Tag Archive for forgiveness

Forgiving Others

2015-07-02 Devotional, Pictures of God No comments

from the devotional book, PICTURES OF GOD

Matthew 6:9-15

Notice that the Lord’s Prayer puts a condition on God forgiving our sins:

“Forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors.”
(Matthew 6:12, NIV)

If we want our sins forgiven, we must also forgive those who wrong us. This is so important that immediately after the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus emphasizes that one point:

“For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (Matthew 6:14-15, NIV)

Why would our Father, so anxious to forgive us, put such a condition on our forgiveness? Why must we forgive others in order to be forgiven? Why are the giving and receiving of forgiveness inseparable?

  • We cannot embrace forgiveness as the solution for our sins without embracing it for others as well. Either forgiveness is the solution for sin or it isn’t.
  • Forgiveness cannot flow to us until it can flow through us.
  • Until we grant forgiveness to the one who wronged us, we too are enslaved by their sin. We who were wronged continue to suffer – we suffer lovelessness, resentment, anxiety, anger, and more. We cannot enjoy the blessing and freedom of forgiveness until we both receive it for the wrongs we do and give it to those who wrong us.
  • We tend to excuse our wrongs and blame others for theirs. Jesus urges us to do the opposite: excuse others and be more aware of our own failings.

An unforgiving heart is an unloving heart. It is a heart diseased with self-centeredness and bitterness. We cannot enjoy an open Father-to-child relationship with our forgiving God if we refuse to both give and receive forgiveness.

My Plans for You

2015-06-25 Devotional with Hymn, Pictures of God No comments

from the devotional book, PICTURES OF GOD

Jeremiah 29:11-14; 33:3-9

When you are forced to discipline your children, you want to make sure they know that you still love them. God is the same. The deep, long-term sinfulness of His people forced Him to punish them severely. But God wanted them to understand how much He still loved them. For that reason He had His prophet Jeremiah write them a letter while they were in exile in Babylon. Here is a portion of that letter:

“For I know the plans I have for you…plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the LORD. (Jeremiah 29:11-13a, NIV)

In the midst of their sin and its punishment, God had plans for them. He was working to draw them back to Himself, to prosper them, to build a future for them.

The same story is told in Jeremiah 33. Even while telling of His horrendous judgment on them, God was dreaming of all the wonderful things He would do to restore them. You can hear the excitement in His voice:

“I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me. Then this city [Jerusalem] will bring me renown, joy, praise and honor before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it.” (Jeremiah 33:8-9, NIV)

God is excited and passionate about all the beautiful things He can do for His people. His deep desire for them is always complete forgiveness, renewal, and overflowing blessings. His heart is always love, even while that love must be expressed in stern discipline.

Listen and sing:
Hymn: Your Ceaseless, Unexhausted Love
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David and Bathsheba: Renewal

2015-06-11 Devotional, Pictures of God No comments

from the devotional book, PICTURES OF GOD

2 Samuel 12:14-25

Lust. Adultery. Deceit. Murder. Abuse of power.

David had set a dreadful example for God’s people. What’s more, instead of being God’s light to the peoples around Israel, David had shamed God’s reputation among them (2 Samuel 12:14). As a result, God decreed that the sorrow and death David had brought into his home would begin with his newborn son. The child would die. And he did.

But here is where the story takes an amazing turn. One might have expected that David’s illicit union with Bathsheba would be cursed, or at least that no good fruit would come of it. The opposite happens. The Lord blesses their union with another child, a boy, and the scripture says specifically that “the Lord loved him” (12:24).

The child was Solomon. His name comes from the Hebrew word “shalom”, meaning “peace”. He was also given the name “Jedidiah”, which in Hebrew means “loved of the Lord” (12:25). Of all David’s children, he was selected to inherit the throne at David’s death. God chose him to build His house, the temple, and God blessed him with wisdom and riches beyond imagination. What’s more, the Messiah would come from Solomon’s line, from the line of David and Bathsheba.

What a marvelous story of God’s forgiveness! While David’s sin had destructive consequences, God also blessed his line with compassionate, life-giving renewal. This is a foretaste of what God would do in Jesus Christ:

Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more. (Romans 5:20, NASB)

Psalm 99: How Does Holy God Respond to Sin?

2015-04-16 Devotional, Pictures of God No comments

from the devotional book, PICTURES OF GOD

Psalm 99:8; Exodus 33:18-20; 34:5-7

When Psalm 99 says that God was “a forgiving God to them, and yet an avenger of their evil deeds” (v.8, NASB), it is affirming what God repeatedly emphasizes about Himself. He gladly, eagerly, lovingly forgives the sins of those who confess and turn away from their sin. But in His holiness, He will not simply overlook sin. God punishes those who do wrong.

Joshua warned the children of Israel about this when they chose to renew their covenant with God. Read Joshua 24:15-21.

When Moses asked God that he might know Him better, God revealed Himself both visually and verbally. As He passed by Moses, this is how He summarized Himself:

“The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression, and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished.” (Exodus 34:6-7, NASB)

Many in the world today think that because God is loving, He won’t punish us. Sometimes they even suggest that if God is so forgiving, why doesn’t He just forgive what we do, without all the demanding and threatening? They want a God who will let them continue to live as they please.

But remember what sin is:

  1. Sin is a deadly disease. Our loving God cannot simply ignore it. It separates His loved ones from their only source of life and peace. God will completely cure all those who allow Him.
  1. Sin is relational. It is a broken relationship with the Living God, and He longs to restore that relationship. But like any relationship, our relationship with God has two sides. God cannot repair our relationship with Him unless we are willing and participate. Unless the relationship is repaired, forgiving past sins does no good. It’s like taking an antidote for a deadly poison, then continuing to drink a big cup of that poison for every meal. The antidote is useless. The deadly danger is still flowing through our system until we turn away from its cause.

Living as God’s People

2015-04-02 Devotional, Pictures of God No comments

from the devotional book, PICTURES OF GOD

Leviticus 20:7-8, 22-26; Joshua 24:15-21

God is holy—transcendent…high above us…separate…pure. We were sinful…contaminated…corrupt. Yet instead of pushing us away, the holy God drew us toward Himself and into His holiness. By His own choice and doing, He separated us unto Himself. He made us His holy, separate people. What a privilege to be the holy, chosen people of holy, sovereign, Creator God!

But privileges carry responsibilities. We must live lives that are holy, separated entirely to our holy God. Moses warned the people:

“You shall consecrate yourselves therefore and be holy, for I am the LORD your God. You shall keep My statutes and practice them…so that the land to which I am bringing you to live will not spew you out. Moreover, you shall not follow the customs of the nation which I will drive out before you…You are to be holy to Me, for I the LORD am holy; and I have set you apart from the peoples to be Mine.” (Leviticus 20:7-8, 22-23, 26, NASB)

Later Joshua similarly warned the people that the holy God would not overlook their sin.

“If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, then He will turn and do you harm and consume you after He has done good to you.” (Joshua 24:19, NASB)

God will eagerly forgive sin if we confess and repent – that is, turn away from it. But He is holy, and He will not simply overlook sin. As with the children of Israel, we cannot live like the people around us. We are the holy people of a holy God, separated entirely to Him as His own.

However, we cannot and will not be holy in our own strength. God has not abandoned us to the weakness of our own willpower. As we will see in the New Testament, in Jesus Christ God has offered to us the beautiful gift of holiness by faith. We can be holy as He is holy, by His holy Spirit within, as we simply trust Him.

Hold on to Love

2014-08-31 Devotional with Hymn No comments

Peter came to Jesus and asked Him this: 

“Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.” (Matthew 18:21-22, NASB)

Paul spoke to the same need when he said:

Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us. (Ephesians 4:31 – 5:2, NIV)

Those we love sometimes hurt or disappoint us.
The cause may be
a misunderstanding or
human weakness or
plain old selfishness.
Even the highest human love sometimes falls short.

When that happens,
we can let bitterness and anger sweep in and
widen the separation.
We can put at risk the love we’ve held so dear.
Or we can hold on to that love with both hands.
We can continue to reach out and
seek to understand.
Even in our own hurt, we can do what love is designed to do:
focus on the other person rather than ourselves.

When we forgive this way,
we not only let the other person experience the beauty of God’s love,
we experience it ourselves.

Listen and sing:
Hymn: The Joy of Forgiveness
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Freedom

2014-06-24 Devotional with Hymn No comments

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
(Lamentations 3:22-23, NIV)

When I fail to trust God, I fail.
And I have failed so often.

Sometimes it’s been a troublesome, recurrent sin.
Sometimes pride,
worry,
selfishness, or
unkindness.

But in all these years, I have never used up His mercies.
We draw on them over and over, and
they are never diminished.
They are “new every morning.”

I feel ashamed and presumptuous to come to Him again for forgiveness.
But He asks me to come, and
I come in obedience.

Lord, in obedience,
I trust Your mercy once again.

Listen…and sing if you want:
Hymn: Daily Confession
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Forgiveness Is Always Available

2014-06-17 Devotional with Hymn No comments

When I kept silent, my bones wasted away.
Then I acknowledged my sin to you…
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”
and you forgave the guilt of my sin.
(Psalm 32:3, 5, NIV)

Are you unsure of your relationship with God?

You don’t need to let uncertainty put a cloud between you.
You don’t have to wonder.
You don’t have to wait.

If you think you’ve failed Him, talk to Him right now.
Forgiveness is always available.
He makes it available to you every moment.

 

Jesus, I accept
today’s forgiveness for
today’s failures.

Listen…and sing if you want:
Hymn: Song of Confession
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Living Without Guilt

2014-06-15 Devotional with Hymn No comments

Jesus said,

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.”
(Matthew 11:28, NASB) 

1 John 1:9 promises this:

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (NIV)

I know about guilt. I know about the shadow deep inside, the heaviness, the darkness. I know about being deeply, unforgettably aware of the wrong I’ve done.

I’ve tried to deal with that guilt in a variety of ways.

I’ve tried to deny it: “It’s just a state of mind…an emotion…it’ll pass.”

I’ve tried to rationalize it: “Everybody does wrong once in a while…I’m no worse than most people.”

I’ve tried to blame it on others and escape it: “It’s just the way my parents raised me…society’s false standards…If I ignore their rules, I’ll eventually get past this feeling.”

I’ve tried to make up for it somehow: “I will be nice to people…do good deeds…give money…That will make up for the wrong I’ve done…My good deeds will outweigh the bad.”

But none of that lifts the blackness. None of it makes me clean. None of it changes the person I know I am. My wrongness is not a feeling, or a fiction, or a passing phenomenon. It’s a fact.

But thank the Lord, I also know what forgiveness feels like. Years ago friends told me about Jesus. At first, hearing about Him only made the guilt worse. I felt painted in a corner. My wrongness, my sin, was bigger than ever. It loomed over me. It stared me in the face.

Finally, in desperation, and in feeble hope, I turned to Jesus. I just opened myself to Him. I admitted how wrong I was, and I asked Him to help me.

And you know what happened? He didn’t scold me. He didn’t punish me. He just forgave me. Forgave me! Freely, completely, unconditionally forgave me! I was a brand-new person! I felt bathed in His love inside and out.

I can’t describe the freedom. I can’t describe the cleanness, the joy, the rightness of life.

I’m not talking about a feeling. It was a fact. I was a different person, and everyone who knew me knew I was different.

No, I wasn’t perfect. I’m still not perfect–not by a long shot. But I’m learning to trust Him, and He’s helping me to live a clean life, a loving life, above the wrong that once dragged me down.

And when I fail, I just ask Him to forgive me, and He does, as freely and completely as ever.

If you’re living with guilt, let me tell you: you don’t have to. You don’t need to deny it. You don’t need to rationalize it. You don’t have to make up for it. Jesus forgives sin. Jesus takes away guilt completely. Jesus makes new people. Jesus can make you a new person.

Listen…and sing if you want:
Hymn: Come, My Friends!
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Always Working for Good

2013-09-12 Devotional One comment

We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him.
(Romans 8:28, NIV)

I’ve come through a long ordeal.
The result: I feel I’ve been wronged.
Anger wants to boil up inside me.

But, Lord, I look to You.
I accept this decision as from Your hand,
as Your perfect and merciful will for me.
I thank You for the wisdom and love that
even now is using this pain for my good.

And that person, Lord—
I accept them as Your servant.
If they were mistaken or insensitive,
I forgive them.

Most of all, help me think and act as Your servant,
trusting You,
rejoicing in You.
Anger and self-protection are burdens too heavy to bear.
I cannot serve You and continue to carry them.
I give them to You.

Thank You, Lord! You are always good!

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