3 Steps to
Forgiveness

 Forgiveness is mentioned over 100 times in the Bible. The meaning of this word is vital. Forgiveness is required to obtain salvation. It is necessary for us to forgive others if we expect to be forgiven. We are forgiven by the Heavenly Father when we accept the shed blood of the Messiah. But we cannot go back to our old ways; we must be determined to change the direction of our life completely.

     The first step to forgiveness is to reform. Reform means to decide that you want to change your life and to abandon your ways of jealousy, greed, lust, vanity and lawbreaking. These lead only to despair.

     In order to obtain forgiveness we must first want to change. We must come to the point of total sorrow for our past life and sins before the second step can be reached. But when He saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, He said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits that befit repentance…” (Matthew 3:7-8, RSV).

     We must be so sick of our past life that we are willing to do a complete about-face. We must be humbly willing to change. Don’t come to Yahshua (see above) with a self-righteous attitude. He will not hear a sinner’s prayer unless he or she is asking forgiveness.

     If we are willing to seek His way of life and never return to our old ways, He will forgive our past.

     Reform, then, means changing of one’s attitudes about one’s life and a true yearning to rectify past wrongs. Unless we have this determination to reform our life and turn from previous ways, we will lack the resolve needed to carry out our reform. Our aim to change our lives permanently will fail.

Reform for the Converted

     And if you will not be reformed by Me by these things, but will walk contrary unto Me; Then will I also walk contrary unto you, and will punish you yet seven times for your sins. And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall avenge the quarrel of My covenant; and when you are gathered together within your cities, I will send the pestilence among you; and you shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy (Leviticus 26:23-25).

     After we are converted, we must change our lives or be overcome by the enemy. Who’s the enemy? Satan the devil. He knows all our weakest points and attacks them. He works hardest after we have made a commitment to change and serve Yahweh (see explanation above).

     Why does Yahweh allow this to happen? He wants only strong, dedicated and positive people to rule with and for Him in His Kingdom. He doesn’t want the weak, who will give up when the heat is on, to rule over His Kingdom. James 1:8 reads, A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

Repentance Is More Than Being Sorry

     The next step is to repent. Repent means to turn from sin and dedicate one’s self to amending one’s life. When you repent you feel total regret to the point of grieving for your sins. You feel utter disgust with yourself and desire to make a complete change in your life. In Mark 1:4, John was preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

     Repentance is the only route to salvation. It is the most important act one can perform on planet earth. Repentance means being completely sick of our previous life and being determined to do whatever we can to change. When we come to the point that we realize we are as nothing, that our ways do not measure up to the Father’s ways and we are willing to seek His will, then we have come to the point of repentance. Only then are we teachable.

     His ways bring blessings; man’s natural and carnal ways, which everyone has from birth, result in curses and ultimate death. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto Yahweh, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our Elohim for He will abundantly pardon (Isaiah 55:7).

     Yahweh offers abundant pardon. The rest of the 55th chapter of Isaiah explains how different Yahweh’s thoughts and ways are from those of man. He takes care of us and He blesses us naturally and spiritually with joy and peace.

     How do I repent? What is involved in repentance? To whom do I repent? Joel 2:12-13 describes repentances, which is a turning around—away from sin—and going the other way. Therefore also now, says Yahweh [the one whom we repent to], turn you even to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto Yahweh your Elohim; for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and it grieves Him of the evil.

     Yahweh promises that if we sincerely turn to Him in deep contrition of a changed heart that He will extend His love and mercy to us. He will listen. The latter part of this passage states that Yahweh does not like evil (sin). What is sin? Could one commit sin and not know it? The answer is “yes.” Sin is simply the transgression of the law, 1 John 3:4, just as a crime is defined as violation of a law.

     If we fail to keep the law, we sin. We could sin unknowingly if we had never been taught the law which includes the Ten Commandments. While we may have knowledge of His commandments, we have not understood them if we don’t obey them. His ways transcend our ways and our thoughts.

     Many Scriptures show that with repentance come sorrow and weeping. Being first totally, sincerely sorry for our past actions is a must for forgiveness. In Luke 22:62, after Peter had denied Yahshua three times, he repented and wept bitterly. The sinner in Luke 7:37-50, as she was repenting, stood behind Yahshua weeping. Yahshua commenting in verse 50 states, Your faith has saved you; go in peace.

     Sorrow is a deep regret that we have knowingly or unknowingly broken Yahweh’s holy law. Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that you sorrowed to repentance; for you were made sorry after a sincere manner, that you might receive damage by us in nothing. For sincere sorrow works repentance to salvation not to be regretted of; but the sorrow of the world works death (2 Corinthians 7:9-10).

     Here we find that sorrow and weeping—genuine regret—were a part of repentance as one was begotten of Messiah. Since this is required at the starting point of True Worship, is it not also a daily requirement to continue our daily walk with Messiah? Tears are an expression of sorrow, regret, compassion and love. In Mark 9:23-24, when the man came to Yahshua with the sick child, he had tears out of love for his child.

We Must Also Confess

     But Peter said unto him, ‘Your money perish with you;  because you have thought that the gift of Yahweh may be purchased with money. You have neither part nor lot in this matter; for your heart is not right in the sight of Yahweh. Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray to Elohim, if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you’ (Acts 8:20-22). Peter was saying to him that you can’t buy forgiveness, it is a gift. But you must repent and change your ways for the gift to be yours.

     All the money we could ever hope to accumulate would not buy one square inch in Yahweh’s Kingdom. But we can have it if we will accept Him as our Savior, repent, confess our sins, and ask forgiveness.

     Matthew 27:3-5 relates that Judas “repented himself” when he realized he was responsible for Yahshua’s being condemned. But Judas did not go to Yahshua and ask His forgiveness. His remorse was with himself and not to Him whom he had betrayed. Judas did not show any remorse as did Peter who wept bitterly. Had Judas completed all the steps to forgiveness he would not have hanged himself. He didn’t take the last step.

To Restore What Was Wrongfully Taken or Abused

     The final step is restitution, a making good or giving an equivalent repayment for some injury. Reformation and repentance cannot be complete without the third step, restitution. Both the Old Testament and New Testament speak of this act. The Old Testament’s most remembered and quoted verses include the phrase eye for eye (Exodus 21:24, Leviticus 24:20 and Deuteronomy 19:21). This was a law given to the magistrates to limit restitution. If restitution was impossible, then a penalty could be imposed, but it was limited to taking one eye for one eye, one tooth for one tooth.

     Has the law changed from the Old to the New Testament, that when you wronged someone you retaliate in kind? In the New Testament we find some very similar instances, with the emphasis on restitution, not retribution. Zaccheus at his conversion stood up and said, Behold, Rabbi, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold (Luke 19:8). After that, Yahshua said unto him: This day is salvation come unto his house.

     Zaccheus was a tax collector and could have easily been dishonest and taken from both the rich and poor, but he was willing to compensate, and to go even further than required. He willingly gave half his goods to the poor.

     Exodus chapter 22 begins with a man stealing and the price or restitution he must pay. Verse 3 says he should make full restitution. He sometimes was required to restore as much as five times what he had taken. If everyone lived by Exodus chapter 22, this would be a much better world. We must go the extra mile.

      Have you spoken falsely about someone and killed their reputation? If so, you have murdered. You have assassinated someone’s character. They have been deprived of a part of life. Your wrongdoing requires the three steps to forgiveness. Have you let your tongue be used as a deadly weapon, as mentioned in James 1:26; 3:5-8? If so, you must apply the three steps to forgiveness to your life if you expect to inherit the Kingdom of Yahweh.

     Note Jeremiah 31:34, For I will forget their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. Yahweh displays His perfect memory. When He forgives someone who has repented and changed from his evil ways, Yahweh no longer remembers those sins and trespasses. The past is wiped clean, and those whose sins are forgiven have a clean slate. We make restitution by willingly being obedient from that point onward. We cannot repent only to turn back into our sins. We must show an active conversion. We must restore pure worship to our lives. Yahshua tells us in Luke 6:37, Judge not, and you shall not be judged: condemn not, and you shall not be condemned; forgive, and you shall be forgive. He then clarifies what He means in the latter part of verse 38, For with the same measure that you mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

     Our condemnation and criticism of others will be the standard by which we will be criticized, warns Yahshua. If we find fault with another in a given area, we will be scrutinized to see whether we measure up to the standards we impose on others. If we condemn someone for their behavior, we had better be sure that our behavior is above reproach, for we will be measured by the same yardstick.

Forgive Others as You Are Forgiven

     The prayer that is taught to many (Matthew 6) tells us that we must expect to be as forgiving as is our Heavenly Father. Note Yahshua’s words in verse 12: And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. We cannot carry a grudge or grievance against anyone and yet expect Yahweh to forgive us. We must be willing to forgive and forget so that Yahweh will also forgive us as we have forgiven (Ephesians 4:32).

     You talk about a positive, forgiving person, note the martyr Stephen, And as they stoned Stephen, he calling upon Elohim, said, “Yahshua, Elohe, receive my spirit.” Then he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, “Yahshua, lay not this sin to their charge.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep (Acts 7:59-60). Stephen could have easily wanted revenge, by the standards of carnal reasoning. But Yahweh’s ways and our ways are different. Lay not this sin [death] to their charge, he said, showing that he had forgiven all those who were killing him.

     The standards we impose on others are the same standards that will be used to judge our behavior. If, however, we have a forgiving heart and forgive others, then Yahweh will also forgive us. We must make restitution for wrongs we have done others so that we will be forgiven by them as well. By wiping the slate clean, our forgiveness of them is assured and Yahweh blesses us for our desire to make restitution.

     How do we communicate our desires and goals to our Heavenly Father? Acts 3:1 tells us: Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer. By setting aside a regular time for prayer and communing with our Heavenly Father, we are able to be in more complete harmony with Him and keep our lives conformed to His will. We daily open our hearts with sorrow and tears to Yahweh for the joy and peace that comes with being forgiven.

The Only Name That Gives Salvation

     Our Creator wants nothing more than to have His creation come to Him in prayer, acknowledging Him, and only Him, as the true First Cause of all that exists. The first of the Ten Commandments says, You shall have no other mighty ones before Me.

     Salvation comes only through the One who gave physical life, and who can offer everlasting life. He is Yahweh. And Acts 4:12 says Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. Salvation is through His Son, Yahshua.

      Scripture commands all men to pray to the Father by His correct Name Extol Him that rides upon the heavens by His Name Yah, and rejoice before Him (Psalm 68:4). Yah is the abbreviated form of Yahweh and is found in the King James Bible. The sacred Name Yahweh was used throughout the original Bible but in later versions was replaced with other words that are not names but mere titles (God, Lord, Adonai). These titles were not dreamed up, but were borrowed from the Babylonians and other pagan peoples because Scribes and translators feared that the true Name Yahweh was too sacred to be used by the common man.

     This is the judgment that the great Creator will exact on those who, even thought they recognize His true Name, refuse to use it: Pour out Your fury upon the heathen that know You not, and upon the families that call not on Your Name (Jeremiah 10:25). Call upon His Name in prayer. His wrath will be upon the heathen and those not calling on His Name (Psalm 79:6).

     The Messiah Yahshua openly declared His Heavenly Father’s true Name to the Jews and others to whom He ministered. One of the reasons He was charged with blasphemy was that He was not afraid to call on the Name Yahweh, as were the Scribes, Pharisees and Sadducees. Scripture says He magnified His Father’s Name before all to whom He witnessed. And I have declared unto them Your Name, and will declare it (John 17:26). If He declared the Name Yahweh, then He used it. David prophesied of this significant fact in Psalm 22:22, I will declare Your Name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise You.

     There is a direct connection between the Name of the Father and the Name of His Son, our Savior. A son always bears his father’s family name. The Savior Himself said, I have come in My Father’s Name and you receive Me not (John 5:43). The Savior’s Name Yahshua contains the sacred family Name Yah. Yahshua means “Yahweh is salvation.” He truly and literally came in His Father’s Name.

     We are told that the victorious saints at the end of the age will be gathered in the Name of Yahweh. And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on My Name, and I will hear them: I will say, “It is My people”: and they shall say “Yahweh is my Elohim” (Zechariah 13:9).

     Find forgiveness by following the three steps of reforming, repenting and making restitution. Find everlasting life in the one true Name of the Heavenly Father Yahweh, through His Son Yahshua, the Savior and Redeemer!

HalleluYah!