Forgiveness

Two days in June which are easily recognized and we celebrate nationally are Flag Day (June 14) and Father’s Day (June 18). However, other special days that are not so familiar are: National Donut Day, June 2; Repeat Day, June 3; Eat Your Vegetables Day, June 17; and Ice Cream Soda Day, June 20. One other interesting special day in June is National Forgiveness Day, June 26. Forgiveness is an action of one person to let go of anger they have toward someone who has wronged them. The Bible tells us that forgiveness is important and it identifies two different kinds – personal forgiveness, and forgiveness of others.

1)    Personal Forgiveness.  Scripture says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Think about the aspects of personal forgiveness which this verse identifies.

a)    Timing.  There is no specific day attached to God’s forgiveness – “If we … he will.” God is ready to forgive us any day. All we need to do is to come to Him.

b)    Condition.  The condition for forgiveness is confession – “If we confess.” We simply need to agree with God about what we have done.

c)     Faithfulness.  Personal forgiveness is not based on what we have done, but on God’s faithfulness – “he is faithful.”   God is trustworthy and will always keep his promises. “Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands” (Deuteronomy 7:9).

d)    Confidence.  “He … will forgive us.” We can be certain that God will forgive us because He says that He will and He always means what He says.

e)     Forgiveness and Cleansing.  God does double work because he will not only “forgive us” but He will “purify us” at the same time. Only He can do both things; we can do neither.

 2)    Forgiveness of Others.  Scripture is clear when it says, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32). Notice the specifics of this verse. 

a)    Kindness – “Be kind.” This is a gentle action recognizing that a person cares.

b)    Compassion – “And compassionate.” This is a deep feeling for someone who is hurting.

c)     Forgiveness – “Forgiving each other.” This is letting go of resentment to someone who has wronged you.

d)    Personal Example – “As in Christ God forgave you.” Our Lord set an example of forgiveness which we need to follow.

How should a person respond to forgiveness?  First, personally receive God’s forgiveness by coming to Him to confess sin and receive cleansing.  Second, forgive people whom God prompts you to pardon.

God-Gifts of Christmas

We enjoy receiving gifts any time during the year, but we especially enjoy them at Christmas. Most of the time the wrapped gifts we receive include physical things, but other gifts, not wrapped, may come as intangible things like love and care by family members, good health, Christmas music, beautiful decorations, and celebrations with special friends or family. Did you know that the Bible tells us that God has given gifts to people? The phrase, “Gift of God,” occurs several times in the Bible and here are some of these God-gifts.

1)    The Gift of Salvation. The Bible says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Salvation is God’s deliverance of people from the power and effects of sin through the work of Jesus Christ dying on the cross to pay the penalty of our sin. Salvation is the sinner's rescue from death to life with God.

2)    The Gift of God’s Grace. The Apostle Paul tells us, “I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power” (Ephesians 3:7). Since all of us are sinners, we must rely on Jesus’ death on the cross on our behalf to receive forgiveness of sin and enjoy eternal salvation.

3)    The Gift of Eternal Life. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). This gift is available to anyone who believes in Christ and trusts that he died to pay the penalty of sin which we deserved to pay. Without Jesus Christ, it would be impossible for us to live with God forever.

4)    The Gift of Righteousness. Scripture explains, “For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!” (Romans 5:17). When anyone puts their faith and trust in Jesus alone, they step into righteousness, which is only available because Jesus died on the cross for each of us. We become righteous, not because of anything we have done, but on what Christ had done.

5)    The Gift of Life. The Bible says, “Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers” (I Peter 3:7). Marriage is a blending of two lives, and when a man has found a virtuous woman to marry, she becomes a precious gift – the gift of life.

Obviously, these God-gifts originate with God himself. “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father [God] of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17). We can enjoy these God-given-gifts all year long, but they are particularly precious during the Christmas season. Have you personally received these gifts from God? They are yours for the receiving. Take time to thank God for what he has given you. Do not let Christmas slip by without showing your appreciation to God for the wonderful gifts he has provided for you.

God and Us

As the Christmas season approaches, let your mind think about the biblical Christmas story and the song that angels in the Bethlehem skies sang over the shepherds so long ago.  Here’s how the Bible records it, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests” (Luke 2:14). Why such jubilation?  Why such proclamation?  Here are three truths related to the action of God who sent Jesus, His one and only Son, to the earth.

 1)      Jesus is God WITH us.  Matthew expresses this truth as: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel – which means, ‘God with us’” (Matthew 1:23). Did you know that Jesus came to this world, not just so you could celebrate Christmas each year?  He came because God wants to develop a personal relationship with you through His son.  Is God with you?

2)      Jesus is God FOR us.  The Apostle Paul reminds us of this fact when he said, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). At Christmas we celebrate the birth of Christ, but we also know that He lived among us and died on the cross.  Did you know that Jesus died on the cross for you, to pay the penalty of your sin?  Have you personally experienced God’s forgiveness of your sins?

3)      Jesus is God IN us.  The Apostle John uses this idea when he says, “Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them.  And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us” (I John 3:24). The great miracle of Christmas is that God would choose to live in us.  He does so when we receive Jesus as our Savior and Lord by faith and invite Him into our lives.  Have you put your trust in Christ today?  Is God in you?

May you enjoy a wonderful Christ-filled Christmas by inviting Christ to come into your life.  Remember: by receiving God’s perfect Gift, Jesus, He is God with you, God for you, and God in you.  Have a blessed Christmas and a wonderful New Year.

Finding Christmas Joy

As a child, one of the things at Christmas that was most fun for me was finding a gift under the tree with my name on it.  When I looked at the name tags on the presents and discovered my name listed, I began to wonder.  Was it a toy?  A game?  Something fun?  Would it make me happy?  Or was it a dreaded article of clothing?  It is interesting that “finding” is mentioned in the Biblical Christmas story.  It was an angel who told the shepherds on the Judean hillside so many years ago, “This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger” (Luke 2:12).  As I began to think of Christmas in terms of finding I discovered several other wonderful things from the Bible that are worth finding.

1)      Christmas is finding God’s Love.  Too often, people feel like they are not loved.  When downhearted and discouraged it is good to peel back the curtain of despair and recognize that God’s love is available in abundant measure to bring light, peace, and joy. To hear the words, “I love you”, brightens the day and turns discouragement into hope.  God sent His Son, Jesus, to express His love to us. “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him” (I John 4:9).

2)      Christmas is finding Forgiveness.  The Scripture is clear that everyone sins and is born with a sin nature.  In addition, sin must be punished.  However, God’s plan was to send Jesus to die on the cross to pay the penalty of our sin.  “All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name” (Acts 10:43).

3)      Christmas is finding Hope.  Without Christ there is despair and despondency.  The Apostle Paul says, “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope” (Romans 15:4).  Without hope there is not much to look forward to.  Finding God is to find hope.

4)      Christmas is finding Joy.  Joy goes far beyond happiness because it does not depend on circumstances.  Joy comes from a close relationship and fellowship with Christ and results in strength to the individual irrespective of circumstances.  “The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart” (Psalm 19:8).  “The joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10).

5)      Christmas is finding Peace.  One of the names given to Jesus is the Prince of Peace.  Isaiah 9:6 names Him with these very words – “Prince of Peace.”  With Jesus you and I can experience peace even in tough, unsettling times.  “You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all” (Acts 10:36). 

6)      Christmas is finding Everlasting Life.  Jesus came for the purpose of giving something that would last forever – eternal life.  He said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10). From the Apostle Paul we learn about this special gift.  “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 3:23).

All these gifts are a special find and they come through Jesus Christ.  Do not let another Christmas season pass without going on a hunt to find the wonderful things that God has for you.

 

Good Friday

Good Friday is a day that is used to help Christians around the world remember the crucifixion of Christ.  The name "Good Friday" is generally believed to be a corruption of the real name “God’s Friday.”  On Good Friday, churches all across our nation hold special services of worship to help Christians remember the great sacrifice that Christ paid when He died on the cross for us.  I trust that you will spend some time before (or on) Good Friday reflecting on this significant event in the life of our Lord, in the life of the church, and in your life.

The crucifixion of Christ was a painful and terrible death – but it was extremely important that He died.  Why?  Peter reminds us, “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God” (I Peter 3:18).  And the writer of Hebrews adds to that by reminding us that, “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22).

Without the death of Christ we would never be brought into a right relationship with God or have our sins forgiven.  As we meditate on the things that happened to Christ during Passion Week (the time from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday), let’s thank God for His great love for us.  “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).