People who can't forgive themselves or other people are sick physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.
People who walk around with unforgiveness are literally releasing toxins into their blood that create sicknesses.
If most people would learn to forgive, they could walk out of the hospital healed of all of their physical ailments.
That may sound like an outlandish statement, but I really do believe it.
At the core of most sickness is unforgiveness.
It's not drugs, it's not tobacco, it's not overeating or overdrinking that is causing most of our sickness.
Most of our sickness is because of unforgiveness in our life.
And so, men and women, you can be physically transformed by learning the power of forgiveness.
People who can't forgive themselves or other people are sick physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.
People who walk around with unforgiveness are literally releasing toxins into their blood that create sicknesses.
People who can't forgive have bad blood.
This is literally true.
It's scientifically proven that when you take someone who's full of fear, full of unforgiveness, full of anger, animosity toward others,
toxins are released into that person's bloodstream.
It begins to pollute their blood and it's only a matter of time before they're very, very sick or depressed or full of anxiety because of the unforgiveness in their life.
But if we learn the power of forgiveness, the opposite is true.
That God releases into your bloodstream those, I'm going to call them forgiveness cells.
Forgiveness cells getting released into your bloodstream that actually build up and strengthen your immune system.
So, you show me someone who's pretty happy most of the time, walking in joy most of the time.
I'll show you someone who is walking in forgiveness, someone who has a growing vital relationship with Christ, someone who has probably some pretty close friendships.
And I'll show you someone who's physically and emotionally and mentally very, very healthy.
James 5.16 we read,
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.
The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
In 1 John 1.9 we read,
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us of all our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
So, God uses forgiveness to purify our blood, to purify us spiritually, mentally and emotionally and physically in our lives.
We get healed through forgiveness.
And many years ago, Billy Graham, the great evangelist, once said that if it was possible for everybody in a hospital to know that they're forgiven by Christ in their life for all that they've done, 75% of people would walk out of that hospital healed.
And I think that's true.
And you may recall the story of David and Bathsheba.
It's one of the most famous parts of the Bible where David has an adulterous relationship with Bathsheba and he fathers a son.
The son dies.
And in Psalm 38, we see the impact even emotionally, mentally, spiritually and physiologically in David's life.
Oh, Lord, do not rebuke me in your wrath, nor chasten me in your hot displeasure.
For your arrows pierce me deeply and your hand presses me down.
There is no soundness in my flesh because of your anger, nor any health in my bones.
Circle that word health.
There's no health in my bones because of my sin.
You see, David is experiencing this interaction with God because of his sin.
It's just pressing him down.
And he actually feels that he has no health in his body because of his sin.
Verse four.
For my iniquities have gone over my head like a heavy burden.
They're too heavy for me.
So David is somehow experiencing the burden of this affair and the burden of the death of his son.
My wounds are foul.
and festering because of my foolishness." So he uses the idea of foul and festering
almost like a wound. He must be feeling this so deeply that it's like a
physical wound. I am troubled and bowed down greatly. I go mourning all day long
for my loins are full of inflammation. Interesting. There's no soundness even in
my flesh. So David is obviously experiencing sickness because of his sin
and inflammation in his blood, inflammation in his body because of his
sin. I'm feeble and severely broken. I've grown because of the turmoil of my heart.
So he's like his whole body feels broken and tired. Verse 10. My heart pants. My
strength fails me. As for the light of my eyes, it is also gone from me. My loved
ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague and my relatives stand afar off.
It's a circle plague. So he he talks about sickness. He talks about this like a
festering scab, a festering cancer in his body. He's talking about here about the
turmoil of his heart and it's like a plague over his life and even people,
broken relationships all around him. So that's what happens, men and women, when
we're walking in unforgiveness. But then in Psalm 51, David turns a corner. Same
situation, Bathsheba. Death. We don't know if this is Bathsheba and the death of
his son or just the adulterous affair with Bathsheba. But in Psalm 51, we see hope.
We see something happening. We're seeing David experience forgiveness. Psalm 51.
Have mercy to me, O God, according to your loving kindness, according to the
multitude of your tender mercies. Blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly
from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions
and my sin is always before me. Against you and you only have I sinned and done
this evil in your sight, that you may be found just when you speak and blameless
when you judge. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity and in sin my mother
conceived me. Behold, you desire truth in the inward parts and in the hidden part
you will make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean. Wash
me and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me hear joy and gladness again that the
bones of you broken may rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out my
iniquities. Create in me, O God, a clean heart and renew a steadfast spirit
within me. Do not cast me away from your presence and do not take your Holy
Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and uphold me by your
generous spirit. Then I will teach transgressors your ways and sinners
shall be converted to you." Amazing, amazing passage, Psalm 38 and in Psalm 51.
It speaks of Psalm 38, a man under the tremendous power of unforgiveness and
sinfulness and then in Psalm 51 we see David going after God, confessing his sin
to the Lord and beginning to cleanse his heart, creating a new heart in him, one to
such a degree that he wants the joy of the salvation to return in his life and
it is going to return in his life, we know that in David's life, so that he can
even teach others to walk in that kind of forgiveness. It's an amazing, amazing
set of Psalms and so men and women, forgiveness is smart health-wise.
Probably nothing you could do better than to learn to forgive, to keep
yourself healthy, strong, vibrant, dynamic, sleeping well at night, eating well,
digesting your food well, staying strong with a strong immune system, forgive.
I want to challenge you that forgiveness is a great strengthener of your bones,
a great strengthener of your body, soul, mind, and spirit and so I challenge you to
walk in forgiveness. It's the healthy way to go. It will restore your body.
body you'll restore your mind. Hope this has been helpful to you and I hope you'll
walk in the power of forgiveness in every area of your life starting with
coming to Christ coming to the cross and being forgiven. Secondly taking the
forgiveness of Christ and the cross in your life and forgiving others who hurt
you and then thirdly letting forgiveness even physiologically mentally and
emotionally also heal you from the inside out. God bless you.