Who Do You Need to Forgive?
Jul 25, 2020 18:04:12 #
Who Do You Need to Forgive?
In exploring who we are as the redeemed children of the One True God, and what it means to have become included in the body of Christ, there still aren’t a great many things that everyone of us has in common.
Ephesians 4:31 "Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice."
Each of us, however, has someone we need to forgive, whether for sins of commission or omission, for deliberate acts or for oversights.
Bring to mind the friends, family members, - a long estranged sibling, and/or even casual acquaintances in your life who need to receive this kind of grace and mercy from you.
This is one of every Christians greatest struggles, whether or not they have ever consciously acknowledged it to be so.
We are required to forgive completely because the Bible tells us to do so. Very clearly, the Bible says in Colossians 3:13: "Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you."
After all, God’s plan to forgive mankind of their sins is the major theme of the Bible (1st Peter 1:20; John 17:24).
Jesus went so far as to say we are to forgive one another seventy times seven (Matthew 18:22). We should forgive so much and so often that it becomes second nature - our automatic response to offenses.
Although nothing could be clearer than these words, there are times and circumstances when being obedient to this scriptural command is as painful as pulling one's own teeth with household pliers would be.
Jesus teaches a parable in Matthew 18:21–35 about why we should forgive. He told the story from the perspective of a king who has forgiven a servant of tremendous debt, only to have that servant encounter another servant who owed him a few dollars, and the forgiven servant then proceed to deal harshly with his fellow servant, demanding instant repayment.
When the king learned what had happened, he was furious and ordered the one he had forgiven to be punished until the huge debt was paid in full. Jesus ended the parable (Matthew 18:35) with this chilling warning: “That is how My Heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”
Refusing to forgive those who wrong us, or who have deeply hurt us, is a direct insult to the Lord who has unreservedly forgiven and blotted out our death penalty deserving debt, rendering it paid-in-full, that which we owed for every sin we had committed, and did so with the shedding of His own blood.
Forgiving as an act of the will does seem doable, but "from the heart," meaning you must genuinely care for the offending party and harbor no ill will toward him/her adds a whole new level, and you are dealing with someone you cannot con, for God is He who is able to look into your innermost being, i.e., to see inside your very heart.
So where in the world do we turn in this age of corruption, deceit and deception?
The-Holy-Spirit-As-Teacher
Jesus promised: "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you."
"As for you, let what you have heard from the beginning remain in you. If it does, you will also remain in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that He Himself made to us: eternal life.
"I have written these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. And as for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But just as His TRUE and genuine anointing teaches you about all things, so remain in Him as you have been taught.
"And now, little children, remain in Christ, so that when He appears, we may be confident and unashamed before Him at His coming." (John 14:26; 1st John 2:24-28)
To the unsaved, to a lost and dying world, surely, that sounds too naive - Far too simple and too uncomplicated to be believable, or even workable?
BUT, to those of us who have trusted in the Lord, Jesus Christ, for our paid-in-full pardon, for our security, for our peace of mind, and for our eternal resting place, this is our game plan...
What we cannot personally do through goodness and mercy which we simply do not naturally possess, we receive through the Holy Spirit, who indwells us as our Helper, Counselor, Comforter, Teacher and Guide.
So, how do we forgive others?
"Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words." (1st Corinthians 2:12-13)
Jesus promised us in Luke 12:12: "for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”
In exploring who we are as the redeemed children of the One True God, and what it means to have become included in the body of Christ, there still aren’t a great many things that everyone of us has in common.
Ephesians 4:31 "Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice."
Each of us, however, has someone we need to forgive, whether for sins of commission or omission, for deliberate acts or for oversights.
Bring to mind the friends, family members, - a long estranged sibling, and/or even casual acquaintances in your life who need to receive this kind of grace and mercy from you.
This is one of every Christians greatest struggles, whether or not they have ever consciously acknowledged it to be so.
We are required to forgive completely because the Bible tells us to do so. Very clearly, the Bible says in Colossians 3:13: "Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you."
After all, God’s plan to forgive mankind of their sins is the major theme of the Bible (1st Peter 1:20; John 17:24).
Jesus went so far as to say we are to forgive one another seventy times seven (Matthew 18:22). We should forgive so much and so often that it becomes second nature - our automatic response to offenses.
Although nothing could be clearer than these words, there are times and circumstances when being obedient to this scriptural command is as painful as pulling one's own teeth with household pliers would be.
Jesus teaches a parable in Matthew 18:21–35 about why we should forgive. He told the story from the perspective of a king who has forgiven a servant of tremendous debt, only to have that servant encounter another servant who owed him a few dollars, and the forgiven servant then proceed to deal harshly with his fellow servant, demanding instant repayment.
When the king learned what had happened, he was furious and ordered the one he had forgiven to be punished until the huge debt was paid in full. Jesus ended the parable (Matthew 18:35) with this chilling warning: “That is how My Heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”
Refusing to forgive those who wrong us, or who have deeply hurt us, is a direct insult to the Lord who has unreservedly forgiven and blotted out our death penalty deserving debt, rendering it paid-in-full, that which we owed for every sin we had committed, and did so with the shedding of His own blood.
Forgiving as an act of the will does seem doable, but "from the heart," meaning you must genuinely care for the offending party and harbor no ill will toward him/her adds a whole new level, and you are dealing with someone you cannot con, for God is He who is able to look into your innermost being, i.e., to see inside your very heart.
So where in the world do we turn in this age of corruption, deceit and deception?
The-Holy-Spirit-As-Teacher
Jesus promised: "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you."
"As for you, let what you have heard from the beginning remain in you. If it does, you will also remain in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that He Himself made to us: eternal life.
"I have written these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. And as for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But just as His TRUE and genuine anointing teaches you about all things, so remain in Him as you have been taught.
"And now, little children, remain in Christ, so that when He appears, we may be confident and unashamed before Him at His coming." (John 14:26; 1st John 2:24-28)
To the unsaved, to a lost and dying world, surely, that sounds too naive - Far too simple and too uncomplicated to be believable, or even workable?
BUT, to those of us who have trusted in the Lord, Jesus Christ, for our paid-in-full pardon, for our security, for our peace of mind, and for our eternal resting place, this is our game plan...
What we cannot personally do through goodness and mercy which we simply do not naturally possess, we receive through the Holy Spirit, who indwells us as our Helper, Counselor, Comforter, Teacher and Guide.
So, how do we forgive others?
"Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words." (1st Corinthians 2:12-13)
Jesus promised us in Luke 12:12: "for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”
Jul 25, 2020 18:53:18 #
Jul 26, 2020 07:39:58 #
TexaCan
Loc: Homeward Bound!
Zemirah wrote:
Who Do You Need to Forgive? br br In exploring wh... (show quote)
Thank you for this excellent message!! This has been one of my most difficult mountains to climb.....I’m still climbing it, but I’ll get there because I’m not climbing it alone! 🙏🏻
Jul 26, 2020 09:23:25 #
TexaCan wrote:
Thank you for this excellent message!! This has been one of my most difficult mountains to climb.....I’m still climbing it, but I’ll get there because I’m not climbing it alone! 🙏🏻
Amen and Amen
Jul 26, 2020 10:13:07 #
Peewee
Loc: San Antonio, TX
bahmer wrote:
Amen and Amen
Marty Robbins wrote a tear jerker about this and the mountain. It's the hardest thing to overcome for most and me, but not impossible. When someone wants to slap both sides of my face, it's tremendously hard to do.
https://youtu.be/8mtj5qsXLJU
Jul 26, 2020 10:32:49 #
Peewee wrote:
Marty Robbins wrote a tear jerker about this and the mountain. It's the hardest thing to overcome for most and me, but not impossible. When someone wants to slap both sides of my face, it's tremendously hard to do.
https://youtu.be/8mtj5qsXLJU
https://youtu.be/8mtj5qsXLJU
Very good Peewee the hardest one for me was to forgive the man that killed my nineteen year son as a hit and run driver. But my wife and I both forgave the man.
Jul 26, 2020 11:01:46 #
Peewee
Loc: San Antonio, TX
bahmer wrote:
Very good Peewee the hardest one for me was to forgive the man that killed my nineteen year son as a hit and run driver. But my wife and I both forgave the man.
Sometimes I fail spectacularly. I have no idea how I would have reacted to that hill. But I have been killing mad a few times. I could fake it through the day and work, and plot how I would enact revenge at night. Never acted on my plans and turned it over to God. But its been touch and go a few times.
Jul 26, 2020 11:19:32 #
Peewee wrote:
Sometimes I fail spectacularly. I have no idea how I would have reacted to that hill. But I have been killing mad a few times. I could fake it through the day and work, and plot how I would enact revenge at night. Never acted on my plans and turned it over to God. But its been touch and go a few times.
That was touch and go for me as well. My first thought was to purchase a .357 magnum and then drive to CA and shoot the bastard. I was a zombie for the first three months at least that is what my wife said. When he came up for trial some time after that is when we forgave him.
Jul 26, 2020 11:37:13 #
Peewee
Loc: San Antonio, TX
bahmer wrote:
That was touch and go for me as well. My first thought was to purchase a .357 magnum and then drive to CA and shot the bastard. I was a zombie for the first three months at least that is what my wife said. When he came up for trial some time after that is when we forgave him.
Thank God and the Holy Spirit because we both thought and felt the same in the beginning. No one escapes, God sees and records everything. All evidence for judgment day and vengence belongs to Him, alone.
Jul 26, 2020 17:35:18 #
We are all saved through His grace, and our eternal salvation is assured, for God cannot lie.
I understand that, personally, the stars in my crown may be somewhat lacking, but, I will be happy with the lowest attainable position in heaven, holding on by my fingernails, serving as a janitoress, and operating from within the broom closet will suffice, - just to be there, and glory in His presence
I understand that, personally, the stars in my crown may be somewhat lacking, but, I will be happy with the lowest attainable position in heaven, holding on by my fingernails, serving as a janitoress, and operating from within the broom closet will suffice, - just to be there, and glory in His presence
Peewee wrote:
Thank God and the Holy Spirit because we both thought and felt the same in the beginning. No one escapes, God sees and records everything. All evidence for judgment day and vengence belongs to Him, alone.
Jul 26, 2020 17:47:30 #
Without our Triune God, Who is working in and on our behave, this is indeed a height of insurmountable proportions.
We within the body of Christ are so blest, for we will indeed all get there, through the power, strength and enablement of He who is able to make us stand - in spite of ourselves!
We within the body of Christ are so blest, for we will indeed all get there, through the power, strength and enablement of He who is able to make us stand - in spite of ourselves!
TexaCan wrote:
Thank you for this excellent message!! This has been one of my most difficult mountains to climb.....I’m still climbing it, but I’ll get there because I’m not climbing it alone! 🙏🏻
Jul 26, 2020 18:00:03 #
I can't tell you, bahmer, how in awe I am, that you and your wife were able to forgive in such a manner.
Surely, such a demonstration of Christ's love is one of the greatest testimonies to the power of God that anyone can demonstrate to a watching world!
Surely, such a demonstration of Christ's love is one of the greatest testimonies to the power of God that anyone can demonstrate to a watching world!
bahmer wrote:
Very good Peewee the hardest one for me was to forgive the man that killed my nineteen year son as a hit and run driver. But my wife and I both forgave the man.
Jul 26, 2020 18:07:19 #
I watched the video, Peewee,
Marty Robbins has always been a favorite.
I didn't realize or had forgotten that he wore sequins like Porter Wagoner did.
The fact that you did restrain yourself puts a star in your crown.
My own past actions in this area have been so unexemplary, there's nothing more I can contribute on an open forum.
Marty Robbins has always been a favorite.
I didn't realize or had forgotten that he wore sequins like Porter Wagoner did.
The fact that you did restrain yourself puts a star in your crown.
My own past actions in this area have been so unexemplary, there's nothing more I can contribute on an open forum.
Peewee wrote:
Marty Robbins wrote a tear jerker about this and the mountain. It's the hardest thing to overcome for most and me, but not impossible. When someone wants to slap both sides of my face, it's tremendously hard to do.
https://youtu.be/8mtj5qsXLJU
https://youtu.be/8mtj5qsXLJU
Jul 26, 2020 18:23:58 #
Zemirah wrote:
I can't tell you, bahmer, how in awe I am, that you and your wife were able to forgive in such a manner.
Surely, such a demonstration of Christ's love is one of the greatest testimonies to the power of God that anyone can demonstrate to a watching world!
Surely, such a demonstration of Christ's love is one of the greatest testimonies to the power of God that anyone can demonstrate to a watching world!
I can honestly tell you that at the time that I had animosity in my heart but we did it out of obedience only at the time but afterward the Lord gave us piece about it.
Jul 26, 2020 18:34:25 #
Such pain here on earth is conquered only by time, one day at a time.
Your wife and son are together now, and someday, you will rejoin them.
That is the assurance that God gives us in His word, when we trust in Him.
Your wife and son are together now, and someday, you will rejoin them.
That is the assurance that God gives us in His word, when we trust in Him.
bahmer wrote:
I can honestly tell you that at the time that I had animosity in my heart but we did it out of obedience only at the time but afterward the Lord gave us piece about it.
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