2015-11-06
Good Morning Dear Ones,
We learned last week that most sins can be forgiven and that God takes the situation into account when deciding whether or not to forgive a sinner. One situation that came as a lesson for me was my own very negative reaction to the Karla Fay Tucker case many years ago. Karla, as a teenager, ran around with the wrong crowd and was on drugs. In the course of this, she and the older male leader of her group, were personally involved in a brutal ax murder while under the influence of the drugs. They were arrested, and Karla, as a part of her trial, was sentenced to the death penalty. I reasoned this wasn’t right, because of her tender years and the influence of the group’s leader on her. She did all she could in the ensuing 14 years after being sentenced to have her sentence commuted to life in prison without a chance of parole. In addition, she got clean, came to Christ, and was used by the Lord to convert numerous fellow prisoners to faith in Christ. Ultimately, she was put to death. Peter and I spent many conversations discussing this case, and his position was that Karla deserved to die. His explanation for this is that she deserved to suffer the civil penalty of her crime, even though he believed that God had forgiven her.
LK 12: 10; PS 51: 1-2, 10-12; COL 3: 12-15 all deal with forgiveness. The latter citation reveals God’s will that we should be forgiving, as He has forgiven us. We should be driven by love in our actions and allow the peace of Christ to rule in us. The first citation discusses the one unforgiveable sin, serial sin against the Holy Spirit of unbelief. And the passage from Psalm 51 is one of the most beautiful expressions of confession of sin in the word of God, one written by David as a result of his misdeeds in arranging for Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah, to be killed on the battlefield and his adultery with her. These were the sins that the prophet, Nathan, reminded David he had done in 2 SAM 12: 1-12. The first citation explains that only one sin is unforgivable, that of serial unbelief against the Holy Spirit. We’ve looked at the most famous verses on forgiveness, but there are still a few more to see. 2 CH 7: 14 comes at a time that Solomon had just completed dedicating the temple in Jerusalem. [God speaking] “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” What more has God ever wanted than to be our God and for us to be His people? He has repeated these statements over and over again [DT 6: 4-5; DT 11: 18-19; JER 24: 7; JER 31: 33-34; EZK 36: 28; HO 2: 23b; REV 21: 3, for example]. JOEL 2: 13-14 also gives us a picture of God’s forgiving heart. “Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and He relents from sending calamity. Who knows? He may turn and have pity and leave behind a blessing---grain offerings and drink offerings for the Lord your God.” We must see the big picture of God’s heart, which has set such a wonderful example for us to follow.
I have to believe that only Satan could be behind something as ugly and destructive as a grudge held. So many times, grudge-holding has been at the base of awful behavior between family members and/or friends. It is never constructive or a part of the holiness of a God-forged covenant relationship. Consider the pure relief and direct blessing of true forgiveness. PS 23: 3-4, “He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness, for His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” What a blessing to be restored to good standing in the sight of God, to have Him to Whom to turn at any time or day or night, any day of the year. We must remember that after all that Job went through, he was restored and renewed in God’s blessings as never before [JOB 42: 12-17]. God’s rod is His symbol of authority, and His staff is His symbol of support. What great reassurance one has when He knows for sure he can rely on the One true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob! Israel’s very existence after 3000 years of persecution and turmoil, two dyasporas (losses of nationhood and scattering of her population) are all indications of God’s loving and forgiving heart. We can know that all these enemies of Israel--- the Ammorites, Amalekites, Edomites, Moabites, Selucids, those behind the Spanish Inquisition, the Nazis, and the USSR--- are gone. And to think, this is the same Jehovah, El Shaddai, Yahweh that can do so much, has so much power to do good that is right here for us! All one has to know is the meanings of His many names to know His magnificent attributes and deeds for the good of believing mankind. Through our faith in His Son, Jesus, Christ, we are eternally forgiven [1 JN 1: 9], justified [RO 4: 3] and saved [JN 3: 16; RO 3: 24-25]. What greater demonstration of the loving nature of God’s heart can there be???
PRAYER: O Lord, You have stood by Your people, Israel, and You stand by all of believing mankind. You open the love of Your heart to us in blessings that go far beyond our wildest dreams! This is the kind of God You are. We pledge our love and faithfulness to You, and we have come to rely on You. Many of us belong to congregations which You have commanded Your Son, Jesus, to lead. You have told us that You want to be our God, and that we are to be Your people. You have shown us by the example of Your Holy Spirit in others around us how to be better believers. You have commanded us to be forgiving and not to hold grudges. You have, by Christ’s example, shown us how to be righteous. Any goodness there is on earth comes from You. You have, through Your Son, given us to the power to chase away the adversary when he sends his fiery arrows at us [MT 4: 11; JAS 4: 7]. You have warned us that he is wily and cunning and to be alert on watch for him [1 PET 5: 8]. You have supplied us with ample motivation, by reminding us of the hope of the resurrection, to live our lives “in Christ” [RO 6: 4 and 8: 29]. So, Dearest Abba, we yield up our spirits to the Holy Spirit and take delight in Your word [PS 119: 24]. You are a God Who bears our daily burdens and also gives us our salvation. You are merciful and kind. PS 86: 13, 15, “How great is Your constant love for me! You have saved me from the grave itself…But You, O Lord, are a merciful and loving God, always patient, always kind and faithful.” You tell us when to rest and worship You, and You give us great joy in serving You. We are truly Your people, blessed to be in a covenant relationship with You and with each other. For this and so much more, we offer You our thanks and praise forever. In Christ’s holy/mighty name, we pray. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: In RO 2: 29 the term “circumcision of the heart” is used. Next week, we will investigate the meaning of that, as it relates to our personal covenant renewal. We all love the feeling of what it means to belong, to fit into a congregation of others. Recently, my husband and I traveled to a city 1200 miles from home. For the last 22 years, we’ve enjoyed this feeling of belonging to our present congregation. We visited a congregation that is totally new to us and once again, were met with the comfort of feeling like we belong there. And who knows, maybe we will find ourselves actually belonging in it—not as visitors but as members? “Anything is possible with God” [MK 10: 27]. Once a person is committed to a God-forged covenant relationship, he is admitted to something special, supportive, and a blessing in his life. I know this from being a part of a long-term, happy marriage, and also from feeling deeply connected to my Lord and other believers. We enjoy shared beliefs, shared service, and shared friendships. There is joy in the experience that I recently had of traveling around the country and meeting with friends wherever we went. There is bliss in looking back on friendships that have lasted my whole adult life and remembering the times and events we shared together with these people. We have supported each other through tragedy, loss, and challenges, and we have taken delight in their victories and advances in life. Their enemies are ours, and ours are theirs. That is what a covenant relationship is. Where God is concerned, He has answered my long-term prayer that I might have the chance to reach out to others who have not yet come to faith in the Lord Jesus with my faith. And what joy it is when some of them tell me they have come to faith as a result of our conversations in this mission. God has shown me how to be an over-comer, and I love Him for that. It is my deepest hope that each of you will have similar experiences with God. It is my belief that these are the blessings of faithful obedience to Him for us all. Praise and thanks be to Him!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn
JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2015. All Rights Reserved.
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