Cannot Forgive if Not Forgiven

Many people in AA are told that the work is never finished, that Alcohol is a "subtle foe", and therefore we cannot rest.

Our feelings become a part of ourselves that we must respond to and manage.

For the believer, peace is the standard, the inheritance that we receive from Him:

"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me." (John 14: 1)

then

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14: 27)

Now, our hearts will remain troubled as long as we are convinced that in order to enjoy God's lavish forgiveness, we must still "do something".

The New Covenant, however, has nothing to do with us:

"For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:

"And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.

"For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.: (Hebrews 8: 10-12)

"I will be to them a God"-- do we often sit down and think on this massive Truth? He takes care of us inside out, and therefore our job is to believe, to rest in this truth, allowing His grace to flow and lead us in our walk.

In fact, God has already created us, and created in us the works that He wants us to do:

"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2: 10)

We walk in these works, for God is before us and behind us through His Son:

"For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. 18And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence" (Colossians1:16-18)

Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father, and through His Spirit we receive His presence and power over our lives, and we can know and believe that wherever we go, He is there blessing and securing us through all things. Our job is to believe, to rest, which means that we must renew our minds to this truth (Romans 12: 2), growing in grace and knowledge of the Lord.

The more that we see all that God has done for us, even taking our painful past into a palatial present, then we receive the grace to forgive and release the hurts of others, receiving that we are set free from having to do anything in order to have righteousness, peace, and joy in our lives.

Forgiveness is easy when you keep seeing Jesus and all that He has done for you! In fact, you find that you rejoice in the hardships, knowing and believing that He is already turning those hardships into Lordship on your part.