Cherish Being Forgiven

On this snowy day,  I have just finished reading a novel dealing with abortion and an article dealing with divorce. The whiteness outside reminds me of Isaiah's words, "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow."  No wonder I have forgiveness on my mind today.

When I think of my counseling years, I remember the deep pain for those involved in both abortion and divorce. When reconciliation doesn't occur, slipping into anger, resentment, bitterness and judgment come all too easily for us. And when these emotions demand center stage on our heart, we engage in a powerful spiritual battle.

To square off biblically, we must make a choice to put away any and all debilitating baggage. Colossians 3 says, "But now you must rid yourselves of..." Galatians 4 talks about returning to weak and miserable principles and asks, "Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?" I Peter 2:11 says, "I urge you as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires which war against your soul." And the writer of Hebrews reminds us of Jesus' example. "Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." The work, and make no mistake, it is work, of choosing to put away pride, resentment, bitterness, shame, anger, and judgments requires consistency, prayer and dying to self. One thing that helps us in the daily assults involves NOT reciting a litany of personal griefs to others, but taking those hurts to God Himself. As we tell our heartaches to the Lord, we learn to cherish more deeply what it is to be forgiven by God.

After we read the list of "get rid ofs" in Ephesians 4:31, we must think about the depth of forgiveness God graciously granted us. "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." A quote from John Piper helps us put this in perspective: "You can go on holding a grudge if your faith simply means you are off the hook. But if faith means standing in awe of being forgiven by God, then you can't go on holding a grudge. You have fallen in love with mercy. It's your life."

As we daily make choices to put away the attitudes that hold us captive, and meditate on the depth of grace that has, through Christ's shed blood, forgiven us everything, we pray for an increase in trust. God cannot be pleased when we hold to our hurts or judgments. When we do, we really convey that we don't trust His justice to prevail. Romans 12:19 couldn't state it more clearly. "It is mine to avenge; I will repay." We may want to pound the gavel and insist on our pound of flesh and our timetable, but God plainly tells us to allow room for His wrath. And as that process known as sanctification kneads itself into our soul, we begin to trust that God's purpose in all the hurt or embarrassment of the situation has been to transform the most difficult, ugliest parts of our life into something for our good and His glory. The griefs from the trials "have come so that your faith -- of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire -- may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." I Peter 1:7

Humility, a Prized Possession

Last night Dave and I enjoyed a webcam visit with Brent, Becky, and Austyn Grace, with the free addition of audio from Uncle Bryan, on skype from Honolulu to Georgia! Zeus, the huskey-shepherd mix we "dog sat" for this summer captured Austyn Grace's heart. Imagine how deflating for us to get on the webcam, say "Hi Austyn Grace," and hear back, "Hi Zeus." Nothing like a taste of humble pie! But who can take offense at that adorable blond cutie? We laughed at her child-like desire to ask about the dog instead of her grandparents. As we grow up, other relationships prove more challenging.

Whether through ignorance, weakness or deliberate fault, we sin against each other repeatedly. Retaliation, in a myriad of forms or offering the grace of forgiveness follows. And those resulting actions dictate mental, physical and spiritual consequences. The sad truth, that we sin in thought, word and deed against both God and man, afflicts us all. The good news of the Gospel says that in genuine sorrow, we can turn to the Father repeatedly and find in Him One ready to absolve us once again. Easier to say than to practice.

Timothy Keller, pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in NYC, spells out some specifics about forgiveness that I find helpful. He begins with my need for humility, then what he calls "emotional wealth," and concludes with a biblical look at the character of forgiveness. Obedience comes before feelings. In Luke 17:3-10 Jesus illustrates this: "If he [your brother] sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says,'I repent,' forgive him" Actions and disciplines, not feelings, underscore forgiveness. I promise not to exact the price I determine from the one who has wronged me. The apostle Paul echoes the idea in Ephesians 4:32 when he writes, "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." The fact that learning to forgive is difficult does not absolve us from working at the task, perhaps by starting by seeking a bit more humility this very day.

Monday Musings

The changes occurring here on Winding Ridge remind me that weather proves unforgiving. The ferns' brilliant green gives way to yellow before turning brown and dying. As I meditate on yesterday's sermon, drawn from Matthew 6, I find myself comparing the effects of my ferns with the demise of relationships when I withhold forgiveness.

At the end of what we commonly refer to as he Lord's Prayer, God adds a sort of P.S., again bringing up the topic of forgiveness. Within the prayer, at verse 12, we pray, "and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors." Yet, in verses 14 and 15, the addendum comes as the Lord resurrects the forgiveness topic again. "For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."

When people knowingly withhold forgiveness, such grievous pain results. As I harbor my hurt soul, anger develops, often morphing into slander and condescension. Yet I daily seek the Lord for His forgiveness of my sins, grateful for his mercy and grace that he lavishes on me. Why withhold from another the cleansing power that revitalizes? Pride, stubbornness and fear come to mind, and I dare not dismiss such character flaws. God's about the business of sanctification, conforming me into the likeness of Christ. This week must involve a fresh look at my life.

But what about cases where I need to forgive but am ignorant of the offense? Let me return to the fern illustration. When Dave and I returned from a trip this summer, we discovered a clump of fern fringed with some green but dead brown at its center. A mystery to us as to the cause, the damage testified to devastation at the center despite some green feigning life. In our human relationships the subtle distancing, the awkwardness of now infrequent conversations, the busyness that separates us may indicate the need to ask if something between us needs reconciliation. I must let go of my self-justifying because God has forgiven me everything and He calls me to live as His disciple. I have some soul searching to do this week, but Jesus has promised to walk with me through it.