Forgiveness, Sanctification,
& Healing
Priscilla Van Sutphin
Watching the Passion again and some thoughts
came to me…
If He only died to take the punishment for
SOME of our sins, then what would be the
point ? It would be no better than offering
the ox, calf, goat or dove offered that only
took care of one sin, or some of our sin. Then we would still have to get punished for some other sins, because it would not have been enough, including future sins.
So does He stop forgiving sin if we continue to repent in our HEART, but are unable to change, or mature quickly enough for those around us ? Does He get tired of forgiving sin like we do ? Does He condemn the one who chooses Him, yet is immature, and not completely sanctified and still under some deceit and lies of the enemy ?
Did He not say to Peter who asked, " How many times shall I forgive my brother ? 7 X ? " But the Lord told him, NO, I say 7 X 70. The point was to forgive ALL that is done against you.
I had a vicious letter from a father who didn't want to forgive his daughter once. He insisted he had a right to hold ought against her, because she did this or that. But I told him, no, you have to forgive, or the Lord will not forgive you. That is His Word ! He was only loving her conditionally. Whereas God loves us unconditionally. No matter how good or bad we are. It's not a surprise to Him.
So when people in the public eye and leadership in the church sin, and it is obvious to us, the bible COMMANDS us to go to that person personally to correct them, but in an attitude of HUMILITY and meekness. And if that doesn't work to take a witness, and if that doesn't get results of REPENTANCE, then you take it to the whole body.
One of the biggest problems in the church is the LACK of confrontation because many leaders in the church find themselves ABOVE REPROACH. They refuse to be corrected. This makes for a real frustration among those who try to confront with love, yet are utterly rejected and even abused for doing so, or even prayed against in a form of witchcraft prayers. This has caused SO much division in the church it's not funny. Time after time, after time. Or we just give in to the fear of man and apathy.
So many of us, blinded by the fear of man, continue to sit under false authority because we are too afraid to "rock the boat". What did Jesus tell the apostles to do when a town would not receive His message ? To kick the dirt out from under your feet. LEAVE THAT PLACE, knowing His judgment would come. For some prophets, it has been like casting your pearls before swine to correct the church. They have HAD to kick the dirt out from under their feet and go on. After all, prophetic ministry is itinerant. Amos didn't stay in one place. You are dependent on the Lord to show you where to go next, or what to do next, what to say next.
Now I'm not saying every time someone doesn't listen to leave. But when there is a pattern that goes on and on for years and that person refuses counsel, then if you ask God and HE says leave, you are FREE to leave, and should leave. God IS OUR COVERING - That is what atonement means "covering". Jesus is our covering.
What I see though in this hour is a mantle of RESTORATION over the church. People who were walking in great error, opening up to others who walk in TRUTH. People who have been estranged, now coming together in unity of the Spirit. At least some of that is going on. Tonight I watched as A. A. Allen's daughter was apologized to for the lies told about her father, and the power on her words was something else when she prayed, and publicly forgave people who stood in the gap for the lies told about him in the end. Jealousy in the church provoked many to accuse him falsely so rumors were spread that he was drinking when he died, etc. Many people stood in the gap and asked her and his family for forgiveness.
It is a very deep wound to be bludgeoned by your friends, and associates. I have been through that when I was an assistant pastor. I had another pastor lie about me to the leader, and accuse me of many things I was not guilty of, out of jealousy & vengeance. They listened and kicked me out of the church. I didn't recover from it for a year and a half. For about a year of that time or more, they were praying against me still. I couldn't worship whole heartily, I'd just turn on the music, and lay down and listen and try to sing, but it wasn't the same enthusiasm as before. I would try to read the Word, but could only read Psalms. I would try to pray, but could only pray in tongues.
There was such an attack of witchcraft against me, it was overwhelming for a long time, before the Lord granted me grace to come out of it. I had trusted them with my WHOLE heart, and in the end they believed the lies, and I had not had such pain since my divorce. It took me a long time to fully forgive deep in my heart. The obedience to forgive was done immediately. But the pain was so great, and it took a long time to recover.
Not everything said by people on the internet even comes close sometimes to the truth. You have to be VERY discerning. I've made lots of mistakes in my own past, with judging and criticizing because of the rejection & fear strongholds on me. Rejection on you will make you see things in a distorted manner, even if people are truthful or caring. You may NOT see it as caring, due to rejection. The rejected also reject. They see everything through a skewed lens. That is why the bible admonishes us to not take everything we hear to HEART, for even you know it says that you yourself have said things you didn't mean, or cursed someone with your words at one time.
We are all SINNING and FALLING SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD. That is the context of that scripture. It is not that we HAVE SINNED, but ARE sinning. Day to day we all sin. But we are saved by HIS SHED BLOOD, His unmerited GRACE. We must not grow TIRED of forgiving others, and fore-bearing with those who are immature in their development and sanctification process.
There is a difference between immaturity and REBELLION. A rebellious heart doesn't care if it sins. It doesn't understand how sin breaks God's heart. It's conscience is not the least moved. A humble and yet immature heart, is pained when they discovers they have sinned. I had a good example a short time ago. A young believer came to me talking of a new heart throb she had. When I confronted her [ knowing her very well ] with "is he a CHRISTIAN?", she said, " I DON'T CARE !" very emphatically !
She knew better, but just didn't care. She was being willfully rebellious. Until she repents, she is still walking in rebellion. But she is an immature believer and not following, reading the Word, so that her mind gets sanctified and washed with the Word. Whereas, the same situation with a more mature hearted person, might yield a conviction and desire to do what is right in the eyes of the Lord, even if they are seemingly unable to control their feelings all the time.
Until our soul is completely healed, the enemy can be sitting on places in our WILL, MIND or EMOTIONS, that prevents us from being PERFECT in obedience. If there is an area of continual sin, then there are strongholds that still need to be broken. Strongholds are lies we have believed that make us hopeless, and make us to rationalize sin in our lives. We are thinking we know the truth, but we are believing lies, seeing them as truth.
Soaking prayer, or inner healing prayer as it's called , along with deliverance are means to free the soul from these strongholds. If He brings up any memories of things that made me angry, I have to pray for Jesus to heal that memory, asking Him into the vision of that memory, and ask Him to show me if I made any vows or pronouncements in reaction to that hurt, that would keep me bound in any way. A verbal vow like " I'll never let anyone hurt me like that again!" will assure that it does happen again. Why ? Because we have no rights. We are bought and paid for with the blood of Jesus. And if we suffer WITH HIM, then we will share in His glory. So we need to break or renounce those vows, or pronouncements, including those of others spoken over us. We need to come into DISAGREEMENT with them to reverse them. And we need to FORGIVE everyone who has hurt us.
There is also a responsibility for the person themselves to SPEAK THE WORD over their lives in areas they KNOW are strongholds. For example, if I struggle with anger, I need to PRAY for Father to deliver me from that anger, and heal the hurt and pain behind it. I also need to speak out the WORD, washing over my mind and heart and emotions so that the enemy is subdued from within. He hates you speaking the WORD. He really fights it.
I know one person who put scriptures about healing on a tape and played it over and over again daily for a month and got healing for a certain condition that way ! I also know people who have done that and NOT been healed . God is still SOVEREIGN. And when HE sends forth His Word, we are healed. We should NOT move in PRESUMPTION. The WORD is called the SWORD for a reason. The last thing the enemy wants you to do is speak the Word, read the Word, preach the Word. He hates it because it sets people free, and also prophesies it into the air, bringing down principalities and powers, and all manner of spiritual wickedness in high places. Just watch if you start praying the word out loud how the enemy will try to impress you that it's not doing any good.
One time when Dave was in high school, I put prayers on note cards…basically scriptures to pray over him. One day I clearly heard a demon say to me, " that isn't working !". ROFL. I knew by his saying so, that it WAS working ! hahaha. They are really stupid sometimes.
I have heard it said that PRIDE is one of the most important roots for people being sick. Not all people are sick because of this, but it IS a major root of disease. Whether it is superior pride or defensive pride, it is still pride. If you see yourself as lower than what God sees, or higher than He sees you, it is still PRIDE. Unforgiveness, is just another form of pride.
But pride is NOT the only reason. Fears are another reason. Fears that lead to ANXIETY, and then into the stress syndrome, will escalate sometimes into immune system disorders. Self hatred is often attached also to those kind of fears, and will suck the life out of you. Self hatred is a root for many immune system problems like fibromyalgia, or rheumatoid arthritis, etc.
Sometimes though people take this too far, thinking ALL sickness is rooted in such things. Where sometimes it is generational sin; sometimes it is just that God puts you through something that He will later use to bring hope to others, or as a thorn in the flesh to keep you humble. Sometimes you suffer with afflictions and sickness as intercession for the church or others. There are many reasons but it is not the scope of this to be all inclusive.
I just started writing, & God led me down this route. To summarize, Healing and forgiveness is a PROGRESSIVE work. That is the nature of SANCTIFICATION. The Truth that you KNOW, will set you free . But if you don't KNOW THE TRUTH, and ABSORB it, then you cannot be free. Just like we go from glory to glory, grace to grace, we go from truth to MORE truth, and gradually become whole. This is the perfecting process of the Lord. The time it takes shortens when revival or awakening comes. God moves quicker because GLORY IS GREATER. And we are about to see GREATER GRACE & GLORY than we have known.
God bless you as you pursue His PRESENCE.
