Friday, August 08, 2008
Thoughts about forgiveness...
It is easy to preach, very hard to practice.
I still have moments when I am completely overwhelmed by the love of a God who forgives someone like me.
I occasionally have moments when I have to listen to my heart to hear grace. My head will have a hard time accepting it.
If Satan can't tempt us to sin, he will tempt us to dwell on our past and doubt our forgiveness.
"Seven times seventy" is a great concept to learn about forgiveness. If you don't get this reference, read Matthew 18.
Forgiveness is different than restoration. Forgiveness of sin is also different than consequences for sin.
It is hard to grant forgiveness to those who were judgmental an harsh concerning my sins.
We shouldn't expect God to do something for us that we refuse to do for others.
I don't think forgiveness equates to forgetting. I think forgiveness is a conscious choice we make when we do remember.
The older I get, and the more I spend time with people battling sin, the more I realize that being a living witness for Jesus is not about Christians living "better" than everyone else. It may be how we model grace and forgiveness when we live "worse" than anyone else.
Just my thoughts from spending a lot of time this week helping people accept forgiveness. And helping people, including me, grant forgiveness to those who have been judgmental. And helping people receive what they at one time thought should not be extended to others.
Forgiveness: It's what I want and need. I want to be in the business of helping everyone else to receive it. So I am working to be sure I live what I believe.
Share your thoughts, struggles, insights.
I still have moments when I am completely overwhelmed by the love of a God who forgives someone like me.
I occasionally have moments when I have to listen to my heart to hear grace. My head will have a hard time accepting it.
If Satan can't tempt us to sin, he will tempt us to dwell on our past and doubt our forgiveness.
"Seven times seventy" is a great concept to learn about forgiveness. If you don't get this reference, read Matthew 18.
Forgiveness is different than restoration. Forgiveness of sin is also different than consequences for sin.
It is hard to grant forgiveness to those who were judgmental an harsh concerning my sins.
We shouldn't expect God to do something for us that we refuse to do for others.
I don't think forgiveness equates to forgetting. I think forgiveness is a conscious choice we make when we do remember.
The older I get, and the more I spend time with people battling sin, the more I realize that being a living witness for Jesus is not about Christians living "better" than everyone else. It may be how we model grace and forgiveness when we live "worse" than anyone else.
Just my thoughts from spending a lot of time this week helping people accept forgiveness. And helping people, including me, grant forgiveness to those who have been judgmental. And helping people receive what they at one time thought should not be extended to others.
Forgiveness: It's what I want and need. I want to be in the business of helping everyone else to receive it. So I am working to be sure I live what I believe.
Share your thoughts, struggles, insights.
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I have been struggling with forgiveness. I know I should forgive the people that have hurt (and are still hurting) my family, but I just can't do it. I think it is because they are constantly doing something to hurt us and I can't get over the human emotion of anger.
To live like Him, I know that I MUST forgive because I am forgiven.
This is a struggle that I pray constantly about.
To live like Him, I know that I MUST forgive because I am forgiven.
This is a struggle that I pray constantly about.
I recently wrote an article about being called to forgive when I really didn't think I had to. But besides those of us who try to keep others in bondage to their own sin, I think a far more consistent situation is people keeping themselves in bondage to their own past sin -- refusing to accept the price that has already been paid for sin. It's a fine line, sometimes, between godly conviction to change your ways and Satan's cloak of shame and guilt he tries to keep on us. There is MUCH to be said about this, and you have hit on some really great points. I think my favorite is that we aren't called to live 'better', we're called to live 'victoriously forgiven' (that's my paraphrase of what you wrote -- hope you don't mind!) Absolutely!
Good comments. Brandi, I am convinced that pain and anger are maybe the two biggest obstacles to our forgiveness. It is too glib to say let go of anger...but I pray for that for you.
Sarah, good paraphrase. That is the lifestyle that will attract the world to our message: victoriously forgiven".
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Sarah, good paraphrase. That is the lifestyle that will attract the world to our message: victoriously forgiven".
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