What and How to Achieve Forgiveness

An issue that Jehovah's children need to gain a full understanding of is: forgiveness. It is important to note that our understanding on any matter that concerning our salvation, is govorned by several factors which includes but not limited to the following:

• Ones level of general understanding
  
• Ones educational foundation,
  
• Ones intelligence,
  
• And most important ones Godly relationship

It is also important to know that Jehovah's Holy Spirit will allow us the level of understanding that is needed to get us into his kingdom of heaven, and every individual is expected to seek the Holy Spirit guidance for him or her self.

I serve a God who was not only responsible for creating ever member of the human family; but has a very intricate and detail knowledge of our total make up and general function. We must also come to the understanding that the standards of the bible are the optimum achievement that each of us should aspire to, yet the bible reminds us that none are righteous no not one.

Each aspect of Christianity is a process of growth and development; this is not so by chance but was a part of the awesome design for our benefit and for the perfection of our characters. If you noticed that I use the word process. We must first ask ourselves what is a process. Process is the continuing development of.

Let me break it down to the simplest state by using a practical example. Before an individual is truly be save and is converted to Christianity, that individual must go through a basic process and that process includes:

1. That person must first get to know about Jehovah and Jesus (it is important to understand that to know about a person and to know that person is not the same).
   
2. Why they (Jehovah and Jesus) did and continue to do what the said they will.
   
3. Have I benefited from their goodness
   
4. If yes how can I continue to benefit from such goodness?

If any individual is to be truly converted they must be exposed to, understanding and acceptance of the above. Jehovah knows, understand and expect such. Here is a good rational working example of an expected process in action. Many people for many reasons will like to abort one or more of the elements above, but it is important to note that one cannot attain a love for Jehovah unless one has a comprehensive knowledge of who he is, why he does what he do, how his action benefits me/you/them and how to continue to be in his (the creators) favor. We must all realize that there is no fix (different people arrived at different time) time frame as to when an individual will ascertain this expectation (becoming a Christian). But what is important is that:

1. The expectations are attainable
   
2. the individual has a desire to attain such
   
3. And the individual is doing all that is necessary and reasonable to attain the attainable.

It is no different with forgiveness. Before someone can truly forgive that individual has to go through a process and it is only on completion of this process that one can truly forgive.

We cannot truly forgive unless we as individuals truly deal with our hurt and dealing with the hurt is apart of the process of forgiveness. It includes recognizing that we were wrong, coming to grips or getting an understanding of the extent of our hurt, going through the grieving process, and finally learning to move forward in spite of the wounds that the hurt cause. It is important to note that we cannot truly forgive if after forgiving, we are unable to love the one we allegedly forgive.

We cannot truly forgive unless we as individuals have truly deal with our hurt and dealing with the hurt is apart of the process of forgiveness, and it includes the recognizing that we were wrong, coming to grips or getting an understanding of the extent of our hurt, going through the grieving process, and finally learning to move forward in spite of the wounds that the hurt cause. It is important to note that we cannot truly forgive if after forgiving we are unable to love the one we forgive.

The process of the plan of salvation began with the creation of man kind, and included the fall of man, the proclamation of the promise, the fulfillment of the promise and the final stage is the deliverance of Jehovah’s children from this world of sin. If Jehovah left out any portion of the plan: let us say for example he did not give his son to die on the cross, what would have happened? If one part of the prophecy did not come to pass, then the process of redemption would not have been completed; and there would have been something awkwardly wrong with the final product: it would have been incomplete and thus inadequate.

It is the same with forgiveness the time it takes to forgive is not the issue it is ensuring that when forgiveness is declared that we derived the full benefit from it. Jesus knew how to forgive even before he was wronged, that is why he is Jehovah that is why the word declared in Isaiah 55: 7-9 that Jehovah’s thoughts are not our thoughts, and his ways are not our ways; and Jesus was Jehovah incarnate.

In closing, we must bear in mind that forgiveness benifits the person who forgive far more than the person who was forgiven. failure to forgive has many consiquences attached to it, apart from not recieving forgiveness from Jehovah, and the possible forfeiture our souls salvation; there are many stress related illnesses that is associated with harboring contempt in our heart against one who have wrong us. complications that can cause ill health and may only be overcome by opening our heart and letting go of the hurt.