I, even I am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more. (Is 43:25)
God is under no obligation to forgive our sins. He does it because he wants to. It pleases him to do so because it is his nature to love. This thought gives me great comfort and assurance, but it also humbles me. There is nothing intrinsic in me to cause him to love me. He loves me for his sake, not mine. Lord, thank you that you do not just forgive those who earn it, or love those who deserve it. Then I would be lost for sure. You forgive the unworthy sinner who repents and love the unlovable. I praise you for your marvelous nature and character. Amen.
Showing posts with label forgiveness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label forgiveness. Show all posts
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Biblical Anger Management
Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger. (Eph 4:26 ESV)
This verse is often mistakenly used to excuse anger. The conventional wisdom says that anger is natural and inevitable. Therefore, when you get angry you need to find healthy ways to express it or you will just bottle it up and become bitter.
This is partly true. Anger is natural and inevitable, but that doesn’t mean it is good. Sin is natural because our flesh is sinful. Paul is recognizing that, but he is not intending to give us a pass just because anger is inevitable. The conventional wisdom says, “If you don’t let the anger out you will just bottle it up and cause further harm.” But here the conventional wisdom is wrong. There is a third way: forgiveness. It turns out that many people are taking verse 26 out of context. Let’s look at v31-32:
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
When I get angry at someone the answer is not yelling at them to make myself feel better. The answer is forgiving them. There is no better way to do that than to pray for the person who has angered me. “Do not let the sun go down on your anger” doesn’t mean get it all out of your system by nightfall. It means do not go to bed that night until you have forgiven them. We need to get down on our knees and pray until we are able to forgive. This takes the power of the Holy Spirit. Lord, help me forgive those who hurt me. Replace the anger with compassion. In no way will the supernatural power of your Holy Spirit in our hearts be better demonstrated than when we rise above our sinful natures to forgive and to love others as you have forgiven and loved us. Amen.
This verse is often mistakenly used to excuse anger. The conventional wisdom says that anger is natural and inevitable. Therefore, when you get angry you need to find healthy ways to express it or you will just bottle it up and become bitter.
This is partly true. Anger is natural and inevitable, but that doesn’t mean it is good. Sin is natural because our flesh is sinful. Paul is recognizing that, but he is not intending to give us a pass just because anger is inevitable. The conventional wisdom says, “If you don’t let the anger out you will just bottle it up and cause further harm.” But here the conventional wisdom is wrong. There is a third way: forgiveness. It turns out that many people are taking verse 26 out of context. Let’s look at v31-32:
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
When I get angry at someone the answer is not yelling at them to make myself feel better. The answer is forgiving them. There is no better way to do that than to pray for the person who has angered me. “Do not let the sun go down on your anger” doesn’t mean get it all out of your system by nightfall. It means do not go to bed that night until you have forgiven them. We need to get down on our knees and pray until we are able to forgive. This takes the power of the Holy Spirit. Lord, help me forgive those who hurt me. Replace the anger with compassion. In no way will the supernatural power of your Holy Spirit in our hearts be better demonstrated than when we rise above our sinful natures to forgive and to love others as you have forgiven and loved us. Amen.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Sins of the Fathers
And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sins of the fathers to the third and fourth generation. (Ex 34:6-7)
Moses has just returned to the top of Mt. Horeb to get a new set of tablets inscribed with the law, after Aaron and the people had made a golden calf to worship. The Lord came and stood there with him, and here he proclaims himself to Moses. This is God’s description of himself! What does he lead off with? Compassion, grace, patience, love, faithfulness and forgiveness! What a wonderful picture. The psalmist even sings these words back to God in Ps 86:15, “But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.” But there is still judgment. Sin must be punished. God speaks of both his love and his justice.
Lord, thank you that you have so clearly declared your compassion, grace, patience and faithfulness. You have declared them by both your words and your deeds, because you cannot be untrue to your nature. Lord Jesus, thank you that you took our sins upon yourself, so that we may abide in your love. Thank you for being so patient and compassionate with me. Lord, I know that the temporal consequences of sin do not disappear when we repent, but I pray your mercy on my sons, that you would spare them from suffering for my mistakes. I want to be just the father they need. I don’t want to pass on to them my own sins, or the sins of my own father. Let the chain stop with me. He made mistakes; I made mistakes. Help me now to overcome them and correct them by the power of your Spirit. Amen.
Moses has just returned to the top of Mt. Horeb to get a new set of tablets inscribed with the law, after Aaron and the people had made a golden calf to worship. The Lord came and stood there with him, and here he proclaims himself to Moses. This is God’s description of himself! What does he lead off with? Compassion, grace, patience, love, faithfulness and forgiveness! What a wonderful picture. The psalmist even sings these words back to God in Ps 86:15, “But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.” But there is still judgment. Sin must be punished. God speaks of both his love and his justice.
Lord, thank you that you have so clearly declared your compassion, grace, patience and faithfulness. You have declared them by both your words and your deeds, because you cannot be untrue to your nature. Lord Jesus, thank you that you took our sins upon yourself, so that we may abide in your love. Thank you for being so patient and compassionate with me. Lord, I know that the temporal consequences of sin do not disappear when we repent, but I pray your mercy on my sons, that you would spare them from suffering for my mistakes. I want to be just the father they need. I don’t want to pass on to them my own sins, or the sins of my own father. Let the chain stop with me. He made mistakes; I made mistakes. Help me now to overcome them and correct them by the power of your Spirit. Amen.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
After the Tears
“This day is sacred to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law. (Neh 8:9b)
The people were weeping in repentance as they heard the law read which they had so long forgotten. No doubt there were tears of deep regret and a sense of loss for all the years they had not walked in the Lord’s ways. True repentance is often associated with tears. This is good and right. But God doesn’t want us to remain there. If we continue to mope and cry we are looking backward and not forward. God has separated us from our sin as far as the east is from the west. We are new creatures in Christ; why do we continue to mourn? Nehemiah commanded the people to “celebrate with great joy” and we should do the same. Lord, forgive me for clinging to my sin when you have cast it away and for dwelling on my regrets when you have a bright future prepared for us. Help me to truly accept your forgiveness and truly trust in your sovereignty – to set my face toward the future and not the past.
The people were weeping in repentance as they heard the law read which they had so long forgotten. No doubt there were tears of deep regret and a sense of loss for all the years they had not walked in the Lord’s ways. True repentance is often associated with tears. This is good and right. But God doesn’t want us to remain there. If we continue to mope and cry we are looking backward and not forward. God has separated us from our sin as far as the east is from the west. We are new creatures in Christ; why do we continue to mourn? Nehemiah commanded the people to “celebrate with great joy” and we should do the same. Lord, forgive me for clinging to my sin when you have cast it away and for dwelling on my regrets when you have a bright future prepared for us. Help me to truly accept your forgiveness and truly trust in your sovereignty – to set my face toward the future and not the past.
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