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| Forgiveness: that which is wrapped up in God's love! |
Jesus hung
on the Cross! He was forgiving others all the while giving them the Father’s
kingdom. Was thinking on this the past several days and meditating verses like
reproofs of instruction are the way of life found in Proverbs 6:22-23!
God in His
wisdom brought reproofs to us through His word of truth. And that instruction in
that reproof is the way of life. That word of God is a commandment. It is a
lamp to light the way for us.
Again, in
view of Jesus hanging from the cross, we are reminded of those He still could
and would communicate with while encountering such hate of hostile people. And
can we or will we continue to communicate the Father’s word of truth to those
who vitally need it right now?
One
specific passage I think about is when the religious leaders called Jesus
names. John 8 :37 ( Jesus speaking here)
I know that you are Abraham’s descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My
word has no place in you. 38 “I speak what I have seen with My Father, and you
do what you have seen with your father.” 39 They answered and said to Him,
Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you
would do the works of Abraham. 40 “But you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told
you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. 41 “You do the
deeds of your father. “Then they said to Him, “we were not born of fornication;
we have one Father----God.” 42 Jesus said to them. “ If God were your Father,
you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of
Myself, but he sent Me. 43”Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are
not able to listen to My word. 44 “You are of your father the devil and the
desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth,
because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources,
for he is a liar and the father of it.” 45 “But because I tell the truth, you
do not believe Me. 46 “Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the
truth, why do you not believe Me? 47 “He who is of God hears God’s words;
therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.”
John 8:48 Then the Jews
answered and said to Him, “Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and
have a demon?” 49 Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon,; but I honor my
Father, and you dishonor Me. 50 “And I do not seek My own glory; there is One
who seeks and judges. 51 Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word
he shall never see death.” 52 Then the Jews said to Him, “Now we know that You
have a demon! Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and You say, ‘If anyone keeps
My word he shall never taste death.’
John 8:53 Are You greater than our father Abraham
who is dead? And the prophets are dead. “Who do You make Yourself out to be?”
54 Jesus answered, “If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing. It is My Father who
honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God. 55 “Yet you have not known Him,
but I know Him. And if I say, ‘I do not know Him,”, I shall be a liar like you;
but I do know Him and keep His word. 56 “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see
My day, and he saw it and was glad.” 57 Then the Jews said to Him, “you are not
yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?” 58 Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly,
I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” 59 Then they took up stones to throw
at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the
midst of them and so passed by.
Jesus
continued to give truth to those who had hardened hearts! His claim to be
eternal: “I AM” was also seen to these as His speaking of His being divine. Jesus
spoke the truth. But hardened hearts will not listen and these religious people
would not hear. From His beginning of hearing God’s word from the prophets of
Isaiah, Jeremiah who lived in tumultuous times, that of the Law of Moses in the
first books: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy, it was Jesus Who would know what David wrote as the
worshiper of God, what Ezekiel saw in visions, what Daniel prayed, and what was given in
visions for that which be sealed up for another time to be the revealed
and Jesus would know what was given in Malachi and yes, is so
needed today. And it is that which Malachi is quoted of speaking given in the passage found in Luke
1:16-17 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.
17 He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the
hearts of the fathers to the children’, and the disobedient to the wisdom of
the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” This is of course speaking of John the Baptist who prepared the way for
Jesus. He herald the arrival of the Messiah, the gift of God’s grace.
Forgiveness
was something Jesus spoke about: Matthew 6:14-15 “For if you forgive men their
trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” 15 “But if you do not
forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
Adopting forgiveness of others into our prayer life is a daily discipline that
Jesus emphasized. What we are disciplined in prayer and for others as in
forgiveness, one grows, and becomes a character that has qualities that will
sustain relationships with others.
Forgiveness
is that which is wrapped up in God's love and that kind of love makes one strong! At the Foot of
the Cross we gained salvation. We are the forgiven. In not forgiving, we
forfeit a life in HIM! If we do not forgive, our Father in heaven will not
forgive us!
Mark
11:20-26 Amp. 20 In the morning, when they were passing
along, they noticed that the fig tree was withered [completely] away to its
roots. 21 & Peter remembered and said to Him, Master, look! The fig tree
which You doomed has withered away! 22 And Jesus replying, said to them, have
faith in God [constantly]. 23 Truly I tell you, whoever says to this mountain,
be lifted up & thrown into the sea! And does not doubt at all in his heart
but believes that what he says will take place, it will be done for him. 24 For this reason I am telling you,
whatever you ask for in prayer, believe (trust and be confident) that it is granted
to you and you will [ get it]. 25 And
whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him
& let it drop ( leave it, let it
go), in order that your Father Who is in heaven may also forgive you your [own]
failings & shortcomings & let them drop. 26 But if do not forgive,
neither will your Father in heaven forgive your failings and shortcomings.
The
teaching here is that the tree represented men in that generation. They were
not producers of anything but gave their lives to being hypocritical of others.
The men of that priesthood exploited others for their own profit of gain. The
priesthood of that time which was at one time confirmed by the miracle of a dry
rod, the budded, & blossomed branch that had brought almonds ( Nu.17:8) is
now showing evidence of fruitlessness.
This rod had revealed Aaron’s authority who served with Moses.…The
priesthood of Jesus’ day had moved away from God. They now were drunk in their
own glory! AND they had produced their
priesthood according to their own plans & imaginations. They had rejected
Jesus and would soon be rejected by Him.
True
spiritual health is indeed found in forgiving others! At the Cross, Jesus
spoke: "Father,
forgive them, for they do not know what they do." Luke 23:34
He came to
earth, to live as a man, and died between two criminals. Hanging by the
strength of nails, he sees the soldiers who mocked and scourged Him. He recalls
the blows that tortured Him and while that is visible in His mind, what runs
vividly is that Caiaphas & the high priests of the Sanhedrin…have sentenced
Him to die. With blood running over his eyes, He sees John with His mother Mary.
His apostles and friends that He knew well had deserted Him. Peter denied Him 3
times…….& only the fickle remain, yes that crowd who just praised Him on
His entrance into that city of Jerusalem has now demanded His crucifixion some hours
later!
Forgiveness was and is His focus! And it is His love that prevails! In those final hours on earth,
He has forgiven those who trespassed against Him, including Peter. Jesus had
told Peter in Matthew 18:21-22 to seventy times seven to forgive another. He
forgave the paralytic at Capernaum: Mark 3:3-12. He forgives the sinful woman
who anointed Him in the home of Simon the Pharisee: Luke 7:37-48! The adulteress
caught in the act and was to be stone: John 8:1-11
Whether it
was throwing out the money changers in John 2:14 or Matthew 21:12-17, these
Jews were having a business within what was God’s House of Prayer. They were
far from God and Jesus caused the conversation and His teaching to remind them
of what was given as truth. They had their own belief and in their hardness
they were the persistent and the obstinate in wrong thinking and no longer
covenant people of God. It was because of their unbelief that opened a door for
the Gentiles to have opportunity to receive Christ.
Jesus gave
the example of the forgiving heart! And He had a return ticket to His Father!
John 16:28 "I came from the Father
and have come into the world; again, I am leaving the world and going to the
Father"
Jesus fulfills His own mission and that of His
Father on the Cross! He directs His final word, “Father, into Your hands I
commend My spirit. Luke 23:46
Jesus accomplished
the plan of God! Jesus the majesty, and the power. “Behold your King!” John
19:14….Jesus is presented as He who is majestic & dignified….He went
bearing His own Cross John 19:17. Jesus
of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” John 19:19 ;The innocent Lamb slain for the
sins of man, yes yours and mine that we be the forgiven. Now completed, He is
the obedient to the Father, He is love defined for the world to see, and He
redeemed us with that death on the Cross!
"Certainly
this was a righteous Man" (Luke 23:47).
The
righteous forgive, but they also continue like Jesus did. And that is to get up…and
give the word of life to others even when they refuse, bully or even try to
stone you with words that are nothing but lies. YOU know who their father is! We
get up and continue to give life. We continue to forgive but speak truth. We forgive
and move forward and with appreciation. We make our boast from our hearts that
God is love, and He is with us. We continue daily forgiving, giving thanks to be alive in the kingdom of God, and forgetting the
past. Appreciation is giving thanks for that which we have come to the table
where blessings abound, reproofs are instruction in the way of life. And when
we hide His word in our hearts, it is so that we not sin again. For in His word
we are the warned, we are kept in His truth and with it is a great reward. (Psalm
19:11)
Forever His word is
settled in heaven. (Psalm 119:89) In our intimacy with Him, His word gives us
wise and discerning behavior. Jesus carried it and displayed it always. It is a
path of heritage and of joy. It is guidance of the Lord’s instruction that
enables the believer to negotiate right and wrong: Proverbs 6:23 For the commandment
is a lamp and the law a light; reproofs of instruction are the way of life.
Our lifestyles should be dictating what instruction that we should be getting. If our message is watered-down, then what will contribute to growth in the believer who ministers to those on the outside. We should people of strength, life and influence, but those who receive only water-down messages or give water-down testimonies will only people with no strength, no life and definitely no influence. But they would reveal they have tolerances for those things God hates. YOU know them: like the haughty look, like the lying tongue, like the hands that murder, like the heart which devises wicked schemes, like feet that run swiftly to evil and yes, the false witness and he who sows discord among the brethren. (Proverbs 6:16-19)
And if you and I bow to these things, what does that speak of our character? For we must stand against the lying tongue by giving truth. We must stand against murder, for that of God is for life and not death!
We must stand against wickedness that tries to murder the fatherless and the widow, to him Who tries to murder the babe in the womb. For these speak of men who have fallen to the depths of hell. We must be those who have reproof in God's instruction to live. Let us not fail in forgiving others, but let's remember to always stand in truth, speak it with boldness of heart and expect God to be with us and nor forsake us in Jesus' name. For ours is the kingdom of God.....Amen.
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