Transformative Forgiveness: Inner Healing through Biblical Wisdom

In a world where resentment and grudges often hold us captive, the concept of transformative forgiveness emerges as a beacon of light, offering profound healing and liberation. The transformative power of forgiveness, as advocated by the wisdom found within the Bible, transcends religious boundaries to touch the core of the human experience. In this blog post, we look into the concept of transformative forgiveness through the lens of the Bible's philosophy, exploring its psychological impact and its potential to bring about inner healing.

The Bible emphasizes transformative forgiveness as a cornerstone of spiritual, devotional, and emotional growth. Rooted in the belief that compassion and reconciliation have the power to mend broken relationships, damaged minds, and wounded hearts, the Bible guides us toward letting go of resentment and seeking peace. The psalms and parables of forgiveness within the Bible serve as timeless reminders of the profound impact of extending mercy not only to others, but also to our own self.

Psychologically, transformative forgiveness is a balm for the soul. The Bible's wisdom on forgiveness aligns with modern psychological findings that holding onto anger, frustration, or grudges can lead to stress, anxiety, and even physical ailments. By choosing to embrace forgiveness, we release the burden of negative emotions, experiencing improved mental well-being, and a profound sense of emotional freedom.

The transformative power of forgiveness lies in its capacity to heal not only our relationships with others but also our relationship with ourselves. As the Bible encourages us to forgive those who have wronged us, it invites us to extend the same grace to ourselves. This journey of self-forgiveness can foster personal growth and self-compassion, promoting emotional resilience and a more positive self-image.

Embracing transformative forgiveness requires intention and practice. The Bible's teachings guide us through a transformative process that involves acknowledging our pain, cultivating empathy for both ourselves and the offender, and ultimately choosing to release the burden of anger and resentment. This process aligns with modern therapeutic approaches that emphasize healing through empathy and letting go of negativity.

The wisdom of the Bible illuminates the path to transformative forgiveness – a journey that mends relationships, heals wounds, and restores inner peace. By internalizing the BIble’s lessons of compassion and reconciliation, we experience the profound truth that forgiveness is not weakness; it is a powerful act of courage and healing. Incorporating this philosophy of the Bible into our lives, we can move toward a future where forgiveness paves the way for profound personal and interpersonal transformation.

The Liberating Power of Lovingkindness

"O continue thy lovingkindness unto them that know thee; and thy righteousness to the upright in heart," Psalm 36:10.

If it is that we do not know what the Bible’s "righteousness" is, we may now know, according to this psalm, that it is its "lovingkindness." "Lovingkindness" is, in the Bible, another term for "righteousness," even as it says, "I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness," Hosea 2:19, and, "I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart…I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation," Psalm 40:10.

What then is "the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man"? Titus 3:4.

The Bible’s “righteousness” is for the spirit of our conversation's mind, in that it would have our conversation "perfect, as pertaining to the conscience," Hebrews 9:9. What is according to the conscience is without external or outward manipulation, which is why it says, "The kingdom of God cometh not with observation," Luke 17:20. What is with "observation" is with religious deeds and labors, and if "that which is born of the Spirit is spirit," John 3:6, and if our mind is "to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man," Ephesians 3:16, and if "wisdom strengtheneth," Ecclesiastes 7:19, then the Bible’s salvation is a kindness mainly occurring within the mind.

We learn this fact from how it says, "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: that the blessing of Abraham might come," Galatians 3:13,14

"The kingdom of God" is herein understood to be no literal or tangible kingdom, but rather a spiritual procedure to recover the organs of our devotional conversation. Because "God is a Spirit," John 4:24, and because "a spirit hath not flesh and bones," Luke 24:39, this goal cannot be achieved by ay deed or act. If we think that it should, we should question whether or not what is invisible ought to care for what is physical.

A reality without the religious law dominating the conversation's conscience is preached to us through the crucifixion. A transaction occurred on the tree, where one manner of "life" was abolished and where another manner of "life" took the place of that abolished "life." "Life," to the Bible, is a term denoting one’s personal devotional conversation. Through the tree, one type of religious conversation was blotted out while another replaced it, and we know what replaced that "old" religious form from how it says, "He took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham," Hebrews 2:16. 

In the Bible, the word "angel" is used to denote a minister or messenger of the scriptures. If the living God's chief apostle took on the "nature" or the "seed" of Abraham, and if this man Abraham received his blessing not "through the law, but through the righteousness of faith," Romans 4:13, it is then evident that the "nature" or the "seed" of the angel is contrary to this position.

The "angel" is a minister demanding that "righteousness come by the law," Galatians 2:21, while the "nature" of Abraham states, "Christ is the end of the law for righteousness," Romans 10:4. The issue at hand is how the word "righteousness" is defined: to the "angel," righteousness is but the appearance of sanctity through religious deeds and laws; to the Bible, “righteousness” is alleviation and continual growth and development of the heart and mind.

But there is an issue. If we would have the Bible’s lovingkindness, and if we would continually advance in its manner of righteousness, we must know its devotional character. This is why it says, "O continue thy lovingkindness unto them that know thee; and thy righteousness to the upright in heart," Psalm 36:10.

Our mind is to become a free canvas for the impression of the Bible’s devotional character. Its impression is not to be our impression. Its impression is not to be the impression of a political religious tradition. When once the mind is willing to stand alone, the mind can then experience its words for knowledge to live by, which is why it says, "Through knowledge shall the just be delivered," Proverbs 11:9. 

Our conversation's conscience is to be delivered from some thing, and "having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances," Ephesians 2:15, we may know that our faith's mind is to quit "the handwriting of ordinances," Colossians 2:14, of whatever Moses should preach, "You are justified by the law," Galatians 5:4. This is how we begin to have a right mind to live by.

What is preached through the illustration of the crucifixion is liberty of mind from the box of a political faith for the mind’s personal devotional growth and development. This life, according to the wisdom within the Bible, is absolutely too short for us to spend it in the box of personal and religious policies. Self-cultivated and inherited ethics limit who we are, and when who we are is limited, the things and people around us suffer. They suffer because we, by our philosophy, care to limit every thing and every one else.

The Bible’s counsel for our conversation’s conscience is the means whereby our heart’s mind is liberated to not only soberly love self, but to also know and love every word that has ever come out of its mouth. This is why it says, “Hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him,” 1 John 2:3,4.

Be Of Good Courage

"Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD." Psalm 31:24

Something will always discourage our heart, but if our hope rests in the living God's cause for our wellbeing, our discouragement will receive an enlightening balm to nourish our confidence in the hope that whatever we are currently passing through is for the good of our person. It is therefore well to know just what "hope" we are to rest in.

It is easy to imagine some confidence to keep our heart by, which confidence will inevitably be the means our mind is taken from the Bible’s voice or instruction. The psalmist informs us of what our "hope" in the living God should be, and this "hope" is what strengthens our heart to take courage when discouragement is all that is perceived, allowing us to know that this "strength" is what adds sobriety to our heart for possessing self. It is herein well to know that "wisdom strengtheneth," Ecclesiastes 7:19, and that this "hope" in the Bible is forwarded through our taking courage on its wisdom, even when life gives us no reason to do so.

If the Bible will encourage our heart by its wisdom, it is then our assignment to know what this wisdom is, that we may learn of it, to do it. For this cause we read: "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom," Colossians 3:16, and, "Thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom," Psalm 51:6.

This wisdom is the "truth" or "word" of "Christ," which wisdom directs our attention to how it says, "Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God," 1 Corinthians 1:24. The BIble’s wisdom, or word, or truth, is called "Christ," and by the manner in which Paul uses this phrase, "Christ," we learn that he references no man, or no tangible thing, but rather uses "Christ" to figuratively illustrate a doctrine or philosophy. In proper context of language, "the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour," Titus 1:4, is "the commandment of God our Saviour," Titus 1:3, teaching us that "henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more," 2 Corinthians 5:16. 

Paul, through his doctrine, is trying to get us to understand that there is a higher course of learning for our conversation’s personal training. His speech informs the reader that, if they are to benefit in any thing by the Bible, what is thought to be physical or tangible need not continue in such a condition. This he says because, if this blessing is by the living God, and if "God is a Spirit," John 4:24, and if "a spirit hath not flesh and bones," Luke 24:39, then "that which is born of the Spirit is spirit," John 3:6, and the blessing of “the Spirit” is only for the spirit of the mind.

Wisdom is not physical. A commandment is not firstly tangible. Wisdom is firstly mental, and because the Bible’s benevolence is for the mind, we are counseled, "Live according to God in the spirit," 1 Peter 4:6, and, "Be renewed in the spirit of your mind," Ephesians 4:23. The "salvation" promised by the Bible is for our conversation's mind, to renew its spiritual confidence so that we might practically apply to it for kindly governing self. Such "salvation" or regeneration of our thought and feeling is through "the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour," Titus 1:4, which "Lord" and "Savior"; because this blessing is mental and inward; is "the commandment of God our Saviour," Titus 1:3. 

If the conversation’s regeneration is the Bible’s aim, it is that the condition of our spiritual belief is naturally grotesque and needing alleviation. The Bible’s wisdom is therefore preached through the act of the living God’s chief apostle suffering the tree, for if it says, "He that is hanged is accursed of God," Deuteronomy 21:23. If he on the tree is found separated from the tree and "is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God," 1 Peter 3:22, then we have preached to us just what to resurrect from.

What is accursed on the tree is not the literal flesh of the literal man, and we understand this through Paul, who breaks down the figure of this image by saying, "Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances," Ephesians 2:15. The man on the tree is but a figurative illustration of the handwritten religious law and doctrine of priests and elders, both ancient and modern. There is an issue with handwritten religious laws taken up by the Bible through this act, and it is not for any light or ignorant reason.

The logic behind calling out the religious law by the illustration of the living God’s chief apostle is understood from the sayings: "For whatsoever is not of faith is sin," Romans 14:23, and, "The law is not of faith," Galatians 3:12, and, "The strength of sin is the law," 1 Corinthians 15:56, and, “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law,” Galatians 3:13.

At the beginning of this entry, we learned that "strength" is, in the Bible, another term for "wisdom," because "wisdom strengtheneth," Ecclesiastes 7:19. The "strength" or "wisdom" of all "sin" is today recognized by the Bible as the religious law, which is why it was necessary that that priest "redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree," Galatians 3:13.

This act on the tree defines "sin" for us, that it is found in the religious law, and this definition of "sin" is right, because if "that which is born of the Spirit is spirit," John 3:6, and if "without faith it is impossible to please him," Hebrews 11:6, and if "whatsoever is not of faith is sin," Romans 14:23, and if "the law is not of faith," Galatians 3:12, then the living God's intention within the mind of our conversation's conscience is ruined by the religious law, making the religious law "sin" to handle. It is therefore the Bible’s will to "purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God," Hebrews 9:14, and this will is preached through that that man suffering the tree.

The will and wisdom of the living God is the resurrection of our conversation from service to the religious law into another service blessing the mind of our personal devotional confidence. This is the reason why we are counseled, "Put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind," Ephesians 4:22,23.

The "hope" promised "is Christ in you, the hope of glory," Colossians 1:27, and because this "hope" is through the Spirit's wisdom and commandment, seeing as how "that which is born of the Spirit is spirit," John 3:6, we may understand that the "glory" to be received is the adorning of our mind with "the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour," Titus 1:4, which "Lord" and "Savior" is, in all actuality, "the doctrine of God our Saviour," Titus 2:10. 

The religion of the Bible is mental and philosophical, for the conscience of our conversation, meaning that it is not "through the law, but through the righteousness of faith," Romans 4:13. That act on the tree was accomplished so "that the blessing of Abraham might come," Galatians 3:14, and that the spirit of Moses might draw back from the experience. This spirit is abolished from the present experience with the Bible as a perpetual condemnation against every Moses that should arise, even like as it says, "Whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it," Ecclesiastes 3:14.

If it is written, "He that is hanged is accursed of God," Deuteronomy 21:23, then this curse is a perpetual and ever lasting curse "not only in this world, but also in that which is to come," Ephesians 1:21. If our conversation is dominated by a baptism contrary to that given by the Bible, is ruled by a sabbath contrary to that spoken into existence by this same Mind at creation, and is blessed by all other sorts of "commandments and doctrines of men," Colossians 2:22, we may today know that the handwritten religious law has become the foundation of our faith, making our faith, seeing as how "Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth," Romans 10:4, unhealthy.

Our faithfully experimenting with on the hope of the Bible’s wisdom is the means whereby our personal and devotional constitution is made better. By continuously regenerating our belief by the Bible’s words, the understanding gained will help make life simple, discouragement now becoming an instrument to further that wisdom's good intention. Therefore "be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD," Psalm 31:24.