Archive for the ‘Forgiveness’ Category
Friday, June 11th, 2010
In Deuteronomy 28, before his death Moses told Israel that once they crossed into the Promised Land there would be blessings for obedience to God and curses for disobedience. Following the death of Joshua, Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord and worshiped various gods of peoples around them. They provoked the Lord to anger by serving Baal and the Ashtoreths (Judges 2:11-13). For approximately 325 years, over and over Israel turned from the LORD to other gods. GOD would use foreign oppression to chasten his people and then send a deliverer (Judge).
Following the death of King Solomon, God gives ten tribes of Israel to Jeroboam and promised that if Jeroboam walked in His ways and kept God’s statutes and commands, as David did, God would build an enduring dynasty through Jeroboam. However, once Jeroboam became King over the ten tribes of Israel he led the people away from God for fear that they would turn back to Jerusalem to worship God. He set up golden calves at Bethel and Dan, appointed men other than Levites to serve as priests, set up festivals other than what God had instituted, and led the people away from God’s commands and ordinances. Succeeding kinds of Israel led Israel to worship gods other than the LORD. The LORD was longsuffering but Israel persisted in the sins of Jeroboam and would not turn away from them. As given to us in the accounts in 2 Kings 17, finally God became very angry and used Assyria to remove Israel from His presence as he had warned in Deuteronomy 28. Assyria took many of the noble families of Israel to other lands, many of whom would never return.
So, where does that leave us today? We are God’s chosen people; his adopted children bought with the blood of His son, Jesus Christ. God loves us as his children. His grace for the forgiveness of sins is extended to us through Jesus. As with Israel, God also expects us to follow His ways. When we become His children, we take on the responsibility of turning from the ways that we lived previously and the ways that the world would want us to live in the future. Just as God promised Jeroboam that if he followed God he would receive blessings, God promises us the same. God wants to bless our lives but He also wants us to follow Him.
- God is and has always been jealous for men to walk in His ways.
- God is long-suffering and wants us to follow him. He will chasten us when we turn from His ways.
- We should pay strong attention to whom we choose to follow – the ways of God or the ways that men tell us are better or are God’s ways.
- Continuing to not follow God after having been saved, but walk in the ways we (humans) think is best will eventually take us from God’s grace. I don’t know where the line is drawn that God will finally have had enough, but I don’t want to know.
- I sin when I don’t want to and try as I might, sin anyway. However, there is a difference in trying every day to follow God and continually searching for his ways, and living by whatever way I want to or that someone tells me is their opinion of the way. God gave us the Bible to use to find his way, and the Holy Spirit to guide us. These are what we should be using and listen to.
Tags: following God, obeying God, patience of God, Sin
Posted in 2 Kings, Forgiveness, Grace, Obedience | Comments Off
Tuesday, April 20th, 2010
Oops!
… I did it again.
I played with your heart.
Got lost in the game.
Oh, baby; baby.
Oops!
… You think I’m in love.
That I’m sent from above…
I’m not that innocent.
I was reading the story of Israel’s continued disobedience in Judges 10:6-18 and the immortal words of Brittany Spears popped into my head, “Oops!… I did it again.” I didn’t know the words, just the title, so I googled the song and found the lyrics and a theological parallel to our text. I think we are a lot like Brittany, we are not that innocent. We play with God’s heart. He loves us, He cherishes us, that much is clear as we look at the cross. We like to look at God’s Word from our point of view. What we can and cannot do. If we don’t like one of the commands, we just justify it away and change it to fit our needs. In Judges 10:6, we see that oops! … The Israelites did it again. They did evil in the sight of the Lord. In Judges 10:7, we see that God’s anger was kindled against them. People claim a text like this shows God’s wrath and meanness. I see His grace. God is angry because we have damaged our relationship with Him. Think about it from God’s point of view. His anger rises from our disobedience. How many times would you women folk listen to your man say, “Oops!… I did it again,” I cheated on you honey? I am sure all of you women will say thats Ok, I love you and there is no problem (just to be clear, I am being sarcastic). There is a problem! Our disobedience to God deserves an angry response. God is Holy and our cheating on Him is not acceptable because it breaks our relationship with Him. It was not acceptable for Israel, nor, for us. Brittany is right, we are not that innocent. At least, I know I am not. I see the grace and innocence of God that He sends His innocent Son to die for us!
By the way, I can’t believe I made a theological argument using Brittany Spears.
Tags: Brittany Spears, Cheating, Disobedience, Grace, Oops!...I did it again.
Posted in Anger, Forgiveness, God, Grace, Holy, Judges | 1 Comment »
Sunday, April 11th, 2010
I will admit to you that I’ve been raised in a Christian home my entire life. I’ve never known a life without God being centered in my home. Ever. Sometimes I wonder what my faith would be like today if I had lived for a time without Christ in my life. Think about that for a minute…maybe you have lived like that, maybe you haven’t. Just as it is hard for a rich person to understand a poor man’s worries, just as it is hard for a well-fed person to understand the hungry — is it just as hard for lifelong Christians to understand the sinner’s passion for Jesus as they come to Him?
I wonder.
In Luke 7:36-50 we see a woman who had lived a sinful life do something that I probably never would have thought to do. Why? Because I know Jesus and I would have been so happy to have Him in my home. This woman was desperate for Jesus. She knew that He could help her. She poured out her heart for Him. She was on her hands and knees worshiping her Savior and honoring Him. She hungered for His forgiveness and His love.
Have I done this? Sure, I’ve begged God to help me get thru difficult times. I pray to Him on a daily basis for the things I need and praise Him for all the good things he’s done. But have I been desperate for Him? Have I truly hungered for Him? If you want me to be 100% straight with you – I’ve never been to the front of the church to ask for prayers. Why? Because I am uncomfortable doing that. Would I have been uncomfortable washing Jesus’ feet with my tears and hair (not that I have much left)? Would I have done anything near what this woman did for Jesus or would I have held back for fear of embarrassment?
Now I really am uncomfortable…with my answers.
Tags: hunger for forgiveness, perfume, sinner, washing feet
Posted in Forgiveness, Grace, Jesus, Luke, Repentance | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, April 7th, 2010
Luke shows us that Jesus’ ministry is to reach out to outcasts of society (Luke 5:27-32). In our section for today Jesus initiates contact with sinners. The Pharisees and scribes respond negatively and reject such fellowship with the unrighteous. The contrast between the separatism of these Jewish officials and the outreach of our Savior is clear. Jesus’ example teaches us as a church community that we need to seek and associate with the outcast as a part of our mission. Those of us who might frown on contact with the outcast and sinners may need to consider repentance for it is clear that this negative attitude is not condoned by Jesus. Jesus has gone from forgiving sinners to openly associating with them and calling them to discipleship. Mission requires more than casual contact. Jesus engages with those in the culture. They sense that he cares for them and does not just preach at them. Thus, this passage exposes the personal character of his mission. It is contact with Jesus, learning of his concern, association with him (and his church), forgiveness of sins, and the call to discipleship that changes a sinner.
Tags: Church, Discipleship, Forgiveness, Outcast, Sinners
Posted in Discipleship, Forgiveness, Jesus, Luke, Sin | 2 Comments »
Tuesday, April 6th, 2010
Leprosy was considered in the ancient world a natural symbol for sin. It was a devastating illness socially and spiritually. For a community without the medical treatments that we have today, you would be ostracized both in the social and religious world. Jesus tells the leper, “be clean” (Luke 5:13). The word here is καθαρίζω, katharízō. We get the word cauterize from it. It has a deeper meaning than just “be clean.” It is a term that could mean healing and forgiveness. It is used throughout the New Testament to cleanse, free from filth (e.g., Matthew 23:25; Luke 4:27; Luke 5:12-13; Luke 7:22). To cleanse or make clean from leprosy (Matthew 8:2-3; Mark 1:40-42), often used in the Septuagint for legal cleansing from leprosy (e.g., Leviticus 14:7-11). To cleanse in the sense of purification, legal or ceremonial (Hebrews 9:22-23). In a spiritual sense, to purify from the pollution and guilt of sin (e.g., Acts 15:9; 2 Corinthians 7:1; Ephesians 5:26; Titus 2:14; Hebrews 9:14; James 4:8; 1 John 1:7-9). Jesus has concern for the ritually outcast. He touches a leper and restores him to community both socially and spiritually.
It is fascinating that as I was working on this post for today, I was asked to talk to one of our mothers about a skin disease that her child has. It has become contagious and we have to get everyone treated; there will be plenty of bathing and cleansing in the cities of Buda and Kyle tonight. It is not funny but when it comes to our spiritual cleansing, are we as worried? I believe in baptism for forgiveness of sins (e.g., Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; Galatians 3:27; Colossians 2:12; 1 Peter 3:21) but so many people today want to deny the importance of baptism. I watched a parent tell other parents how to wash and clean their children, themselves, and their homes because the doctor said to. Everyone seems ready to comply. Playing devil’s advocate, I want to ask why?
God tells us that baptism is important for washing away sin and so many want to ignore it. So, why don’t we ignore the doctor that tells us we need to cleanse our bodies to prevent a spread of a contagious skin disease? Go figure! I guess if the leper had lived today, he would have told Jesus, “Don’t touch me!”
Tags: Baptism, Baptize, Disease, Doctors, Leprosy
Posted in Baptism, faith, Forgiveness, Jesus, Luke | Comments Off
Tuesday, March 16th, 2010
When I was a teenager, we were pretty poor and I would take odd jobs to help my mom. I had an uncle who told me he had a paying job for me. He would pay me by the hour to dig a hole for a septic tank. I grabbed my shovel and went to work. He had paired me together with my cousin (his son) and we worked in the hot sun digging one gigantic hole. He showed up once to check on us and was pleased with the job and offered us a hamburger. We gulped it down and went back to work. At the end of the job, I went to get my pay and he just laughed and laughed at me. He told me I had already been paid with the hamburger he bought me. I was furious, hurt, and disillusioned, but I learned a great lesson that day. People break their vows, pledges, and often do not keep their word.
God is aware of this and in Numbers 30:1-2, He commands us to keep our vows. In a crisis, we make vows we don’t later keep. In our lives, we see vows and contracts being broken all the time. We have grown to be a people that are leery of each other’s word. We cannot trust each other anymore. This was not God’s plan. God has always wanted us to keep our word, pledges, vows, contracts, etc. It has always been God’s intent that we be an honorable people. When we are not, we hurt those around us. We should be thankful that we have a God who keeps His word, His vows, His contract with us, but what kind of vow keepers are we? I remember how brokenhearted I was when my uncle broke his vow. I wonder how God feels when we break our vows to Him? Have you broken a vow to God? How about to your spouse? Maybe you have broken a promise to your child or a friend! I have tried hard all my life to keep my word because I hate it when someone breaks a vow to me but I have to confess I have broken a few promises. Thanks be to God that we have the blood of Jesus Christ that cleanses and makes us whole!
Tags: Contract, Numbers, Pledge, Vows
Posted in Forgiveness, God, Jesus, Numbers | Comments Off
Friday, March 5th, 2010
I have a preacher friend from another tradition that likes to tease me. When he sees me, he will say something like, “Hey Randy, you still baptizing people or have you learned about grace?” I will answer back something like, “Yes, grace has taught me to baptize.” I don’t think we will ever come to terms with this but when I read our text from Numbers 8:5-22, it makes me think about why cleansing is so important to God. I mean God has already shown His grace to the people by saving them from the Egyptians. He brought them out of Egypt and saved them from Pharaoh at the crossing of the Red Sea. Well then after He shows them His grace, why does He give them the Ten Commandments, expect them to build a tabernacle, and then in our reading tell the people to cleanse themselves for purification of sins? In this long list of things to do, never do the people question God’s grace nor his commandments.
Next time, I see my friend, I am going to yell, “you still telling people to call on the name of Jesus to be saved or have you learned of grace?” I mean if grace saves us why do we need faith, or to call on the name of Jesus, or confess, or repent, or be baptized, or to give money, or to live morally? It seems to me if we understand grace then we understand judgment. The just thing for God to do is to annihilate us from the face of the earth. I mean we have all sinned. We are all guilty. Yet, Jesus died for our sins and saved us from our sins. Jesus is so much greater than the sacrifice and purification in the Old Testament in our reading. I think His call for us to obey His Word today is even greater.
I believe that Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and rose again on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). I confess Him (Romans 10:9-10) and call upon His name (Romans 10:13), I repent of my sins (Acts 2:38), and I submit my body to be immersed (buried in water – Colossians 2:12) into Christ (Galatians 3:26-27). I believe that coming up out of that grave of water, that I am born again (John 3:3-5). I am forgiven of past sins (Acts 2:38 and Acts 22:16). I am saved (1Peter 3:21 and Mark 16:16). I am added to the church which Jesus built (Matthew 16:18, Acts 2:41, and Acts 2:47). I have received the indwelling of the Holy Spirit as a seal of my salvation (Acts 5:32, Ephesians 1:13-14, and Romans 8:9-11). I am called to live a life worthy of Christ everyday (Ephesians 4:1-6).
Tags: Baptism, Grace, Jesus, Mark, Salvation
Posted in Baptism, Cross, Discipleship, faith, Forgiveness, God, Grace, Numbers, Repentance, Salvation, Sin | Comments Off
Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010
I hope the title of this post brings a few questioning eyebrows. I hope it makes you think and question your view of Jesus. It seems in a general sense that we see Jesus as a healer. We like the exorcism stories because we read them in the context of our illnesses and those we love. I have heard the question on many occasions. Jesus healed others, so, why doesn’t He heal me or my loved one? If you read Mark 1:14, you find that Jesus came to proclaim the gospel of God — the good news of what God is doing. It is clear that Jesus’ primary mission was to preach (Mark 1:38). He accomplishes that mission. In addition He teaches and heals. He sends his disciples out to preach and teach.
Our disappointment may be that Jesus’ primary mission was not to heal and exorcise all of our demons. So, why does Jesus heal and exorcise demons? He did it because He had compassion (Mark 1:41). It was a sign of His authority (Mark 1:27). We may be disappointed because Mark tells us that healing and exorcisms distracted Jesus from His primary purpose (e.g., Mark 1:45; Mark 3:7-12; Mark 7:24-30, etc.). Of course, He used healings and miracles as teaching tools (Mark 2:5-12; Mark 3:1-6; Mark 8:22-26; Mark 11:12-25). Yet, He would avoid the healing-hungry crowds (Mark 3:9-10; Mark 4:1; Mark 4:35-36; Mark 6:31-32; Mark 7:24).
Would we not be disappointed today, if Jesus avoided us and our need? Jesus was focused on the salvation of all souls and not just the temporary healing of a few physical bodies. Please don’t get me wrong, Jesus cares for us when we are ill or dying. But He cares more for our souls and His preaching and teaching was a cure for our greatest disease: the disease called sin that separates us forever from His Father.
We spend a lot of time in our churches doing “good works.” Are these “good works” the work of Jesus? We may be disappointed if they are not accompanied by the preaching of the Word because Jesus came to preach and teach and His mission for us is to do the same. Jesus cares about our sufferings but He is too good of a doctor and savior not to triage past a minor injury to treat the more severe condition that plagues mankind. He is a Savior of souls.
Tags: good works, Healings, Mark, Miracles, Preaching, Teaching
Posted in Forgiveness, Jesus, Mark, Salvation, Sin | 1 Comment »
Saturday, February 20th, 2010
An unblemished male lamb, a one year old unblemished ewe lamb, two live clean birds, ephas of flour, logs of oil — an unblemished bull for a sin offering, a yearling male unblemished lamb, an unblemished goat… Does it never end? It must have seemed to the Israelites that it wouldn’t. The sacrifices in today’s reading were to effect physical cleanliness, but there were plenty of sacrifices to achieve spiritual cleanliness too…
A bull each day as a sin offering (Exodus 29:36), a young bull without defect for a priest who sins (Leviticus 4:3), a young bull to cleanse an unintentional sin (Leviticus 4:14), a female lamb without defect as a sin offering (Leviticus 4:32), two doves or two young pigeons as a sin offering (Leviticus 5:7), a young bull, a ram, and two male goats on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16).
And so on.
Until…
“…they came to a place called Golgotha…and…crucified Him…And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice…and yielded up his spirit. And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.” Matthew 27:33-51
The tearing of the curtain has so much significance, and we won’t deal with that now, but it meant for one thing that people who had never seen the “presence of God”, were now free to approach. Of more significance than that, as “without blemish” as those bulls and goats of old were, they had one huge imperfection — their sacrifice was not for all people for all time. As perfect as that bull was, there was still to be another “perfect” bull to follow, and another after that, and another after that…
Jesus, perfect Lamb of God. Offered once, to bear the sins of many (Hebrews 9). Israelites had to present themselves unclean before the priest, over and over again. We present ourselves unclean before the Great High Priest once, and His sacrifice is good enough — no, perfect enough — to save us and to keep us in a saved state and to continue to cleanse us from all sin (1 John 1:7).
Hallelujah!
Tags: blood of Jesus, lamb of God, sacrifice, spotless, unblemished lamb
Posted in Cross, Forgiveness, Grace, Jesus, Leviticus | 3 Comments »
Saturday, January 30th, 2010
Any parent understands the concept of a child breaking the rules 7 times. I suggest any parent also understands the concept of a child breaking the rules 490 times. We love our children, we forgive, we go on.
21Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” 22Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.” Matthew 18:21-22
Not only is forgiveness a little tougher when the child is not my own, but it’s even tougher when it’s not a child at all. When it’s an adult who knows better and wallows in the pig sty anyway, it’s much harder to forgive. Scripture doesn’t say, but Peter’s mouth must’ve gaped when Jesus said to forgive “not…seven times, but up to seventy times seven.”
Some people have trouble distinguishing grace and mercy. (Grace is giving someone something good when he doesn’t deserve it. Mercy is not giving someone something bad when he does deserve it.) Jesus gave two great examples of mercy — one applied and one denied. One slave was forgiven a debt of over a million dollars, but he wouldn’t forgive his fellow slave a debt of a few dollars, at which point slave 1 was thrown into jail to be tortured forever.
Jesus says this is how we will be forgiven — if we show mercy, we will be shown mercy. Sound familiar? (Matthew 6:14-15)
For some people, the most difficult forgiveness to give is to forgive themselves. One possibility is that they don’t feel truly forgiven by God. Has God promised to forgive and cleanse you with the blood of Christ (1 John 1:7)? God has kept His promise; if you are His child, you are forgiven.
Question:
Can you identify with someone who can’t forgive himself? Do you think this is an implied rejection of the forgiveness God has already given?
Tags: forgive myself, Forgiveness, forgiving yourself
Posted in Forgiveness, Matthew, Mercy | 2 Comments »