesn’t belong to the new generation of the born again spiritual man, in whose life Jesus sits on the throne, and who walks after the Spirit. Because by this behavior, which originates from a mafaufau pea, the person pays tribute to the sins and iniquities, i totonu tagata agasala habitually keep persevering.
A person can say, lena (s)he believes and that (s)he is a child of God, but the works of the justification and acceptance of sins, and living in unforgiveness shows something else.
Fai mai Iesu, that you shall know the tree by the fruits. This fruit of unforgiveness is not a fruit of the Spirit but of the flesh. If a person keeps walking in unforgiveness, it shows that the person walks after the flesh and is led by his/her feelings and emotions.
Unforgiveness is like drinking poison yourself
Many Christians think that they hurt and victimize others by living in unforgiveness, ae o le mea moni lava, they hurt and victimize themselves. They are the victims of this bitter fruit, which they bear.
There is a saying, that says ‘unforgiveness is like drinking poison yourself, waiting for the other to die.’ And that is so true! Because by living in unforgiveness, you don’t victimize anybody, but yourself. Ona, while you live with all this anger, feelings of hate, and a bitter and resentful heart, the other person continues his or her life and does not suffer a bit.
The commandments of Jesus are hard for the old man
E leʻi savali Iesu i le tino, ae ina ua mavae le Agaga, and had the best intentions for the people of God. Mea tonu lava lena, Na Ia Aʻoaʻoina i Latou Ana poloaiga, which were the same commandments as the Father’s commandments. O le mea moni, Jesus made some commandments even harder, because Jesus knew the capability of the new man. He knew that the new man was able to fulfill the law, just like He did (Faitau foi: ‘E mafai e le tagata ona faataunuu le tulafono?’).
The commandments of God and Jesus were hard for the old carnal man, who is unspiritual and walks after the flesh and therefore, is being led by his senses, mafaufau tino, lagona ma lagona, and the poor worldly spirits. Ae mo le tagata fou, who is spiritual and nofo ia Iesu Keriso; the Word and walks after the spirit in the power of the Holy Spirit, these commandments are not hard (Faitau foi: ‘The battle and weakness of the old man’).
Forgive us our debts, faapei ona matou faamagalo atu i e ua agaleaga mai ia te i matou
‘Ia e foa‘i mai ‘iā te i matou i le aso nei a matou mea e ‘ai e tatau ma le aso. Ma fa‘amāgalo mai ‘iā matou agasala, faapei ona matou faamagalo atu i e ua agaleaga mai ia te i matou (Mataio 6:12)
When the disciples, who by the way were not toe fanauina, asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, Jesus also mentioned the aspect of forgiveness.
When you pray the Lord’s prayer, you promise that you will forgive your debtors, who are those that have treated you wrong, have hurt you, or have done something against your will or expectation. Nei o mea uma e uiga, whether you keep your promise to God and execute your promise to Him, by forgiving others or not.
You can say and promise whatever you want, but it’s all about if you keep your sayings and your promises. For every word you speak, you shall give account on the day of judgment (Mata 12:36). O lea la, be careful with the promises you make, but don’t keep. Because if you don’t do what you promise to do, o oe o le pepelo, and the final destination of liars is not so good (Faaaliga 21:8).
When you forgive others, your heavenly Father will forgive you
For if you forgive men their trespasses, e fa‘amāgaloina fo‘i ‘outou e lo ‘outou Tamā o i le lagi: But if you forgive not men their trespasses, e lē fa‘amāgaloina fo‘i e lo ‘outou Tamā a ‘outou agasala (Mataio 6:14)
This is a hard saying! Aua ua fetalai Iesu, that if you don’t forgive others their trespasses (towards you), your heavenly Father will not forgive your trespasses (towards Him). O lona uiga, that if you don’t forgive others, Your heavenly Father will hold you accountable for all the sins you have done towards Him, ma ona o lena, your final destination could be different from what you expect.
When Peter asked Jesus how many times he should forgive a person, who sinned against him and if that should be seven times, Ua tali atu Iesu ia te ia: “seventy times seven”.
Jesus discussed the matter of forgiveness in a parable and said:
Therefore the kingdom of heaven is likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, ma tamaiti, and all that he had, and payment to be made.
The servant, o lea, fell down, and worshipped him, fai mai, “Le Alii e, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all”. Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.
But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellow-servants, which owed him a hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, fai mai, “Pay me that you owe”. And his fellow-servant fell down at his feet, and besought him, fai mai, “Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all”. And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.
So when his fellow-servants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. Then his lord, after that he had called him, fai atu ia te ia, “O thou wicked servant, I forgave you all that debt, because you desired me: Shouldest not you also have had compassion on your fellow servant, even as I had pity on you?” And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if you from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses (Mataio 18:23-35)
God should forgive and forget, but you don’t?
And when you stand praying, faamagalo, if you have ought against any: ‘ina ‘ia fa‘amāgaloina fo‘i ‘outou e lo ‘outou Tamā o i le lagi i a ‘outou agasala. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses (Mareko 11:25-26)
God should forgive, but you shouldn’t forgive? That’s not right! The Bible doesn’t say anything about privileged positions and that man stands above God. God is the Almighty and supreme God, and if God forgives, Ona, who are born of Him and belong to Him and mulimuli ia Iesu, should forgive as well.
If you have become a new creation and you have received God’s nature by the Holy Spirit living inside of you, ona e faamagalo ai lea, e pei lava o Ia.
Afai e ole atu se tagata mo se faamagaloga, e te faamagalo atu. O lona uiga, e te le toe ola i aso ua mavae ma e tali atu i se tagata. Aua e te tatalaina le pusa o aso ua mavae, i le taimi o se talanoaga, ma taʻu atu mea sese uma a le tagata ma mea na faia e le tagata ia te oe. Aua o le faamagalo atu o lona uiga o le a galo ia te oe.
E le faapea o le faamagalo atu, “Ou te faamagalo atu, ae o le a le galo lava ia te au.” Aua afai e te le faagaloina lava, Ona, I le mea moni, e te leʻi faʻamagaloina le tagata. E mafai ona e faapea atu ua e faamagalo atu, ae afai o loo ola pea le mataupu i lou loto ma lou mafaufau, e te leʻi faʻamagaloina le tagata.
O le a le mea lilo o le faamagalo atu?
E toatele Kerisiano, o ē o lo'o tosoina i aso uma se atigipusa mamafa i luga o se maea fa'atasi ma i latou. E le tusa lea ma le finagalo o le Atua. O le mafuaaga lena na poloaiina ai e Iesu Ona soo e faamagalo atu i isi, ina ia e lē gata ina maua le faamagaloga a lo outou Tamā o i le lagi, ae afai foʻi tou te faamagalo atu i isi, ma ua oo mai ai le mealilo tele o le faamagaloga: pe afai e te faamagalo atu i isi, o le a laveaʻiina oe mai le taimi ua tuanaʻi ma o le a mafai ona e tuʻuina atu mea ua tuanaʻi (Faitau foi: ‘O oe o se pologa o aso ua mavae?’).
Afai e te lafoai mea ua tuanai, e te ola i le saolotoga. E te le toe faanoanoa, ita, ma oomi i lalo, ae ia outou olioli, fiafia, ma le faamoemoe ma le poto masani O Le Filemu o le Atua i lou olaga.
Fa'amagalo ma fa'amagaloina oe
E mafai ona e tatalo i mea uma e te manaʻo ai mo le laveaʻiina o le taimi ua tuanaʻi, ae e le tali mai le Atua i lau tatalo. O le a le mea e tu'u ai? Aua ua tuuina atu e le Atua ia te oe le mana ma le tali mo le laveaiga o aso ua mavae, e ala i le faamagalo atu i isi.
Ua tuuina mai e le Atua Lana Afioga ia te oe, ua tusia ai Lona finagalo. Lona O le upu o se tusi lesona mo Ona atalii ma afafine i lenei lalolagi. If you take the words of God and apply them to your life, and therefore become a doer of the Word, then the result of every spiritual word, shall become visible in your life (Faitau foi: ‘O le tagata fai mea e fai‘).
God has given you His Word and His Power, and it’s up to you, if you believe in Them and trust in Him, by doing, mea ua Ia poloaiina ai outou e fai.
Forgiveness is translated from the Greek word ‘apoluō''. O lona uiga: to free fully, o lena lava, (moni lava) relieve, tatala, dismiss (reflexively depart), pe (fa'atusa) let die, fa'amagalo, pe (specifically) tatala faaipoipoga (Malosi le malosi).
When you forgive, which means that when you let go, you shall be released and let go of (Luka 6:37). Ae e pule lava oe, if you listen to your flesh and keep holding on the rope and keep pulling the heavy box along with you, or that you listen to the Word and the Spirit and obey Them, by letting go of the rope.
‘Ia fai ma masima o le lalolagi’
