Resource Manager Posted June 26, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 26, 2012 26 June 2012 Human Forgiveness "Human and divine forgiveness are never far apart in the scriptures. “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.” “Forgive us our sins; as we also forgive everyone that is indebted to us.” The petition points to the similarity of the act of the Father and the disciple. As the one forgives, so does the other. There can be no forgiveness from God for the unforgiving man. “Judge not, and ye shall not be judged; condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned; forgive, and ye shall be forgiven” (Luke 6:37). “And when ye stand praying, forgive if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.” The unforgiving has enmity in his heart; he also exercises a judicial attitude which usurps the prerogatives of God. Jesus puts no limit to forgiveness, for when Peter asked how often they should forgive, the answer, “Until seventy times seven”, virtually removes a limit. Jesus emphasized his lesson by the story of the man who was forgiven a tremendous debt by his lord and who immediately sought to exact a very small debt from a fellow servant. On hearing of it his lord was wroth with him: the man was unworthy of forgiveness. Jesus adds, “So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.” Here the operative words are “from your hearts”. They demand of men understanding, compassion, humility, and a love that finds its pattern in the love of God. As the works of the flesh find an outlet in bitterness, wrath, anger and evil speaking, so the renewed man which after God is created in righteousness and holiness of truth, seeks to follow the divine way: “Be ye kind one to another, tender hearted and forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” There are two follies that men commit. One is seen in the light cavalier treatment of forgiveness which says, “Of course God forgives, it is His business”; and the other is the defiance of the natural rebelliousness in man expressed by G. B. Shaw, “Forgiveness is a beggar’s refuge; we must pay our debts.” The one fails to recognize the moral problems of sin and forgiveness, and the other denies the fundamentals of man’s salvation." - John Carter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Resource Manager Posted June 27, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2012 27 June 2012 "You can't have a better tomorrow if you are thinking about yesterday all the time."- Charles F. Kettering "And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough,and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."Luke 9:62 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Resource Manager Posted June 28, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 28, 2012 28 June 2012 "Think of your faults the first part of the night when you are awake,and the faults of others the latter part of the night when you are asleep."- Chinese Proverb "Make allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyonewho offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you,so you must forgive others."Colossians 3:13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Resource Manager Posted June 29, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 29, 2012 29 June 2012 "Can we recapture some of the sense of oneness and communal life which those early brethren enjoyed? Circumstances will never-probably never-be just like those of the first century, but our strength lies in identical things. Let us remember the price of our unity. 'He is our peace'-personal, ecclesial, communal, as well as between Jew and Gentile-but that peace flows from the Tree. Let us hold fast to the word by which we have come to know him and daily bring forth its treasures for our delight. Let us learn to pray. This is not a plea for prayer-meetings or special devotional services, but an appeal for true prayer and devotion in those very services which are the life-stream of our ecclesial life. The most casual reading of the Acts of the Apostles reveals that there was prayer everywhere-the upper room, Pentecost, in the temple, when the council had reproved the apostles, when choosing the brethren for ecclesial welfare, when dying, on conversion, at the bedside of the dead, in Caesarea, in Joppa, when Peter was in prison, when sending Paul and Barnabas to preach the word, in all the new ecclesias, in prison, on the shore, at sea- prayer, brethren, the sure sign of dependence upon the Head. The wonder in the Acts of the Apostles is that they found it necessary to pray at a time when the Holy Spirit was active in ways unknown today. Can we exist with less? 'They met constantly to hear the apostles preach, and to share the common life, to break bread, and to pray.' There is no other recipe than that for ecclesial happiness and strength." - Harry TennantYe Servants of the Lord Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Resource Manager Posted June 30, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 30, 2012 30 June 2012 "Christ is for us the stairway that connects earth with heaven and brings God into touch with men.He ascended high above all principalities and powers from the lowest place. We must follow,for as Peter says: “Hereunto were ye called; because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example,that ye should follow his steps.” His life was like ours in all but our failings. His death was for us if we are among his little ones."- C. A. Ladson "To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps."1 Peter 2:21 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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