This is an excerpt from a piece I am working on. Humility is not found in weakness but in brokenness and the foundation of that brokenness is living a life governed by forgiveness. However, forgiveness is a completely impossible experience apart from the Love of God at work in the life of the follower of Christ. Hopefully what I have written describes and encourages such a life. Forgiveness – Forgiveness is a word that rolls easily off the tongue, yet the ability for the heart to embrace and the mind to engage still remain filled with reluctance and many times extreme effort. Forgiveness is a complete word. It is not a word that is filled with implication or possibility. Forgiveness is a word that must either be experienced or given or not. Forgiveness is a word of redemption, hope and restoration. It is at the heart of the Father who continually gazes down the road in the hope that the wayward and lost will return. There is no thought of vengeance or repayment or accusation. There is only the anticipation of embracing the one who returns and the celebration of restored fellowship. Forgiveness has no memory of failure or disappointment. It has no record or books to be balanced. Forgiveness oozes with God’s grace and the understanding that His mercies are new every morning. Forgiveness is the essence of the Kingdom of heaven. It is the Magna Carta and constitution for Kingdom authority and government. Heaven itself bears the fragrance of forgiveness because of the continued presence and finished work of the one who gave his life willingly. In heaven forgiveness has a face, that face is seen in Jesus. On earth forgiveness should have a face!!! Psalms 86:5 KJV “…Lord you are good and ready to forgive…” The very heart of God is that He is ready to forgive. He does not need to be convinced or persuaded to forgive. He has no other desire than to forgive. His forgiveness bears no human resemblance of selective offense. Forgiveness is complete, entire and perfect. It leaves the recipient of that forgiveness with the awareness that the agenda of the Lord is not to have perfect subjects of a perfect Kingdom but redeemed creatures with a transformed nature. The profoundness of the way the Lord handles you and I leave us with a sense of how much more important we are to him than our ability to walk a straight line. Psalms 86:5-13 NIV “You are forgiving and good O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you. Hear my prayer, O Lord; listen to my cry for mercy. In the day of my trouble (affliction, anguish, distress, tribulation), I will call to you, for you will ANSWER me. Among the gods there is none like you, O Lord, no deeds can compare with yours. All the nations you have made will come and worship before you O Lord, and they will bring glory to your name. For you are great and do marvelous deeds; you alone are God. Teach me your way O Lord, and I will walk in your truth, give me and undivided heart, that I may fear your name.” Notice the impact that forgiveness has on David. God’s forgiveness helps David realize that he can call on the Lord without condemnation for his failures. God’s forgiveness helps David to connect prayer, forgiveness and mercy. God wants to be merciful. Do the people in your life expect forgiveness and mercy from you or do they anticipate harsh responses? God’s forgiveness releases David to come to the Him in time of trouble. Can our spouse, children, friends, co-workers come to us in times of trouble? God’s forgiveness creates a desire to Worship. God’s forgiveness awakens in David’s heart his greatness and his sovereignty. God’s forgiveness created a desire to be taught. God’s forgiveness won David’s heart. This is a brief picture of the power of forgiveness in the life of the one who receives it. Luke 15:11-24 NIV “Jesus continued: there was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, Father give me my share of the estate. So he divided his property between them. Not long after that the young son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in the whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. When he came to his senses, he said, how many of my father’s hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you, I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men. So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son threw his arms around him and kissed him. The son said to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. But the father, said to his servant, Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. So they began to celebrate.” The first part of this parable is filled with self centeredness, rebellion, separation ending in lack, need and desperation. However, look at the real parable. It is not the demand to have an inheritance prematurely. It is not the journey away from the Father and his house. It is not the separation from what God had sovereignly joined him to at birth, nor is it the fact that all is wasted on self. The true parable is this; forgiveness waits to be given at Father’s house. Notice the Father’s heart, he is looking as far as he can to give and demonstrate forgiveness to his son. He saw his son while he was still a long way off. Forgiveness is not extended because it is backed into a corner or because no other choice is rendered. Forgiveness is looking as far as it can see, in every relationship, in every circumstance, with every hurt with every disappointment to participate in the process of redemption in a person’s journey. Am I looking as far as I can see in the people in my life to give freely forgiveness that leaves a heart with hope to feed and nurture that person in their starving condition? This son was starving to death, starving for food, starving for love, starving for friendship, starving for the Father, starving for forgiveness. Will I feed the hungry? Notice when the Father saw him, he was filled with compassion. Two things, first he saw him. Many times unforgiveness cannot see the person only the offense. Secondly, the Father was filled with compassion (a desire to understand rather than accuse). How many times have I failed to seek to understand where this person was in their journey? Instead I want answers. The Father ran to his son. Forgiveness runs to restore. It does not hold back affection or warmth or substance. Forgiveness breaks into a dash to embrace the lost. Whether that lost thing is a child, spouse, relationship, friendship or any other thing that may come to mind. Forgiveness does not wait for an opportune time or an invitation. Upon site forgiveness is running full speed to smother with kisses. The Father threw his arms around him and kissed him. Forgiveness seeks to immediately restore intimacy. Forgiveness does not hold at an arms length nor does it have an I’ll shake your hand now, but if you do better I will embrace you later attitude. Forgiveness wraps up with arms flailing, lips smacking and tears flowing. Forgiveness carries this message. This relationship was dead, but it lives again. It was lost but it has been found. The final sign that forgiveness is present is celebration. No more walking on egg shells or wondering. Forgiveness throws a party that lets everyone in ear shot know that redemption (the fatted calf) and restoration (Robe, Ring and Sandals) has been accomplished. Matthew 18:21-30 NIV “Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, Lord how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times? Jesus answered, I tell you not seven times, but seventy-seven times (KJV 70 times 7). Therefore the Kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As He began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents (possibly millions) was brought to him. Since he was unable to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. The servant fell on his knees before him. Be patient with me. He begged and I will pay back everything. The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. But when that servant went out, He found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii (approximately $10.00). He grabbed him and began to choke him. Pay back what you owe me! He demanded. His fellow servant fell on his knees and begged him. Be patient and I will pay you back. But he refused. Instead he went off and had the man thrown into prison UNTIL he could pay the debt.” This passage of scripture is a brief glimpse of how unforgiveness behaves itself. First, unforgiveness seeks to limit its responsibility to tolerate the failures of others, especially when those failures directly affect them. Lord, how many times shall I forgive when I am sinned against? Secondly, unforgiveness wants something that it can live with. 7 times is something that unforgiveness not only feels is adequate and achievable, but also, after that I can handle things to my own satisfaction. Unforgiveness is a lust that seethes in the heart of a man. Before we continue to look at the pattern and process of unforgiveness. Look at how the master modeled forgiveness. Whenever the servant who owed such a great debt asked for the master to be patient and show mercy indicating that if the master would he would pay back the debt. The master responded by canceling the debt. I believe this was for 2 reasons. First of all, the master knew that this servant could never pay back the debt he owed, just as you and I cannot pay back the debt that our sin and disobedience has accumulated. Secondly, the master demonstrated that mercy triumphs over judgment. The master CANCELED THE DEBT AND LET HIM GO. Forgiveness is an act that frees another person, giving them the opportunity to live a life outside the imprisonment of sin. I am free because of the finished work of the master. He is not concerned about me paying the debt in full; he does not desire to put me in prison. His heart is to forgive, restore and release into a life that overflows with liberty. Do I respond to others in the same way? When Peter responded to his own question by expressing how far his own limits would extend in regard to forgiveness, Jesus immediately responds by making him aware that your life should be occupied with forgiveness. 70 times 7 appear to be redundant, but Jesus is not trying to respond with a foolish answer to Peter’s question. He is attempting to show Peter that living a life of forgiveness consumes your time. If you forgive in the manner that Jesus has indicated in this passage, you will not have time to argue, debate or struggle with any person or relationship that you feel has invaded your rights Look at the continued response of unforgiveness. This man, who has been forgiven such an insurmountable debt, leaves the environment of forgiveness and looks for someone who owes him a debt. The scriptures state that he found one who owed him. One translation states that he intentionally went looking. The fact is that this man had received forgiveness but he had not experienced forgiveness. You may have it, but it may not have you. Notice what this man did in verse 28, “he grabbed him and began to choke him”. How many people, relationships, organizations, whatever it may be, do I have my hands around their neck, saying “YOU OWE ME”. Unforgiveness begins to choke the life out of whatever it views to be the source of offense in its life. Unforgiveness demands payment for the wrong. It demands that someone is going to pay for where I am. Unforgiveness demands that payment be made. Forgiveness CANCELS THE DEBT. This does not diminish accountability or responsibility. What it does do is this. It frees the person to let God do his perfect work. How can I determine whether unforgiveness is present? 4 possible responses exist. 1. How many times should I forgive if someone sins against or offends me? How long do I have to put up with this? Are you asking the Lord to limit your responsibility to live a life of forgiveness? 2. Am I looking for a person or relationship that I may feel owes me a debt for the intent of making them repay? (Verbally, monetarily, spiritually, relationally, etc…) 3.Do I find myself choking the life out of this relationship in my heart? (Anger, gossip, criticism, etc…) 4.Do I refuse to cancel the debt and free them to let God finish his work in both them and me? (I’ll forgive, but I won’t forget!!!!) If you or I can answer yes to any of these questions, unforgiveness is still an issue. Ephesians 4:32 – 5:2 NIV “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 as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” While writing his letter to the church at Ephesus, Paul describes the climate that a body of believers, a marriage or a relationship on any level should experience in Christ. Forgive each other … JUST AS CHRIST (FORGIVENESS) Live a life of love … JUST AS CHRIST (LOVE) Give yourself up … JUST AS CHRIST (SACRIFICE) These are governmental verses. They reflect the heart and attitude of the King of the Kingdom. Love your God, your brother, your spouse your children, your enemy. Forgive!!! When your at the altar forgive, when you pray forgive, if your offended forgive, if someone else is offended with you forgive. Sacrifice yourself for others. Esteem others. Edify others, encourage others, Comfort others. Let your life be about others. WHY? Because men will know that you’re his disciples when you demonstrate love for one another. That love runs the deepest when you lay your life down for your friends. Maybe this brief prayer will help all who read this article. Father help me to remove my hands from around the neck of anyone that I feel may owe me a debt. Enable me through your word and Holy Spirit, like the Father, to look a long way off down the road with the expectation that I will have opportunities to live a life of forgiveness. Help me through Jesus to be willing to cancel the debt and celebrate recovery. Help it not to be about me, but about you and what you want to do in the lives of those whom I have held captive with my unforgiveness. Forgive me for holding back forgiveness. Let my days be filled with a ministry that seeks to reconcile. Help me Lord Jesus to forgive, love and sacrifice just like you did for me. Thank you for your patience and your mercy toward me. May I extend the same to others.
Posted on: Tue, 27 Jan 2015 23:09:54 +0000