Forgiving others. Perhaps a member of your church acts spitefully toward you. In revenge you speak a word to him or her that is loaded with venom. Then the Spirit of the Lord reproves you for acting vengefully. You must confess immediately to the Lord the words that you spoke and the manner and spirit in which they were spoken.

Do not attempt to gloss over the sinfulness of your act or to justify yourself or your words. You have sinned, and there is no way to make the deed acceptable to God.

The fact that the other person "deserved" your spite is beside the point. Not for one minute will God accept our judging of another individual. We think, speak, and act in a holy manner because we are God's children, not because other people treat us fairly.

When you confess your vengeful words and motives to Jesus He may or may not require that you ask the other person's forgiveness. The requirements for release vary with the individual circumstance. We always must be led by the Spirit of God when we are judging the sins in our life (Romans 8:13).

Sometimes it is better to say nothing than to confess to people that we have hated them. On other occasions, asking a person's forgiveness and making an effort to obtain peace and reconciliation is the surest road to happiness and blessing for all individuals concerned.

If neither side can forgive the other it is impossible for the unforgiving persons to have their sins forgiven. They have cut themselves off from the benefits of Calvary. They are walking in darkness.

Their load of oppression and bondage will increase as the cancer of hatred eats into their spirit, soul, and body. The end result will be death and Hell. The same kind of venom that we give out returns to us in increased measure. "If ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses" (Mark 11:26).

Continuing confession. We cannot make a blanket confession of how wicked we are and put away our fleshly sins all at once. It would be a relief if we could. Moral deliverance is a continual cleansing as the Holy Spirit probes the recesses of our heart.

The Spirit of God leads us in such a manner that specific sins are brought to our attention one or two at a time, similar to the manner in which the Spirit of God led Joshua against the cities of Canaan.

Confess the sins that you are aware of now and obtain victory over them through God's grace. Then the Holy Spirit will direct you to another "city," so to speak. Your sins must be forgiven and cleansed through Spirit-led confession and repentance.

We are not teaching that repentance and confession is the only manner in which we are released from our bondages, or that we are to make a ritual of confessing our sins each day, or that the Holy Spirit will reveal a new sin each day.

The point being emphasized is that spiritual cleansing is a continuing process in the life of the overcomer, and when sin in one's life has been revealed it is to be dealt with promptly and specifically. The process requires a period of time to accomplish.

To be continued.