No matter how easy a recipe is if you do not follow the exact procedures and steps outlined in the recipe you will end up with a totally different dish. Any change in the process might lead to some seriously disastrous meals. For example, if the recipe calls for a tablespoon of sugar but you add a tablespoon of salt the results will not be tasty. In like manner, if you eliminated a step in the cooking process or forgot to add an important ingredient, the end result might end up in the trash can. Every recipe must be contentiously followed to produce the expected delicious food.
In the same way faith, has its requirements to ensure the miracle from heaven is delivered unfailingly. However, just the same way that adding sugar to a dish instead of salt or leaving out an important ingredient will leave you with a dish that is not edible, there are certain ingredients that must be mixed with faith or eliminated from faith, to give you the desired miraculous result.
In the scripture Ep 3:17 “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,” we see that Jesus; The Christ; The Anointed One, dwells in our heart by faith and that love for him is a root that grounds us in Him.
This reminds me of the carrot or the yam that are edible roots of plants. These roots anchor the plant securely into the soil but are different from other roots in that they provide nutrition for the eater.
This Faith recipe requires a nutritious root called LOVE. The more the love for God, for His word, for his ways and his plans the more rooted you are in Him, so take the time to add plenty of love to this dish, in fact the more the better.
The same way that salt and sugar are totally different condiments, and they give different results in any dish, love and unforgiveness are totally different spiritual condiments.
Love is a highly nutritious root that feeds the spirit of a man, while unforgiveness is a highly toxic poisonous root that destroys the spirit of a man. Remember that the issues of life flow out of the spirit of a man. It’s important that unforgiveness must not be added to this faith recipe as it clogs the spirit of man.
Let’s see what the scriptures say about Unforgiveness
Matthew 6: 9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. 14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
If I do not forgive men their trespasses or offenses against me, God will not forgive my trespasses and shortcomings. Unforgiveness shuts down my access to heaven helping me, it guarantees that my faith will not work.
It’s interesting that one of the statements Jesus said to the disciples after rising from the dead was
John 20: 21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
Anyone's sin that you do not willingly forgive from your heart remains unforgiven by you and disqualifies you from God forgiving you. Jesus demonstrated this when he prayed to The Father not to hold the sins of those who crucified him against them. To do this, He must have forgiven them for crucifying a righteous man.
In case you are saying, “How can I forgive, they did such a horrible thing to me and are even still doing it!” Remember, Jesus forgave while he hung on the tree. You see, Jesus had been declaring by faith that he was going to be crucified and rise miraculously on the third day. His Faith was being actively used and he expected the power of God to raise His Spirit from hell. That recipe for a miracle required only love and not an ounce or a dash of unforgiveness.
Do you require a miracle today?
Are you using your faith to call for heaven’s intervention on your behalf?
Add only a generous heaping of the nutritious root of love to the faith recipe and remember to mix faith; your belief with the word of God.