Why We Should Forgive Even When We Don't Want To

When Jesus modeled prayer for His disciples, He included a request for forgiveness that's stunning in it's implications. "And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors." (Matt. 6:12 nasb)

There are two words in that sentence that are game-changers in the realm of forgiveness. "As" literally means "in the same way." "Have" indicates an action already completed. 

Jesus' words (Leanna Paraphrase) might also be written:

"Father, forgive me in exactly the same way 

I've already forgiven the ones who've hurt me the most."

It's a severe kind of forgiveness, and it isn't always the kind we want. The problem we face is that this "forgive me as I've already done" is the forgiveness Jesus offers.  

It must have been shocking to His disciples because, as soon as the Amen sounded, Jesus explained further. If you forgive, God will forgive you. If you don't forgive, He won't. 

It's that simple. It's that hard.

Do we want forgiveness? We can have it. Forgive first.

Yeah. It sounds a little harsh, but it's not.

Bitterness, unresolved anger, and unforgiveness have to go. They won't be welcomed into heaven, and we might as well stop clinging to them now. 

Those emotions bind us to the thing that needs forgiving with tenacious ties that are difficult to escape. If we want to be forgiven, the first step is to cut our ties to unforgiven hurts and let them go. 

It'll bring great freedom, and God knows it. That's at least part of why He's made our own forgiveness conditional. 

Forgiving doesn't mean we allow abuse to continue. It means we stop holding to the hurt and allowing it to control us. 

Forgiveness doesn't mean we wait for our offender to repent and ask for forgiveness. It means we do our part, regardless of what the other party does or doesn't do. 

Forgiveness doesn't mean we only forgive "lesser" offenses. "But you don't know what they did..." will not work with Jesus. He's the One who carried the sin of the world while He was dangling between heaven and earth, nails in His hands and feet, hammered to a couple of wooden posts. Do we really want to try to tell Him how much worse our hurt is than His? 

Do we want forgiveness? Forgive first. Why? It's pretty simple, really. Forgiving first is the only way to gain God's forgiveness. 

Why should we forgive when we don't want to forgive? Forgiveness is the first step to freedom from even the deepest hurt. 

What about when it's hard? We don't have to do it alone. God will help. The Holy Spirit will "lead us into all truth" (John 16:13) If we need help getting to forgiveness, we can follow the lead of the Holy Spirit. He'll take us straight to the truth: If we want forgiveness, we have to forgive. 

To what hurts are we clinging? Today, let's release them, and ourselves, by taking the first steps to forgiveness. "I forgive..." Say it. Do it.

"Father forgive them for they don't know what they are doing..." Luke 23:24 niv

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In case you missed it, here's the link for yesterdays post: Praying for What We Should Instead of What We Want

If you feel led to partner with this ministry (US, Jordan, the digital world), here's the link to give your tax-deductible donations: Global Outreach Acct 4841 

Or you can mail your check or money order to: Global Outreach/ PO Box 1, Tupelo MS 38802. Be sure to put Account 4841 in the "for" line.

#prayer #forgiveness

Untoasted Frozen Bread and the Unrepentant Heart

My breakfast isn't often an elaborate affair. Usually, I have overnight oatmeal or some variety of quick bread with peanut butter. This morning, I looked in the refrigerator and realized I hadn't prepped a thing. 

In desperation, I opened the freezer for a loaf of bread to make toast. I found the bread wrapper with the tail-end piece of the loaf, a mere sliver of bread.

It wasn't much of a breakfast, but I stuck it in the toaster and poured a cup of coffee, took a sip or two, then reached to get my toast. It was still frozen. I'd put it in the toaster, but had failed to turn the toaster on.

As I waited for the bread to toast (once it was actually on) I pondered whether or not I could find a lesson in that frozen bread...

It seems to me that we have a tendency to be more like the frozen bread than we realize. When we're "in Christ," but without power, we're about as attractive to the world as my icy bread. We're brittle and easily broken. 

It's only when the power flows that we're thawed, warmed, and attractive, but we don't achieve that by pushing down a button. Power, for the Christian, comes when we are so connected to our Lord that nothing comes between us.

If our eternal destiny is sealed when we accept Christ, what can come between us? Unconfessed sin. 

1 John 1:9 tells us that, if we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness . 

Sin + confession = forgiveness + right relationship with God

The problem is not on the forgiving side of this equation. The problem is on the confession side. Either we want to justify our actions and insist that what we did wasn't sin OR we want to keep our actions and continue our sin. Both of those choices yield unconfessed sin that can have an impact on our relationship with Christ for years to come.

Let's take a look at our hearts today. Are we, as disciples, as appetizing as frozen bread or are we are as warm and inviting as a rich, toasty slice of homemade bread? Which will bring people to Jesus? 

What sin needs to go in order to "turn the power on?"

Friends, we live in a dark and lonely world. People long for significant connection to others and to our God. We can help, but only if God's power flows through us. Let's live in such a way that we're a conduit of our Lord's grace, mercy, and love.

"Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, 'I will confess my rebellion to the LORD.' And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone." Psalm 32:5 NLT
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In case you missed it, here's the link to yesterday's post: When We Want Proof but We Need Faith 

Please like and share to extend our digital reach.

If you feel led to partner with this ministry (US, Jordan, the digital world), here's the link to give your tax-deductible donations: Global Outreach Acct 4841 

Or you can mail your check or money order to: Global Outreach/ PO Box 1, Tupelo MS 38802. Be sure to put Account 4841 in the "for" line.

#Jesus

When Forgiveness Equals Forgetting, Restoration Can Come

My morning Bible study today focused on the issue of restoration after forgiveness. When we repent of our sin, we're instantly forgiven. (1 John 1:9) Our slate is wiped clean before the Lord and He never remembers it again. (Hebrews 8:12)

Being forgiven, however, is not the same as being restored, especially if the sin for which we've been forgiven was a public error that resulted in loss of position of service. Restoration comes after, but it is never withheld. 

We see this principle all through Scripture. 

Abram went to Egypt during a famine rather than continue on the route God had given him. While there, he lied about his wife to protect himself and made a terrible mess of things. Later, he lied in the same way again. 

When he finally got back on track with following God, Abram was forgiven. Later, he was called "a friend of God." (James 2:23) Never once do we see God call Abram (or Abraham) "that lying wife-risker." We're the ones who remember Abram's mistakes and take comfort in them. 

God forgot Abram's mistakes when He forgave them.

David committed adultery and murder to have the momentary pleasure of a woman for whom he lusted. 

There were God-given consequences (death of his child) of his sin that could not be avoided. Despite the consequences, David was called "a man after God's own heart." What God didn't do is call David, "that cheating, murdering lust-monger." We're the ones who remember David's mistakes and take comfort in them. 

God forgot David's mistakes when He forgave them.

The apostle Peter denied Jesus three times on the night of His arrest and trial/crucifixion. He wept bitterly, repented, and was forgiven. Despite his sin, Simon Peter became known as "the rock" on which Christ built His church. Jesus never called Peter the "denier" after He forgave Him. We're the ones who remember Peter's mistakes and take comfort in them.

God forgot Peter's mistakes when He forgave them. 

God always forgives and forgets. We're the ones who hold to our memories of the sins of others like they're hidden treasures to be savored and protected at all costs.

Henry Ward Beecher once said, "'I can forgive, but I cannot forget' is only another way of saying, 'I will not forgive.' Forgiveness ought to be like a cancelled note - torn in two and burned up so that it never can be shown against one."

If we are to follow our Lord as He intended, we must also forgive and stop remembering as He does, as well. 

Once forgiven and forgotten, God's pattern is to redeem the lost time and to restore the fallen one back to useful service.

The beautiful thing about God's restoration is that He gladly offers huge jobs. Moses wasn't confined to picking up garbage on the side of the street. He was given the job of speaking for God and shepherding God's people for the rest of his life. David continued to be king. Saul became Paul. Peter became a great evangelist and writer.

Why is God so generous with sinners?

I believe the answer is found in the words of Jesus. "I tell you, her sins - and they are many - have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love." Luke 7:47 NLT

Those who've been forgiven for many sins know it and they love big. God doesn't have to keep bringing it up. They never forget their debt of forgiveness, nor the redemption that bought it. 

Love is the natural response to that kind of forgiveness.

It's God's way to bring all who fall back to a place of service. That may not be instantaneous and it may not be in the same place of leadership as before, but He never consigns His repentant people to the far reaches of the kingdom because of forgiven and forgotten sin.

In Joel 2:25-26, one of my favorite passages, God promises restoration for what the locusts have stolen. He promises both provision, and satisfaction in that provision. Whatever God does will be enough. 

Have we been wounded by the sin of someone else? Our job begins with forgiveness and forgetfulness, but God never stops there. He brings restoration to service for the truly repentant, as well. 

If God is willing to allow restoration to fellowship and service, shouldn't we do the same? 

I'm not suggesting we allow a repentant child molester to keep the nursery. That would be foolish and both an unnecessary risk and unnecessary temptation.

We've all been forgiven of sin, and we must do the same for others. Forgiveness is not fully accomplished, however, until some degree of forgetting and God-directed restoration has been given. 

For today, let's thank God that He not only forgives but also restores. Thank Him for the ways He's allowed us to serve despite our failures. Ask Him, too, if there is anything more we should do to completely forgive one who has wounded us. 

"For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." Matthew 6:14-15
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In case you missed yesterday's post, here's the link: Fitness for Body and Soul

Please like and share to help extend our digital reach. Thanks!

If you feel led to partner with this ministry (US, Jordan, the digital world), here's the link to give your tax-deductible donations: Global Outreach Acct 4841 

Or you can mail your check or money order to: Global Outreach/ PO Box 1, Tupelo MS 38802. Be sure to put Account 4841 in the "for" line.

Hand Washing and Heart Cleansing

She was four decades my junior and, in many ways, just finding her way, but, for a brief time, we were prayer partners. We longed to see God move, to see Him change hearts and lives in tangible ways, so we agreed to meet before worship services and pray. 

I, who have spoken about prayer and fasting numerous times, expected to teach her about prayer. Instead, she taught me a very important lesson.

The first time we met, she washed her hands before we prayed.

Her hands had not become soiled between her house and the church. The hand washing had nothing to do with dirty hands. It was about a dirty heart. Her symbolic cleansing made sense to me. I washed my hands, too, and, as we washed, we asked God to cleanse our hearts.

It's a principle as old as the tabernacle. God instructed Moses to put the bronze laver, filled with water, between the tent of meeting and the altar. Moses, Aaron, and Aaron's sons were to wash their hands and their feet before they approached the altar as a symbol of man's need for cleansing before God.

Soap and water will never remove the stain of our sin, of course. Only the blood of Jesus can cleanse me of sin. I know that. 

The symbolic hand washing is a reminder that I go before God with no righteousness of my own. My life is stained by sin and only God can remove it. As I wash my hands, I ask Him to do just that. Cleanse and purify.

King David knew the power of God's cleansing. After his terrible debacle with Bathsheba, his sin haunted him night and day. That's what sin does. Its relentless clamor and accusations leave us exhausted and hopeless. 

David wanted peace, and he knew where to find it. He went before the Lord and begged for cleansing. 

"Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin..." 

Psalm 51:1 nasb

David knew what he wanted and he knew there was only one way to get it. God's cleansing and forgiveness.

Clean heart. Right spirit. 

When we allow God to cleanse us from our sin and wash us white as snow, we get a bonus of peace and joy.

Are we burden by the choices we've made? The sin in our lives? Do we desire peace? Allow God to create a clean heart, clean mind in us. When we do, we'll find that He has restored our joy as well.

"Restore to me the joy of Thy salvation, and sustain me with a willing spirit." 

Psalm 51:12 nasb

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photo courtesy of freeimages.com

In case you missed one of the past week's posts, here are the links:  Leaving a Legacy: Choices That Last for Generations, Jumping to Conclusions: The Terrorists That Were Not, Nothing is Impossible: Ayman al-Zawahiri,  Morning Quiet Time: Who Speaks First, Changing the World: What One Man (Or Woman) Can do, When Hard Times Come: Pressing On, and Friday Night with Friends: Sara Foust.

#chronologicalBible, cleansing #cleanheart #forgiveness #disciple #JesusChrist

The Grateful Heart: Accepting the Blame

I'm still reading in Genesis and finding more than I wanted. The lesson today slashed right to my heart, so I'm sharing it. 

You probably remember the story of Abram and Sarai and Ishmael. The short version is that God promised Abram he would have a son. He and his wife waited well past the childbearing years, but still no son.

She did what I might have done. She gathered data, interpreted it, and, on the basis of her faulty interpretation, she made a plan. God had promised Abram a son. Sarai was too old to be a mother. She would provide a mother to take her place so Abram could have a son. Her decision made an odd kind of sense to her, and Sarai thought she was doing a good and noble thing. 

God had a plan that required the situation to be utterly impossible for the greatest effect. 

Sarai blew it. After the child was born, there was chaos, and disrespect, and grief in their home.

What happens next is what a fair number of us would likely do. 

Sarai did not say, "Wow, Abram, I have made a mess with my foolish choice. How can we make this better?" She did not say, "I'm so sorry for my error." No. Sarai, once again, took matters into her own hands. She yelled at her husband and blamed him and the maid for the consequences of her own decision. (Genesis 16)

Her failure to accept her share of the blame made the situation worse instead of better. 

I do that sometimes. I want my mess to be the result of someone else's poor decisions. I tell myself "I made the best decision I knew to make", as if God would not have told me His will if I'd waited. When I refuse to accept responsibility for my error, my sin, I rob myself of the sweet balm that comes from confession and cleansing.

David found that there was not only relief, but power, in acknowledging his error and accepting the blame. "I know my transgressions," he admitted, but he didn't stop there. "Purify me... create in me a clean heart." (Psalm 51) David's confession didn't prevent consequences for his bad decision, but it made those consequences much easier to bear. Confession restored his relationship with God, and it was the first step through the mess he'd made. 

Let's not forget that the forgiveness of God is one of the greatest blessings we can enjoy. It is only possible, however, if we are willing to confess our sins and receive His cleansing. For today, let's look at the difficult situations in our lives, acknowledge our errors, and turn to the only One who can wash us white as snow. 

The good news is that God's supply of forgiveness, cleansing, and redemption never runs out. I've confessed a mountain of sin over the years, and, despite my best efforts, will likely have another mountain to confess before my life is done. 

Today, I'm giving thanks for the river of God's forgiveness, cleansing, and redemption that never runs dry, no matter how big a mess I make. 

What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
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In case you missed any of the past week's posts, here are the links:  The Grateful Heart: Orchestration of God, The Grateful Heart: Avoiding Distraction, Maggie: Eye Protection, Maggie: Wanting Eye Drops, Grateful Heart: Superheroes and Missions Conference and The Blessings That Were Not

The most read posts of the past week: The Grateful Heart: Orchestration of God

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#forgiveness #repentance #Jesus #itwasmyfault #imsorry   photo courtesy of freeimages.com

Maggie Speaks Out: Forgiving and Forgetting

Maggie the Wonder Dog is guest blogging today. In case you haven't met her, she's a six-year old Shih Tzu who can dance like a ballerina, sneak like a spy, and herd cows like a border collie. She's the best!
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My mama has talked about my hurt eye all week and she hasn't let me tell you one single thing. She hogs the writing, but that's okay. It's her favorite. My favorite is sleeping in the sunshine. Today, though, it's my turn. Hooray!

Chasing possums is my favorite, too, but it upsets Mama. She says they might bite and give me a disease. I have had enough disease with my eye, so no possum-chasing for me any time soon. No, sir.

Mama has worried constantly about how my eye got hurt, but I told her, "Do not worry about that any more. Forget about it and let the past be the past." She said humans have a really hard time about forgetting. I knew that already. Don't people know about getting over stuff?

Here's a little hint. If you want the past to stay in the past, leave it there and quit talking about it. 

That's what dogs do. If you mess up and don't give us a treat when we want it, we just forgive you and love you anyway. Even if you are mean to us, we still forgive you. We still love you. 

You should check with Jesus about this, but my Mama told me He said, "Forgive." He did not say, "Talk about it all the time until everyone around you goes insane from hearing you gripe and complain." 

(My mama said I had to apologize for that. She wasn't griping and complaining. She was planning how to prevent another eye injury. Yeah, right.)

If my sister hurt my eye, and I'm not saying she did, I'm supposed to forgive her. I don't think humans know about that word, but it means to "deliver unconditionally." If I deliver my sister, if she hurt my eye (and I'm not saying she did), I will not have any conditions on setting her free from me being mad about my eye. I will just set her free and let her go from my anger. I will not keep worrying and saying, "You hurt me. Don't you do it again." That won't help anything. 

Anyway, I meant to tell you about why I keep my eye closed. That is a lesson you need to learn, too. I will tell you tomorrow. If my mama will let me write again. 

It's time for my eye salve, which is really slimy and kinda yucky. Have you tried to see through eye ointment before? It is not easy. 

Before I get my eye slimed, I want to give you the Wonder Dog Lesson of the Day:

Get over it.

(Wonder Dogs like short lessons so we can remember it. When you forgive, you're supposed to forgive and get over it, too. Quit talking about it. Quit thinking about it. Just get over it. That's what Jesus did for you, so you should do it, too. If you're having trouble with this, do what Wonder Dogs do. We ask Jesus to help us, and He does.)

And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32 nasb

That's all for today, but don't forget. Let the past stay in the past. Even if the past caused a big hole in your eye. 

Worrying about why won't close the hole in your eye. 

Hey, that's a little rhyme. Time for eye slime. (There's another rhyme.) See you tomorrow. Maybe.
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In case you missed any of the past week's posts, here are the links:  I Shook His Hand Once, Knowing the Goal, Remembering My Way, and Maggie The Wonder Dog and the Hurt Eye, Maggie: Avoiding the Light, and Maggie: Sister Love and the Body of Christ.

The most read post of the past week: Remembering My Way.

Here's the link to The Clay Papers, available as an e-book for personal use or to send as a gift for only 99 cents. 
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#forgiveandforget #MaggietheWonderDog #JesusChrist #letitgo

Forgiven Failure: Speaking against Jesus

And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him. When they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not worry about how or what you are to speak in your defense, or what you are to say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say." (Luke 12:10-12 NASB)

Peter's three-fold denial of Christ was only a few hours away, but it was no secret to Jesus. We see here how tenderly He prepares the way for Peter's repentance and restoration. "Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man (which Peter was soon to do), it will be forgiven him." Jesus intended to hold those who were His own until the very end. 

I wonder if Peter remembered these words after the cock crowed. Did he consider whether or not he could be forgiven? Peter's failure was so devastating to him that he avoided his fellow disciples. His shame isolated him and robbed him of the forgiveness and love he so desperately needed. It was Jesus who sought him out, who brought him back. Peter had spoken against Jesus, but forgiveness was available from the very One he had wronged. 

That's good news for me, because I, too, will fail Jesus with both my life and my words, and do so far too often. Forgiveness was bought at a terrible price. I should not take it casually, as if it were of no consequence, but I should not avoid forgiveness because of its great price.


We've all failed our Lord and will do so again because of the battle between sin and righteousness that wages within us. We may lose a skirmish in the war against sin, but we do not have to stay defeated. Forgiveness is available.

The remainder of this passage contains some hard words, and we will deal with them tomorrow. For today, let's praise God that our failures can be forgiven and our sin-fractured relationship with Christ can be restored.

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord. (1 Corinthians 15:56-58 NASB)

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Thank you, Lord, for the promise of forgiveness. I admit my failure and the words that I have used to deny You. Forgive me and restore me to relationship with You. In Jesus name, Amen.

Hey, He's talking about me!

Woe unto you! for ye are as the tombs which appear not, and the men that walk over them know it not. And one of the lawyers answering saith unto him, Teacher, in saying this thou reproachest us also. And he said, Woe unto you lawyers also! for ye load men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers. Woe unto you! for ye build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. So ye are witnesses and consent unto the works of your fathers: for they killed them, and ye build their tombs. (Luke 11:44-48 ASV)

I know that Jesus was as serious as He could be. He had come to save us from our sin and He was heading to the cross to do it. There was nothing funny about it, but sometimes His interactions with people make me laugh. This is one of those times. 

Here's the Leanna Paraphrase: Jesus said to the Pharisees, "You should be ashamed of yourselves. You're like dead men walking. You look great on the outside. All your good deeds and church attendance make people think you're alive, but you are dead on the inside. You're contaminating everyone you come in contact with." One of the lawyers who was there said, "Hey, Jesus. Watch it. You're reproaching us lawyers, too. You're talking about me!" 

Even if I thought I was as bad as the Pharisee's (which I am), I'd never have admitted it in that company, never have risked Jesus shining His spotlight on my life. Of course, Jesus turned to the lawyer and said, "You're right. You lawyers should be ashamed of yourselves, too." 

I laugh, and then I realize that I should be the one saying, "Hey, wait a minute, Jesus. You're talking about me!" It makes me want to cry, not laugh, because it's true.

I want to be the one that is most like Jesus. I want to clearly represent Christ to a lost and perishing world, yet I fail Him on a daily basis. Literally, I fail Jesus every day. Maybe you're saying, "Hey, wait a minute. Now you're talking about me!" That would be true. There is no one among us who is righteous. (Romans 6:23) All of us fail God on a regular basis. All of us sin.

Some of us are murderers with guns and knives. Some of us are murderers with our mouths. Some of us commit sexual sin with our bodies. Some of us commit sexual sin with our eyes and our minds. Whether our sin is overt or covert, it is still sin. Christ still died for it.

Jesus wasn't talking to the people in the jails or the nightclubs. He was talking to the "church people" when He said, "You should be ashamed of yourselves." He was talking about the people at my church. He was talking about me. 

I find it easier to keep my sinful heart hidden rather than confess it and allow Him to make me clean. Unfortunately, that is exactly what the Pharisees did, and, as I suspected, I am just like a Pharisee. 

We will see in the next chapter of Luke that everything hidden will be revealed and it makes my heart sink. Is He saying that all the sin I have carefully hidden where no one can see, my critical, judgmental spirit, my pride and arrogance, my greed, covetousness, etc will be revealed? Yes, He is. If that is true (and it is) I would do well to leave no sin hidden. Then, there will be nothing to reveal.

Does that mean I might as well flaunt my sin for all to see? No. It means I can repent of my sin and relinquish it. That doesn't sound like fun, but a wonderful thing happens when we confess. 1 John 1:9 tells us that, if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Whew! If I will confess it, He will clean every bit of my sin out of my life and forgive it all.

Why, then, do we continue to hang on to our sin? We like darkness more than light. We like sin more than righteousness. Crazy, but true, until I remember the great joy in having a heart that is clean and pure before God. In His presence is joy and I want it.

In the interest of a clean heart and the joy that comes from it, I confess my sins and repent. It's what we all must do if we don't want to be like the Pharisees. I'm like Paul - the worst of sinners, and you are, too, but there's good news. 

I was shown mercy and, in the mercy shown to me, Christ has displayed His immense patience as an example to all. He was talking about me when He said, "She's the worst sinner of all, and I have forgiven her." He was talking about you and me.

So let's live our lives in such a way that the world will say, "Look how much He forgave. Look what God did in her, in him. I want that, too." It's amazing that, even in failure, our lives can be used to bring others to Christ.

Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. (1 Timothy 1:15-16 NIV)

Teach us to pray, part 38: Forgiving like God Forgives

And He said to them, "When you pray, say: ' Father, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. 'Give us each day our daily bread. 'And forgive us our sins, For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.'" (Luke 11:2-4 NASB)

The issue of forgiveness is so vitally important to the life of a disciple that we are going to look at this subject in a bit more depth. In the Model Prayer recorded in Matthew's gospel, Jesus prayed, "forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors." In both accounts, the importance of forgiving others in order to have our own sins forgiven is clear. The problem is that I, of course, want my own sins forgiven promptly. The sins of others toward me, however, tend to loom larger than my own, and I am not as quick to forgiveness as I want God to be toward me. This should not be.


If I want the forgiveness of God, I need to forgive like He forgives. A brief look at the way God forgives draws a sharp contrast between my own tendency toward a form of forgiveness and His utterly complete forgiveness.

1) God forgives promptly. If we confess our sins, He forgives us. He doesn't make us wallow in shame or beg repeatedly to wear Him down for forgiveness. When we confess, He forgives. We should offer that same promptness in forgiveness. (1 John 1:9)
2) God forgives completely. He removes our sin "as far as the east is from the west". (Psalm 103:12) and sweeps them away like a cloud. "Isaiah 44:22)
3) God forgives permanently. God forgives and forgets. He blots out our sins and remembers them no more, rather than bringing them back up over and over again. He does not continued to rehearse our sin to keep them memory fresh. (Isaiah 43:25)

If God forgives promptly, completely, and permanently, then I, too, should forgive promptly, completely, and permanently. We will look at "forgiving and forgetting" in more detail tomorrow, but Scripture makes it clear that I cannot hold on to the hurts of others if I want to have forgiveness myself. 

Corrie ten Boom said that forgiveness is an act of the will. Martin Luther King described forgiveness as an attitude. "Forgiveness is not an occasional act. It is a permanent attitude." When there is something to forgive, I must choose to forgive it. I must also choose not to rehearse it over and over again, which requires that I take every thought captive. If thoughts of the offense recur, my job is to recall that offense only as forgiven and move on.

Forgiveness is a choice. God chooses to forgive us, and so should we forgive others. This Holy Week, we celebrate the forgiveness purchased for us on the cross by Christ. As we thank Him for the price He paid, let us also forgive those who have offended us, and do it just as thoroughly, just as promptly, and just as permanently as God has forgiven us. 

Fire from Heaven

But they did not receive Him, because He was traveling toward Jerusalem. When His disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?" (Luke 9:53-54 NASB)

As we have seen over the last few days, Jesus was heading to Jerusalem, where crucfixion, death, and resurrection awaited Him. Because of the distance, he planned to break up the walking journey by spending the night in one of the nearby villages. He sent messengers to arrange for accommodations in the Samaritan village, but when they heard that He was heading toward Jerusalem, they refused Him because of their serious dispute with the Jews over the place of worship. 

James and John were not happy about the refusal of accommodations. (Of course, if there were no accommodations for Jesus, there were none for the disciples, either.) These two "Sons of Thunder" wanted to retaliate, and to strike "while the iron was hot". Their suggestion was that they command fire down from heaven to consume the village. When we look at this verse, our first thought is usually, "What?? What in the world are they thinking?" It appears that they were imagining themselves as the prophet Elijah, who commanded fire down from heaven and destroyed two groups of soldiers. 

Elijah replied to the captain of fifty, "If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty." Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty. (2 Kings 1:10 NASB)

There was a difference in the two circumstances, although perhaps the two disciples felt that they were defending God's honor. In Elijah's case, King Ahab and his wife Jezebel, who tried to kill Elijah for years and who were both extremely wicked and had led the nation of Israel into idolatry, had died. Their son, Ahaziah, ascended to the throne. Scripture tells us that Ahaziah was worse that Ahab, Jezebel, and Jeroboam. In a way, he was triple-wickedness and was leading Israel into even more evil than his father. He had severe injuries when he fell through a lattice and wanted to know if he would survive. Although Elijah, well known as a prophet and man of God, was available for consultation, the king sent messengers to inquire of an idol. 

God sent Elijah to meet the messengers and tell them that the king would die. When they returned, he sent a captain with fifty soldiers to Elijah. Ahaziah was not planning to hold a religious pow wow with the prophet. There was killing on his mind. When the first band of soldiers arrived, intent on arresting Elijah, he called down fire from heaven and they were all consumed. A second group of soldiers was sent, and Elijah did the same thing again. Fire from heaven consumed them. When a third group came, the captain begged for mercy and promised to protect Elijah, who accompanied him to the king. 

Although his method was dramatic and drastic, Elijah had defended himself from an attack by a band of soldiers bent on his destruction. He had spent years in hiding when Ahab and Jezebel sought to assassinate him. All the murderous attacks were for no other reason than a dislike of the truth Elijah spoke. He had no illusions about the reason Ahaziah had sent soldiers for him. He knew it was another plot against his life. 

The Samaritans had rejected Jesus and inconvenienced Him, ultimately depriving themselves of their Messiah. They were not trying to assassinate Him. Why, then, did James and John want to call down fire on them? We will not know for certain this side of heaven, but it was an extreme response to a refusal of lodging. 

What is odd is that these two men had been with Jesus throughout His ministry. They had heard Him teaching about turning the other cheek, loving your enemies, praying for those who persecute you. How could they reconcile their impetuous desire for retaliation and destruction with the truth Jesus had taught them? They could not, and they did not try. They, like many of us, spoke first and, if they thought at all, it was later. 

Perhaps you never do this, but sometimes I have a strong reaction to a perceived slight. I haven't asked to rain down fire on someone, but my first reaction has not always been loving and forgiving. What about you? 

If James and John had stopped to consider what rejecting Jesus meant for the Samaritan village, perhaps they would have wept with grief rather than boil with anger. When we look at circumstances, rejection, and slights from others with the perspective of Jesus, they tend to look quite different, don't they? Our response should be in line with His response, as well.  How did Jesus respond? Pray. Forgive. Love. 

I saw a needlework piece recently with these words:

"When others hate, oppose, ignore, 

Help me, dear Lord, to love them more. 

Those are good words for us when responding to the slights and rejections of others. Let's act like Jesus would act. Pray, forgive, love. No matter what. 

Go in peace (Luke 7:50)

And He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace." (Luke 7:50 NASB)

"Go in peace," Jesus said to the woman. She was well known as a sinner, and scorned by the religious community.  Not welcome in polite company, she found her way to Jesus's feet only by barging in where she was not wanted, and stayed there only by the divine intervention of Christ.  Peace?  It had likely been many years since she had known peace. 

At the feet of Jesus, weeping a river of tears and using her hair as a holy towel, something incredible happened. She let go. She let go of her desire to sin, she let go of that mountain of sin and guilt she had accumulated, she let go of her shame. Giving it all to Jesus, she left it with Him. In that place where all the hurt, guilt, and shame had been was an infilling of faith, hope, and love.  It was more than enough, but Jesus had yet another gift for her. Peace. 

Peace. Isn't that a lovely word?  Webster's Dictionary defines peace as a state of tranquility or quiet, freedom from hostilities, civil disturbances, or emotional unrest. For this woman, it meant freedom from the war between good and evil, sin and holiness that had waged in her for years. The word translated here as peace is eirēnē. This is the same word the angels used when they sang before the shepherds the night Jesus was born. "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace among men." 

Sometimes used to mean "undisturbed", as well as harmony between men and nations, it can also mean the peace that only God can give. In this instance, I believe it is used with all the richness of intent possible. What Jesus offered this woman was the freedom from disturbance from her past and those who would remind her of it, as well as a freedom from fear for the future. He offered her the quiet assurance of peace with God, and the understanding that He would be with her, whatever her earthly circumstances. 

The richness of this peace can only come through repentance and the forgiveness it brings. Do you long for peace? We can have the same peace the woman with the alabaster vial found at the feet of Jesus. We cannot, however, keep the burden of sin and guilt we have been carrying.  It must be left at the feet of Jesus in exchange for the freedom and peace only He can give. 

If we have had enough of our burdens, then let us leave then with Jesus and accept all the healing He longs to offer. Join with me in accepting his faith, hope, and love, as well as that precious "extra".  Go in peace. 

Go in peace. 

Who is this Forgiver? (Luke7:48,49)

Then He said to her, "Your sins have been forgiven." Those who were reclining at the table with Him began to say to themselves, "Who is this man who even forgives sins?" (Luke 7:48, 49 NASB)

This verse is easily overlooked in the midst of the story of the woman with the alabaster vial, but it has an astonishing bit of information. Jesus looked at the woman and spoke a precious gift into her life. "You are forgiven".  How amazing that must have been for the weeping woman at His feet! She had suffered enough because of her sin, and He was banishing that sin, sending it as far as the east is from the west. That is what Our Lord does with the sins of a repentant sinner, and it is a heartbreakingly beautiful gift every single time. 

Those at the table with him heard the exchange, and were, not surprisingly, taken aback. As one person turned to another, they began to ask, "Who is this man who even forgives sins?" This is the amazing tidbit. They were not asking if He had the authority to forgive sin. That was apparently a foregone conclusion derived from watching the exchange between Jesus and the woman. 

How about that? One weeping, worshipping, repentant sinner kneeling at the feet of Jesus and receiving His forgiveness was such a powerful visual testimony that an entire roomful of people recognized with no uncertainty that her sins had been forgiven. They did not doubt that Jesus had forgiven her sins. They simply wondered Who He was that He was able to do it. 

This little verse should be like a knife cutting through our pride and our reserve. If one broken sinner receiving forgiveness is such a powerful tableau that a roomful of people could recognize the power of Jesus, what would He do with our repentance if we allowed Him to use it?

That question bears repeating. What would He do with my repentance if I allowed Him to use it? What would He do with your repentance? How many lives could be changed?  

Oh precious ones, may we stop hiding our brokenness and allow our Healer to touch those sin-scarred places and make them whole. May we allow Him to use our healing in such a way that all those around us cannot help but to believe. 

The Double Portion (Luke 7:42,43)

...When they were unable to repay, he graciously forgave them both. So which of them will love him more?" Simon answered and said, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more." And He said to him, "You have judged correctly." (Luke 7:42, 43 NASB)

We are stepping back a verse or two to catch a lovely truth we missed. Jesus, as you know, told Simon the story of two debtors who were forgiven as an introduction to a defense of the woman with the alabaster vial. "Which one will love more?" He asked. Simon knew it was the one forgiven more. 

The unstated implication was that the woman, who was know by reputation as a sinner, loved more because she was forgiven more. Once again, we see the principle of greatest and least in action. When you think about it, the most notorious sinner can end up as the one who loves our Lord with the most extravagant depth, simply because they KNOW the depth of forgiveness they have received. The one least deserving of forgiveness, the woman, became the one with the greatest love! 

Instead of your shame you will have a double portion, And instead of humiliation they will shout for joy over their portion... (Isaiah 61:7 NASB)

This verse gives us a glimpse of something else the woman received. Along with the forgiveness, acceptance, and vindication poured out on her that night, Jesus also replaced her shame and humiliation with joy. This was not just a little happiness, this was "shouting time" joy. Isaiah describes it as a "double portion". 

The greatest love and a double portion of joy!  Doesn't that make you want to repent all over again? Our Christ does not respond to repentant sinners with anger and recrimination. He responds with forgiveness, healing, and joy, and it's more than enough reason to embrace the cross and cling to Jesus. 

Today, pray that we and our loved ones will bring our brokenness and sin to Christ and exchange it for the forgiveness, love and joy only He can give. 

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Link to last night's post:  http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/06/friday-night-with-friends-front-porch.html

The Forgiven Woman (Luke 7:37,39,48)

And there was a woman in the city who was a sinner; and when she learned that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume...

Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner."...

Then He said to her, "Your sins have been forgiven." (Luke 7:37, 39, 48 NASB)

The three selected verses for today's consideration leave out a considerable amount of the story. If you've been following along, you will remember that the woman found the object of her searching, Jesus, seated at the table with Simon and the other guests. She knelt at His feet, overcome with emotion, weeping a river of tears on His feet, drying them with her hair. That vial of perfume was used as a sweet smelling offering to anoint His feet. Her gift of worship suffused the room with a sweet-smelling fragrance that lingered long after she was gone. 

She came to the feet of Jesus as a sinner, yet the fragrance of her worship filled the room. 

Simon knew her sin, and only saw her in terms of that sin. He saw nothing more, and he clearly missed the lovely aroma wafting around him. It was the aroma of a holy love, the aroma of a sinner redeemed by mercy and restored by grace. It was the very aroma you and I can have when we worship Christ with hearts overflowing with gratitude for His amazing grace. 

Jesus knew her sins, too. He knew what He would soon do to purchase her redemption, what He was already doing. Knowing, He loved her and forgave her. In a gift of divine insight, He publicly forgave her sins in the hearing of all those in the room. Lest this seem trivial, remember that she had lived a publicly sinful life. She was known by her sin. With one five-word sentence, Jesus changed her from "the sinner woman" to "the forgiven woman".  

She gave Jesus a lovely gift of worship and love. What Jesus gave her in return was the gift of eternity. 

Dear ones, how easy it is to be a Simon, following the form of religion without the heart!  Following the form of religion, however, is not discipleship. Discipleship requires the repentance and humility to worship at His feet wherever our following leads us. 

Pray today for hearts willing to embrace the humility, repentance, and obedience of true discipleship, not only for ourselves but also for those we love. 

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Last night's link: http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/06/family-surprise.html

Forgiven much and loving much (Luke 7:47)

For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little." (Luke 7:47 NASB)

Jesus was having dinner with Simon, a Pharisee who was well versed in Scripture but perhaps not so well versed in hospitality. It may have been, however, more a matter of not caring than of not knowing. Jesus had arrived for the dinner as requested. Simon had not greeted him with a kiss, offered him water to wash his feet, or used oil to annointed his head, all of which were expected behavior for a host toward his honored guest. They were in the midst of the meal when a. "woman with a past" barged in, went straight to Jesus, and knelt at His feet. Weeping, she washed his feet with her tears, kissed them, and poured perfume over them. 

Jesus had not missed anything happening in the room. While the woman was worshipping at His feet, Simon was fuming across the table and thinking about all the mistakes in her past. Jesus confronted Simon with a little story about two debtors who were forgiven. Simon, a little grudgingly, agreed that the one forgiven more would love more. 

Jesus then asked a surprising question. "Simon, do you see this woman?" He then began to describe to Simon how He saw her and her actions, and contrasted that with how He saw Simon's actions. Simon looked terrible in comparison to the woman! 

Coming to today's passage, we see that Jesus rebuked Simon in no uncertain terms. "Her sins, Simon, were many but they are forgiven because she loved so much, BUT the one who is forgiven little, loves little." There was no doubt that the "one who is forgiven little" meant Simon. In his own eyes, he felt that his sin was considerably less than the woman's. As a result, he felt less in need of forgiveness. 

Simon had the terrible problem of not recognizing his own sin. Since he did not "see" his sin, he felt less in need of the forgiveness of God, as well as less love toward God. How tragic! Simon had spent a lifetime as a religious expert (Pharisee). He knew so much about religion, and so little about God! 

In a way, we all have the same problem Simon had. It is much easier to accumulate a storehouse of religious facts and opinions rather than cultivate an active relationship with Almighty God. It is our human tendency to know about God rather than to actually know Him. The danger comes when we substitute that knowledge for relationship and are satisfied with the substitution.  

Are you, like Simon, satisfied with knowing about God or have you, like the woman, found your longing satisfied at the feet of Jesus?  

Pray today that we and our loved ones would hunger for an authentic, vibrant relationship with Christ, see our failings and need for flegiveness, and find fulfillment at the feet of Jesus. 

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Link for last night's post is here: http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/06/ttglc-soup.html