God’s dynamic Love language is Forgiveness. The Father of Heavenly Lights has very commanding words on Forgiveness in the Bible. “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 Do you hear God’s passion and sensitivity toward forgiveness? It might send a shock wave through our body if we truly grasp its impact. God’s gift of forgiveness to us was so costly and sacrificial that to refuse to give it to others is unbearable to God! “Freely you have received; freely give.” Matthew 10:8 We are not to be hoarders of God’s indescribable gift of forgiveness! God’s compassionate gift was given to be freely given away. This is God’s standard of love up close and personal. Think of how many times you have sinned and will sin in your lifetime. Check out God’s response for his followers “as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103:12
The common objection to this humble extension of God’s love is always the same: “But you don’t know what malicious evil this person has done to me. If you had received such extreme bitterness, resentment, and hate you would feel differently!” Let’s look at a Biblical example in the New Testament of Saul and Jesus to check out the divine perspective. Saul a devout Jew had made it his mission to pursue Christians and have them killed. Saul felt proud and justified in his choice to be judge and executioner of the Christians. Saul was on the scene when Stephen was stoned to death. “Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people.” Acts 6:8 Stephen’s last words were “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” Acts 7:60b “And Saul was there, giving approval to his death.” Acts 8:1 Saul was so thirsty for Christian blood that he went from town to town in hot pursuit of Christians to take them as prisoners to Jerusalem! Jesus was watching Saul and one day decided to pay him a visit. Saul was traveling and “suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul why do you persecute me?” Did you notice that Jesus did not say why are you persecuting my follower’s? If you are persecuting Christ’s followers you are persecuting Christ! Matthew 25:40b records it this way “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Jesus introduces himself to Saul and tells him to go to the city and he will be told what he must do. Then Saul was blind and couldn’t speak. He was led to Ananias’s house where his sight was restored. Jesus told Ananias “This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel” Acts 9:15b Really!!!! Wait a minute, this guy is a Christian persecutor! How did he go from persecutor to chosen? Wasn’t Jesus justified to refuse to forgive him? Didn’t his sins pile up to the sky???? God’s love language is forgiveness! That is how God Almighty forgives and restores people from the wrong path to the right path!
When you look at God’s in-depth definition of Love you see the foundational ingredient of forgiveness. 1 Corinthians 13:4-6
“Love is patient,
love is kind.
It does not envy,
it does not boast,
it is not self-seeking,
it is not easily angered,
it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.”
Forgiveness involves patience, kindness, humility, sacrifice, mercy, and truth. If love keeps no record of wrongs, then bitterness, resentment, and hate have no soil in which to grow! It isn’t my job to be the judge and jury over someone else’s bad behavior. God is fully equipped to settle accounts: “Do not take revenge, my dear friends but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “it is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.” Romans 12:19
Forgiveness is never easy but it is God’s standard of righteous and love language. God makes it crystal clear for us when he writes “Do everything in love.” 1 Corinthians 16:14 The beauty of it all is the written word “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8 I am so grateful God’s Love covers my sin! Yea God!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment