MY FRIENDS, IS FORGIVENESS THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVEN?

July 8, 2015

MY FRIENDS, IS FORGIVENESS THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVEN?

“Mistakes are your school of learning therefore forgiveness is your greatest teacher in this school of learning.” (Stephen Richards,) “And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”

And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.” Acts 7:59-60 (KJV) To have the passion of Christ under all circumstances that is what being a disciple and carrying our cross is all about.

“The Via Dolorosa, the road Jesus walked from the place of Pontius Pilate’s sentencing, to Golgotha, The “way of sorrows.” and as he hung on that cruel cross nothing that happen on Calvary that day was about Him, but to the contrary it was all about the saving of Humanity from the clutches of the forces of evil.

But it ends with the gift that keeps on giving Luke 23:34 (KJV) says it best. Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” Those eleven words spoken by our Master under the greatest pressure, while enduring humiliation, ridicule and pain, shows a child of God, the power of forgiveness we all must seek on our journey to the promise land.

The hatred of others, towards the one who had come to save even the high and mighty elect who had sentence Christ to die, down to the street rabble who cried crucify Him crucify Him, was conquered by the love. Grace and, mercy of a forgiven Savior.

Matthew 5:44 (KJV) tells us “But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” forgiveness is a conscious choice that everyone who seeks to enter God’s kingdom makes, motivated by being obedient to God’s command to forgive as He forgives.

“One by one, they looked to the screen in a corner of the courtroom on Friday, into the expressionless face of the young man charged with making them motherless, snuffing out the life of a promising son, taking away a loving wife for good, bringing a grandmother’s life to a horrific end. And they answered him with forgiveness.

“You took something very precious away from me,” said Nadine Collier, daughter of 70-year-old Ethel Lance, her voice rising in anguish. “I will never talk to her ever again. I will never be able to hold her again. But I forgive you. And have mercy on your soul.” (The New York Times)

In other words we forgive you because you know not what you have done because Satan has made you believe “evil as good, and good as evil.” [Who only] puts darkness for light, and light for darkness! Is. 5:21-21 (NKJV) Christ tells us in Matthew 6:14-15 (KJV)

“For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” My friends, consider your salvation, are you willing to give up eternal life because you are unwilling to forgive.

When we accept Jesus and His forgiveness towards us, we also must forgive others. Peter came to Christ with the question, “How often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” Matt. 18:22 (NIV)

That statement lets me know that we are never to become tired of forgiving.  “He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies.” (Martin Luther King, Jr.)

So friends stay focused, remain faithful, love one another and endure till the end and never forget to STUDY&PRAY

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