the protection of forgiveness

Last night the Lord was telling me how important forgiveness is. It protects our hearts from the enemy’s attacks. In the parable of the unmerciful servant we read that the consequences of not forgiving are torment (Mt 18:34). We have been forgiven, and we must forgive.

The word “torment” is also used in Revelation where we read about the spiritual scorpions who sting those that do not have the seal of God in their foreheads (Rev 9:5). These people will feel poisoned, and though their torment lasts only for a season (5 months) they will wish to die. Interestingly, the king of the scorpions is called the destroyer, the same one we know as satan (Rev 9:11. Also see John 10:10). Satan, the accuser of the brethren, seeks to destroy men.

How is forgiveness, then, a protection against our enemy? If we look at the progression of the unforgiving servant towards his time in prison, we see that first he was forgiven. Then he was presented with an opportunity to forgive. It was his choice, and he chose to not forgive. Therefore God turned him over to his tormentors. In Revelation we read where God sealed His servants in their foreheads first, and then the scorpions were released (Rev 7:2-3). Having a seal on our foreheads means the difference between the torment of our enemy, and the protection of our God.

The first account we have of a seal on the forehead is written about God’s first high priest, Aaron. The Lord instructed that a gold seal engraved with the words “Holy to the Lord” be placed on Aaron’s forehead, fastened with a blue cord. The purpose of the seal was to make the people Aaron ministered to acceptable to the Lord (Ex 28:36-38). Aaron’s seal bore the guilt of those he ministered to, just as Jesus bore the guilt for our sins. Aaron could not offer the people’s sacrifices on the altar and at the same time hold their sins against them. Their guilt was God’s alone to judge or forgive. This was how Aaron ministered forgiveness.

We read that the high priest was to “deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness,” (Heb 5:2). Yes, we ourselves sin and are in need of forgiveness. It only makes sense to forgive others, and in order to be forgiven ourselves, we must also forgive (Mt 18:35).

Satan accuses us to ourselves, God to us, and our brethren to us. One of the items of our protective armor is the breastplate of righteousness (Eph 6:14). Strong’s concordance traces the word “righteousness” to a root word meaning “right”, as in principle, a decision, or its execution. Righteousness can be seen by right actions which come from right decisions, based on right principles. The decisions and principles reside in our mind and are influenced by our heart. If we want to be protected from our enemy’s torment in our thought-life, we need to make it our principle to forgive, and give mercy. Then we will be sealed in our forehead (our mind) with God’s nature of holiness, or “Holy to the Lord.” As He demonstrated long ago by the establishment of a priesthood that would impart forgiveness of sins, God’s nature is to forgive. We are now His royal priesthood. Our nature must also be to forgive sins. This will seal us in our minds, bringing protection against our enemy’s torment. Amen.