Forgiveness

“If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you.  But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

 (Matthew 6:14-15 NLT)

 

People often do not show us a great deal of mercy. If we are sincere, we must admit that we do not deserve forgiveness. Feeling that we merit compassion is a contradiction in terms because mercy is not getting what we deserve. Our quest to receive the right treatment from man is futile; it only comes from God.

Some of us are on a life-long journey to receive mercy from people. The problem with this is that most people are more equipped to give us justice rather than kindness. Trying to force someone to forgive you is an exercise in futility. It hinders you from receiving it from God. Extending mercy does not necessarily mean people will reciprocate, but it does mean that God will. Un-forgiveness is human, overlooking an offense is divine.  The latter sets people free along with yourself.

What does this require of us? We must return good for evil.  Isn’t that what Jesus did for us on the Cross? While we were yet in our sins, Jesus died for us. He showed us mercy and grace without us ever deserving it. Should not those of us who proclaim to follow Christ respond similarly? Someone once said you should never expect too little from man nor too much from God. We often expect too much from man and too little from God.

God desires to give us what we do not deserve. Forgiveness is the doorway to God”s abundant mercy and grace. Give, and it shall be given to you.

Image used with permission by Microsoft.

Ken Barnes, the author of  “The Chicken Farm and Other Sacred Places”  YWAM Publishing
Email:  kenbarnes737@gmail.com
website:Ken Barnes' Book Site
Blogs: http://kensblog757.blogspot.com
            http://gleanings757.blogspot.com

Faith and Patience

We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. (Hebrews 6:12 NIV)

 

My scriptural reference above instructs us that the promises of God never come to fruition except through faith and patience.

On the landscape of the Body of Christ today, there are many churches with names like Faith Christian Center, or Faith Baptist Church. How many churches have you seen named Patience Christian Church?  Probably not one, I suspect. In this Bible verse, neither of these Christian virtues, faith or patience, is elevated over the other. Faith is never exercised without patience, and patience is not cultivated without faith. They always work in tandem and never in isolation.

Paul admonishes us not to become lazy. How do we become lazy? By not imitating those who have gone before us and have received the promises by faithfully enduring. You have probably heard the prayer, Lord give me patience, right now. It would be nice if it worked that way, but it doesn’t.

When I was a young Christian, I would watch speakers come through our church and tell of their mountaintop experiences. They appeared to leap from one mountaintop to another. I could not get out of bed without, spiritual speaking, tripping over my own feet. I wondered what was wrong with me. These feelings continued until I observed the lives of these preachers more closely, and found out that between their mountaintop experiences were long journeys through the valley of delay, discouragement, and even some failure.

There are no shortcuts to spiritual maturity. It only comes through patient endurance.  Imitating those who have gone before us and practiced faith and patience enables us to inherit the promises of God.

Image used with permission by Microsoft.

Ken Barnes, the author of  “The Chicken Farm and Other Sacred Places”  YWAM Publishing
Email:  kenbarnes737@gmail.com
website: Ken Barnes' Book Site
Blogs: http://kensblog757.blogspot.com
            http://gleanings757.blogspot.com