Disappointed with God?

This year has been an interesting one as I have had several people come to me lately in various stages of disappointment and despair; they come stating that they have exhausted all means of help. They have reached the end of their search and found that they were ultimately saying “I am completely with out hope.” Lack of hope stems from a variety of reasons one of which I would like to single out at this time speaking of those who are “Disappointed with God.” Rarely will you have someone come up to you and say “I am disappointed with God.” Though I have had a couple, most will not truthfully state the obvious. In their reality God had not preformed to their expectations or satisfied their wants or needs and now they are angry and disappointed in Him.

They at one time or another had placed great hope in God and that which they had hoped for failed to come to pass. Now since they placed hope in God, and that hope failed they place fault on God and are disappointed with Him. The truth being is that the fault is not with God but with their expectations. They know that God has a vast wealth at His disposal and expect it to be at theirs as well. The truth is, God saves us and adds us to that wealth for His use. We are saved for His service, He is not there for ours.

Too often we see the Hand of God moving but never at the pace we would like it too nor in the state of visibility that we want either. He does move and He moves surely and completely. Many of those we try to help expect God’s miraculous healing power and almost demand that it be done in their timing and in their terms.

Some remind me of Naaman the leper in II Kings 5. Asking why do I have to do something? Why can’t God do it all? They go to God and with their Naaman mindset and walk away disappointed. Their approach to the throne of God is prideful and with an heir of entitlement, believing that He saved them and now “owes them.” Claiming Philippians 4:19, “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” In their minds, they have rubbed the lamp and the Genie had failed to appear and now they are disappointed with Him. I am reminded of a commercial in Television for a legal firm that claims they can get you the money “owed you.” Their commercial is flooded by people stating “It’s my money and I want it now!” Believers today are much like the people in the commercial but the statement is changed to “It’s my healing and I want it now!” or “It’s my miracle and I want it now!”

When God does not produce the results that they want, it is His fault, not theirs. They become bitter in their disappointment. He did so for others but not for them. Downward they go into the fast moving downward spiral of disappointment and bitterness. Not wanting to face the root cause of their despair and disappointment. We do find that Naaman was eventually healed of leprosy but only after he did that which God had commanded, it was only after his surrendering his will into obedience to God that his answer was received. Yes, he did start out with a spirit of pride and anger and I do imagine that there was some whining involved as well but he surrendered his will to that of God and he was healed. He was disappointed in God but his obedience overcame his disappointment.

The truth is; all believers will experience some disappointment with God from time to time. We place our hopes in God and those hopes will at some time go unmet and we become disappointed. The fault, however, is not with God; if we are honest with ourselves we will see that the fault is with our expectations. God is aware of this and has already provided us help. He does so by providing us an example of this in Scripture. In I Kings 18 we find the story of the return of Elijah. It is here in this chapter that he victoriously calls down fire from heaven to consume his offering to God (Vs 30-39). He slew 450 priests of Baal (Vs 40), prayed and asked for God to let it rain after a 3 year drought and it did (Vs 42-45). Then he out ran Ahab’s chariot back to Jezreel (Vs 46).

We turn the page and go on to I Kings 19, here we find that shortly after his return to Jezreel we find him defeated and running for his life, why? Jezebel, Ahab’s wife threatened him, (I Kings 19:2). Just hours after this great witness of the power of God, his victory over the priests and his answered prayer, we find the believer of God disappointed with God. He went from the top of Mt Carmel to a Cave in Horeb. It is here where he has an interesting exchange with God. “And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and He said to him, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’ (10) So he said, ‘I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.” (Vs9-10) You can almost feel the hopelessness that he is feeling and in those who come to us for help. They have gone through a valley soon after a mountain top experience. They not only feel defeated they feel (as Elijah did) alone as if even God Himself has left them.

How many times have we been called to minister to those who have found themselves alone in that cave of despair? They believe that they are alone in their self pity crying woe is me; God has turned his back on me, He left me out here on my own. They often believe that they were doing all that God told them too and yet state “look where that got me.” They drown out the voice of God with our selfish cries, blaming Him for our despair and disappointment. It is interesting to note again the last part of verse 9 above, “…the LORD came to him, and He said to him, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?” What are you doing here? Did God really not know or was that a question that God was trying to get Elijah to ask for himself? The answer to the question lies within him if he would only ask.

Elijah eventually listens to God when He speaks to him and once again we find that God tells him to get up and move. “So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’ (14) And he said, ‘I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.’” (Vs13-14) We see here that God repeats His question to Elijah and Elijah repeats his answer back to God. God questions when He wants us to understand the answer that He gives us. How often God prompts His children by asking questions such as, “What are you doing here?” How often have we strayed from the course that He has for us? One other question, “How often have we given God the same answer as Elijah did?” Disappointment comes when we are stuck in a rut, caught up in the “Why me?” or “Why God?” question stage. Disappointments thrives when you are caught in the spiritual dull drums with no hope in sight; questioning the one who said that He will never leave you or forsake you.

God tells everyone much the same as what He told Elijah, “Get up and get back out there.” Understand that you are not alone, He is with you. He told Elijah to get his focus off of the circumstances and back upon Him and then go back to work. Go back about His business much like the duty of any and every believer; we must be about the Father’s business.
I also need to make note of the Grace of God in that He even took the time to answer Elijah’s complaint that he was the only one left when God assured him that he was not alone (Verse 18). What a loving God we serve, He stands offering us both grace and mercy. God still makes the same promise to us today, we need to move past our pride and move forward. Get out focus off of our selves and move on for God.

To be continued…

Taking Time to Help and to Heal / Part II

Counseling is my passion and my calling, to be able to take the Word of God and applying it to their problems of those who are hurting and see The Holy Spirit work is just an amazing blessing. Being able to see people change and heal because of the Word is an indescribable experience. What hurts or bothers me more are not the problems that people have but the bad counseling that they have received prior to coming to the office or church where our counseling ministry is.

The Apostle Paul was well aware of what the pressures of helping others can do and knew that he had keep his heart and mind focused upon God. Like Paul we must not allow the pressures of helping others to wear us down at the same time we must not lose heart in helping them. We have had to help those who have fallen into some snares that they had not anticipated.

First, I have noticed that some counselors get caught up in helping others with their burdens that they unfortunately get caught up in the praise received from the one they are helping. This is a danger that Paul mentions, “For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.” (Galatians 6:3) I have often been told and passed on the belief that one of the worst forms of deception is self deception, thinking yourself better than you are. It is easy to get caught up in the accolades and forget to remember that we are a vessel of God first and that He is the one who does the work not the counselor, we are just the tool that He uses. God is faithful to His Word so that through their counsel those who are hurting to rise above their problem. It is unfortunate that some counselors will at the same time take the opportunity to exalt themselves. In the end they will find themselves crashing and burning because it is not long before they are in a situation far greater than they can handle. Sadly they have a tendency to pull others down with them as they fall. The Word of God clearly tells us, “But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.” (Galatians 6:4) The Bible also says, “For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.” (Romans 12:3)

Second, I have also noticed that some counselors may get so involved in helping others with their burdens that their own get laid aside and accumulate adding an oppressive weight that catches will catch up with them. They may be able to help the one hurting raise up above their problem but fall to their own because they are drained in the battle helping other at the expense of their own. They become a casualty to the pressures of their own problems and feel as if they are trapped as if being stuck in mire, not able to move even one inch. Paul’s warning against this is found in Galatians, “For each one shall bear his own load.” (Galatians 6:5) We need to make sure that we pay attention to our own burdens. If we are to help others with their’s burdens, we counselor at the same time must not lose sight of our own burdens. We must be careful that we are not lost in the battle by being over come by our own burdens. I am reminded of Matthew 6:34 which says, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Through the help of God we can help others at the same time not neglect burdens of our own.

Third, another danger that I have noticed that counselors face is failing to deal with issue separation. This is an issue that we have to be very leery of. We are responsible for our own burdens as noted above in Galatians 6:5 and we are also responsible to help others with theirs as Paul stated in Galatians 6:2. If the counselor does not provide a release; if there is no outlet for the pressures they may face; they may soon succumb to the problems of others. They soon find themselves unable to separate the counselee’s problems from their own. By not maintaining a certain level of separation they may soon face a different kind of separation from friends and family as they draw to close to the counselee. Soon after, they may even believe they experience a separation from the Lord himself. Paul states in verse 9, “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” Part of the weariness that we are to be constantly on guard against is the possibility of being overcome by the burdens of others. Peter said, “You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked;” (2 Peter 3:17). Anyone who takes the time to offer a helping hand can fall victim to this. If you do not offer yourself time and opportunity to properly vent you can be overcome by these pressures. I do believe that this is the basis behind this verse, “But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.” (I Corinthians 9:27)

Part of the discipline that Paul spoke about was learning how to vent and whom to vent to. Without an avenue of release we can easily succumb to the stress and pressures that come with counseling. We cannot vent to just anyone yet there is a need to vent. We can do so with God but there also arises a need for some form of feedback. So where do we turn, to whom can we turn to? “For by wise counsel you will wage your own war, And in a multitude of counselors there is safety.” (Proverbs 24:6) I believe that it is important to discuss with other counselors that which you are going through with counselees. You do not have to expose any vital information but use the opportunity of the fellowship with another counselor to discuss that which has crossed your desk. Their counsel is invaluable, they are a resource that is plentiful and they provide a proper avenue to vent, to release the burdens that have been gathered. They help clear a way to better focus on personal burdens. And above all it is biblical notice Proverbs 24:6 above and Proverbs 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.”

Taking Time to Help and to Heal / Part 1 of 2

All verses taken from the NKJV unless other wise noted.

If you have been saved for any length of time you have most likely spent a part of your time helping someone who is hurting. It is what God had intended for us to do; we are to help one another. For those, who like myself, are Biblical counselors, we spend a part of our lives weekly counseling others through their problems that life had thrown at them. We search the Scriptures for that which will help bring hope, or bring relief from problematic situations which may be as minor as choosing the hard left over the easy right while others we deal mostly with devastating lives that have been train-wrecked (so to speak.) It is the calling of all of God’s people to help one another, “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. (2) Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:1-2) it is also the calling of God for the few who will take the time to dig deeper, to step into the mire with the hurting and help them to break free of the bondage that sin has them in.

God tells us that we are to make ourselves available to others helping them to recover from a fall. As we help those who come to us we must also maintain our closeness with God, family and reality. If we fail to do so we can fall victim to the pressures that we are helping others with and end up in a ditch on the side of the road, not able to help anyone not even our selves. Whether we are a trained counselor or a layman reaching out to help someone, I hope that these thoughts may be of help to you as I attempt to address a problem that I have seen among counselors.

When I speak of counseling, I am referring to the help offered to others which is Christ-centered, comprehensive, and compassionate. It will be Biblically based and rely upon the Holy Spirit to provide the truths needed in regards to the problems people face. We are called to provide solutions to those in need through the hope of the Scriptures. We also seek to empower people and encourage them to exalt and enjoy God and to love others as taught in Matthew 22:35-40. If we do so we help bring them into agreement and communion with Christ.

What frightens most believers is that this involves a certain amount of confrontation of which they strive to shy away from. It takes confrontation but more so it must be done in a spirit of love and it must be Biblical. Biblical confrontation a vital part of every believer’s personal ministry. It involves more than witnessing it also includes counseling which is the giving of hope, comfort and care to those in need. This is evident in Colossians 1:28, where Paul declared: “Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.” I have noticed that fear drives many believers away from helping others and that is more of a fear of the sin of the other. A good example of this thought is found in Jude. “Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. (22) And on some have compassion, making a distinction; (23) but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.” (Jude 1:22-24) In this passage we find that the flesh referred to is basically the sin nature. What Jude is speaking of here primarily is in regards to sexual sins. These sins that spring forth from man’s sin nature. They become manifest in the many inappropriate deeds done in the body. The sin is not transferable but does cause many to shy away from those caught in sexual sins. We often find believer treating those caught up in sexual sins as if they are lepers and avoid them instead of helping them.

Like Precious Faith

It is a beautiful Wednesday morning and I am reading my Bible enjoying the birds singing as the sun comes up. I am reading the second Epistle of Peter and I had to jot this down while it is fresh on my mind. Peter’s second epistle begins this way, “Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:” II Peter 1:1 (NKJV) I have always liked that statement, “To those who have obtained like precious faith…” It to me is one of the “Awesome” quotes that God has placed throughout His precious Word. It is statements such as this that that help us to go on even when troubles and trials have us at wits end. He is writing this epistle to me, one like him who has obtained like precious faith, and there are no greater words we can use to describe than “Precious Faith.”

This “Precious Faith,” is ours and is something that we obtain by (or through) “the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:” He gives us a privilege that we do not deserve but in our state of unworthiness He grants us this faith through His Grace. One of the most precious aspects of this faith is that it is that which links our fellowship with Christ. It is this faith that helps us to hold on. It is this faith that helps us to grow closer to Christ and the closer we grow to Him the more Precious He is to us.

When taking time to write a letter to help encourage and exhort a fellow believer (Titus) the Apostle Paul wrote, “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, (12) teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, (13) looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,” Titus 2:11-13 (NKJV) This Precious Faith walks hand in hand with the Blessed Hope that Paul speaks of here to Titus. This Blessed Hope is sustaining to me and it just sounds better and better because His Glorious appearing is what I am longing to see. It is the knowledge of the Glorious appearing of Jesus that is my hope it is the promise and sealant of the precious faith that I have in Him.

This precious faith holds and binds us, sealing the truth of the blessed hope within us and as we see in the following verse. “And everyone who has this hope purifies himself, just as he is pure.” I John 3:3. If we have this hope it purifies us just as He is pure. What a thought, what a hope and what faith it takes to hold and to maintain this hope. If we do so, we purify our hearts, our minds and our lives. In this truth we grow in the Lord and we become more like the Lord Jesus.

Would not our lives be exceedingly better if we would strive to be more like Christ? This is especially true in this day and age that we currently live in. The world and even this precious country of ours is turning away from Christ. We who are His must make it our goal, our mission to do more for the cause of Christ especially as we see the day approaching. How sad it would be for a country such as ours which has experienced the blessings of Christ to disappear from the annuls of history.

Hebrews 10:38, “Now the just shall live by faith: but if anyone draws back, my soul shall has no pleasure in him.” (NKJV) We are to live by faith, if we do not we will be as those who draw back, as those who shrink away for Christ, In doing so we cause Him to turn His face from us, to take his hands of protection off of us.

An Odd Church Encounter

I like court room dramas just for the sheer intensity of their atmosphere. One of my favorite courtroom scenes is from “A Few Good Men.” Col. Nathan Jessep (Jack Nicholson) is on the stand and is being interrogated by Lt. Daniel Kaffee (Tom Cruise). In one of the scenes you get one of the famous movie line quotes when Col. Jessep says, “You can’t handle the truth.” How true this is in almost every relationship that we are in. Case in point some other lines that we are faced with and we know that “they can’t handle the truth.” “Does this make me look fat?” “Do you care if I go shopping with my mother?” “One drink will not hurt.” etc.

We have taken this to the point that we often keep from saying things to some people in fear of offending or hurting them. We struggle with truth with some because we know that they are insecure in their relationship with you. So many people carry their feelings on their shoulders and blow off at the smallest of matters.

The other day I was talking to someone in the church before the service mostly making small talk nothing serious. Though the conversation was not serious but something was very serious and that was their breath. I did not want to hurt their feelings or say something wrong. What if they had a sour stomach or some other stomach problem? What if they had a dental problem? What if they leave me some clean air to breathe?

I tried to break the conversation off, I tried to move away but they kept encroaching pushing me more and more into a corner. Sometimes I wish that I had the brashness of Lt. Callahan (Clint Eastwood) in Dirty Harry when he was confronted by Captain Briggs (Bradford Dillman) and said, “Your mouth wash ain’t cutting it.”

Those words are not edifying but they sure would feel good rolling off of my tongue. What a grand violation of God’s rules of communication. That would be a giant step backward in my efforts to speak as God would have me to, as He would have all believers to do. We find in Ephesians 4: 25 God’s command to speak the truth, “Therefore, putting away lying, Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.” (NKJV) Speaking the truth is really not enough because we can do so in a harmful way. So to avoid this we add to this the truth that which we find in verse 15 of that same chapter, “but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ--” (NKJV).

We are to speak, speak truth but speak truth lovingly. This truth Is sealed in verse 29 which reads, “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.” Some of the strongest preaching we do needs to be directed back at ourselves. I am so glad that I do not have the brashness of a Dirty Harry but still long for the compassion of the Saviour when I do speak to others.

What is the Truth?

“Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” (38) Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, “I find no fault in Him at all.” John 18:37-38

This is an all too familiar passage with believers; we know of the questioning of Jesus by Pilate and have often wondered what was really going through Pilate’s mind when he was face to face with the Saviour.

Here standing before him is a true picture of the lamb being lead to slaughter. He is standing ministering to the one who will impose the force of Roman brutality upon Him. What a picture of our Saviour’s grace and love. With full knowledge, Jesus stands peacefully and confidently before Pilate, knowing that which lies ahead. We see in this conversation Jesus’ passion and commitment to the truth. “…Jesus answered, “…For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth…” Verse 37

Pilate’s answer to this statement is, “What is truth?” This suggests that he is either not clear that absolute truth exists or is stating a rhetorical question. It could be that perhaps that the world Pilate observed was oblivious or absent of truth. In turn, Jesus answers Pilate’s question with silence. Could be that Jesus knows the heart of Pilate, and the gulf that separates them was so great that the only answer to the question “What is truth,” can be nothing other than silence? Even Claudia, Pilate’s wife, had even had a dream about it. “When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, ‘Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.’ ” (Matthew 27:19). It’s as if God the Father was giving Pilate every chance to come to faith in Christ, perhaps planting seed for his future.

The question “What is truth?” is a question which people have struggled with and sought to answer in every way imaginable. Many today, when confronted by the truth of Jesus stand oblivious or worse yet threatened by what truth is. They have the choice to either embrace him or reject him. The forces that often surround men sadly drive their decision in the wrong direction. Jesus is standing by to offer all men the choice to accept Him, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16.

The truth is, “…It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4) God’s words are that which holds this world together, they mold and shape us into that which God would have us to be. They offer us salvation or they will be that which condemns us to an eternity of destruction if we reject Christ.

Pilate’s response to the silence was unfortunate for Jesus because after this conversation Pilate step back outside in a futile attempt to defend Jesus before the gathered mob. The mob reinforced their accusation against Jesus by implying, that Pilate’s attempt to free Jesus made him an enemy of Rome. With this possible threat confronting Pilate, he needed some immediate help. He needed an out, a loop hole if you will, to quickly separate himself from this mob and Jesus. In doing so he stepped his way into history as the one who judged the Saviour.

Thoughts on Unforgiveness: Part 8 of 8

Unforgiveness does not have to continue, there is a way to rid our hearts and lives of it. Is it easy? It sounds as if it is but it is not. It takes time, it takes patience and it takes faith in God. The last part of James 4:2 says, “…yet ye have not, because ye ask not.” We have not because we ask not, that is so true but James 4:3 continues, “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.” The reason we have not gotten the answer to our prayer of unforgiveness is because we pray for an answer that suits us and not God. The first person that we need to ask to forgive us is God. It is God that we have ultimately sinned against. There are really only two parties in the area of unforgiveness that you have any direct access to. That is yourself and God.

God has already promised that if you forgive He will forgive. With this in mind, we find that we only have ourselves to deal with in this area of unforgiveness. We can ask for forgiveness of others but there is no guarantee that we will get a favorable response. So what do we do then? We ask them to forgive us then we turn lose of it and place that in the hands of God. The key is to turn it over to God and turn loose of it. I did say that this is not easy but it is what God expects of us. It is what God commands us to do.

These steps that must be taken to achieve forgiveness may seem hard and focused between you and God but once put into practice (as they should) the help you receive from God strengthens us. This help from God is in the form of two very familiar five letter words, “Faith” & “Grace”.

In asking others and God for forgiveness by Faith we trust God through faith to stay true to His word and forgive us of our unforgiveness. Then are we trust God for the rest. God through Grace, gives us the peace to move on. We rely upon the Grace of God for peace whenever that person comes to your mind. Peace to help you remember the promise that you made and peace to remember the Grace of God at work in your life to keep you from returning to the mire of unforgiveness. Peace to remove thoughts of the hurt or offense. It is through Grace we are reminded of the faithfulness of God. It reminds you that you have chosen to forgive, and each time it will get easier because the Lord will give you the strength.

Once you have done this, and “choose” to walk in love through faith and obedience, in the future you can fully understand why we are called conquerors. “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” (Romans 8:37) We are called conquerors, not through our strength, but through Christ.

One final note, I would like to take a moment to look at what the Bible says about forgiveness. For true forgiveness to take place we must remember that first of all we should not respond in uncontrolled anger. Second, we need to learn to use a soft and kind response and tone of voice. Notice the following verses: Proverbs 15:1, “A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.” Proverbs 29:11, “A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards.” Ephesians 4:26, “Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:”

When you are wrong, when you have done or said something wrong or offend others you need to respond immediately. The longer you delay the longer others are hurting and the greater the risk that this delay might cause them to hold unforgiveness towards you. To avoid the possibility of sin by either party you must act. First, admit that you are wrong or that you have wronged them. Second, you ask for forgiveness even if you feel that they wronged you. Ask them to forgive you for your actions. Third, you might go the extra mile and ask how you can change (if you have wronged them). Here are a few verses that might help: Proverbs 12:15, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.” Proverbs 21:2, “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts.” Matthew 5:23-25, “Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; (24): Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. (25) Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.” James 5:16, “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

Finally, when you ask someone to forgive you or when someone confesses to you, and asks for forgiveness you are to forgive them. By forgiving them you are making them three promises to be sure that there is forgiveness. First: You promise to Never bring it up to that person again. Second: You promise to Never bring it up to anyone else again. And Finally: You promise to Never bring it up to yourself again. Here are a few verses which will help to support this: Proverbs 17:9, “He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.” Ephesians 4:32, “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.” Colossians 3:13, “Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.” I Peter 4:8, “And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.”

In conclusion I am reminded of the words of the Apostle Paul, “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, (39) Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39). Nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ, but our desire for the love of sin hinders us from fully experiencing that love and joy which is in Christ.

Thoughts on Unforgiveness: Part 7 of 8

Once we choose to forgive, it opens us up to God’s forgiveness. “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: (15) But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. ” Matthew 6:14-15. Verse 14 tells us that if we do forgive others God will forgive us. That is one of the precious promises of God. It is as true as the warning that follows in verse 15 which we have previously looked at.

Choosing to forgive others also places us back into His grace and we once again can be in open fellowship with God. Our prayers will no longer be hindered because we free ourselves from the sin of unforgiveness. Mark 11:24, 25, “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. (25) 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.”

Once we choose to forgive it frees us to be more obedient to the commandments of God. We know that when we keep His commandments we are free to love one another, and in doing so we prove that we love Jesus in our hearts and in our lives. Notice John 14:21 which says, “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.” This verse should get us to realize that which was missing in our lives when we were in the bondage of the sin of unforgiveness. We could not love the Father because of sin and in turn He could not love us. When we choose to forgive, we once again can freely abide in Christ. Not in the darkness of sin but can be fully engulfed in Christ’s love, “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.” (John 15:10) It is here where the Christian belongs, it is here where we feel the full extent of not only His love but the Joy of being loved by Him, “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.” (John 15:11) Once we make the choice to forgive we must remember that we must guard our heart to prevent further attacks of the devil. Proverbs 4:23, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”

So you may ask, how can we forgive, how can we get past the sin of unforgiveness, and better yet, where do we get the strength to forgive? The answer to these questions is where they always were. We get them through God’s willingness to extend forgiveness of us. God forgave us through the death of His Son, Jesus Christ, on the cross. When he did so, He forgave us of all sin. Jesus through His death on the cross bore our sins and took our penalty for sin. He did this so that God could offer salvation to every person and with that salvation forgiveness. Because of this, we can freely go to him for help, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16 (ESV) Jesus is not just our example; He is our help in time of need, it is through faith, trust and obedience to Him we find and receive the grace we need to forgive others.

There is a truth or principle that runs throughout Scripture. This being that if we “choose” to forgive others God will forgave us. Ephesians 4:31-32 tells us “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: (32) And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.” Notice the problems noted in verse 31 are all like building blocks, one adding or building on top of the other. Each one is harmful to you and those around you. Verse 32 gives us God’s answer in that we are to be kind, tender hearted, and forgiving then concludes with, “…even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.”

The great thing about our God is that He was ready to forgive you before you even thought about repenting. If we choose to forgive, as God forgave us, then we need to start to forgive others. We need to change our idea of forgiveness remembering that God’s forgiveness is based on God’s love, not on whether or not we see any signs of repentance or restoration from those we hold unforgiveness towards. We need (with God’s help) to be the bigger person and forgive. In our doing so, it will allow the restoration to begin with others, even with those who do not know how.

“How can I forgive them?” you ask. “They don’t even want my forgiveness, or worse yet, they are not alive today.” The truth is, it does not matter, what does matter is your choosing to love and to forgive them based on God’s love, not on their response. Forgiveness is a choice, it is a decision that we make. We either choose to walk in love as God commands ore we do not. If we choose to do so then God gives us the strength to do so, because we choose to forgive. It is our willingness to be obedient to God and in doing so we put away bitterness, anger, malice, and strife from our lives. We in turn choose to get rid of these side effects of unforgiveness by turning back to God and to start walking in His love by keeping unforgiveness out of our lives.

This process starts when we get down on our knees and seek the Lord’s face, we first ask Him to forgive us then in turn we choose to forgive “anyone” and “everyone” who has ever offended us. Ask God to bring to your remembrance anyone who you have hurt or have hurt you and you have not yet forgiven. Ask God and through faith, choose to forgive and let it go.

You say this is too hard, or that it is impossible? Remember that anything is possible with God. There is a passage in Mark that we must look at to prove a point at this time.

Mark 11:23, “For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.”

For many, forgiveness is as a mountain that we cannot scale nor rid our lives of. In this passage we see that we can remove that mountain. All we need is faith; we just need to exercise a little faith in God that He will be faithful to His Word.

To be conclude next post:

Thoughts on Unforgiveness part 6 of 8

For us to begin any return back to God we first need to know and realize that God is very serious on the matter of sin and on this sin issue of unforgiveness. Matthew 18:21-35 contains a parable on forgiveness. If we are to achieve the forgiveness of God and get out from under the bondage of the sin of unforgiveness we need to be just as serious about this matter as God is. These verses show us the seriousness of God regarding unforgiveness, “And his lord was outraged, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. In the same manner shall my heavenly Father do also to you, if you from your hearts do not forgive your brother sisters unintentional or willful offenses.” (Matthew 18:34-35)

The good news that I have for you today is that no child of God has to live with unforgiveness. When God sent his son Jesus to the earth to pay for our sins for He paid for them all, he did not leave on sin unpaid for. In doing so, He has completely provided us with forgiveness and the tools that we need to get out form the bondage that we entrap ourselves in. The help that we need in removing the sin of unforgiveness not just a spiritual need, it is in fact a spiritual cleansing, one that removes it from our lives completely. Psalm 103:1-5, “BLESS the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! (2) Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: (3) Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, (4) Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, (5) Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”

I mentioned the bondage of Satan and now I would like to mention one of the chains he uses when holds us within our unforgiveness. He gets us to believe that our sin is not that bad, after all it is not murder (at least not physically). We speak of unforgiveness but two of the links in this chain are anger and bitterness. As I have mentioned before. You might hear someone say, “So I hold a grudge against someone, it isn’t really that bad is it?” We turn to the word of God to find the answer to that question and we are confronted by James 2:10-11 says, “For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. (11) For he who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.” If we break one law we are as guilty as if we have broken them all. We must remember that God is just and will always stand true.

Unforgiveness is one of the tools that Satan uses against us to place us into bondage. Those that are still unaware of Satan’s tools are held captive by him clouded by strife, bitterness, anger, and resentment all resulting from unforgiveness. Most people both Christian and non-Christians would say that these are not major sins (But they are sins none the less). Just because unforgiveness is not what we would classify as a “major sin” it is sin none the less. It is actually not far from being a “major sin” because of all of the damages that it causes. Remember the apostle Paul said II Corinthians 2:10-11, “To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ; (11) Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.”

Starting from here we need to look at life a fork in the road. Either you keep following Satan and he drags you with him downward swirling in the vortex of sin which is the easy way out or you can choose the other fork in the road and choose to follow God’s way. This road, though it may not be as easy and at times may be extremely pressing will produce great blessings. God is ready to extend His loving arms in your direction. His love will help you to get past that which is holding you down. It is time to lay down that guilt and unforgiveness and take up the hand of God that which you need to get out of the vortex. It is time to stop spinning out of control and let the one who controls all things help you.

Many of us attempt to forgive to try to clear our conscious or to try to remove guilt. This will always fail and often leads to other problems. This is because it is fleshly and is done so without involving God or following God’s ways.

John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” This is the all too familiar “Escape Clause” for many believers. It is a help but it is not the cure. The problem is that we need to break free from the bondage of sin. We ask for forgiveness with unforgiveness in our hearts. We use this verse as a Band-Aid verse. We feel good because we prayed the verse, we feel good because we claim it as a promise of God, but the truth of the matter is, we shroud our unforgiveness spiritually but still hold it in our hearts.

We leave the approach to the throne just as dirty as when we came. Nothing changed with God but we feel good because we did the dance and walked the walk. In our minds we are clear but in the eyes of God we are just as vile as when we sought His face. I John 1:6 says, “If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.” (ESV). This verse is a stern warning to us prior to verse 9. So many Christians walk around with the sin of unforgiveness in their hearts yet they claim that they have no sin. We must remember the warning the God gave us in Proverbs 28:13 which says, “Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.” This verse tells us that if we cover our sins and I am sad to say that many Christians try to cover their sin with Scripture such as I John 1:9, we will not prosper.

The good news is that no believer has to live with unforgiveness. Jesus has provided us the way for us to rid our lives of sin. It is now time to start trusting Jesus to get you out of this bondage and stop holding on to your hurt and anger. These are the anchors that help pull us down. Let them go into his hands and allow Jesus to deliver you.

To be continued:

Thoughts on Unforgiveness: Part 5 of 8

So what truly happens if we decide to rid our life of the sin of unforgiveness? We open our life fully to God and free ourselves from the bondage that we had been entrapped in. We open the channel of communication between us and the Lord. It also places us in a right relationship with the Lord by our removing know sin from our heart and lives. Here are just a few things that are opened to us if we turn loose of the sin of unforgiveness.

When we take the time to forgive others we free ourselves of sin, and as I mentioned before, it opens up the channels of communication between ourselves and God. This is evident in that a forgiving spirit on our part gives us unimpaired access to God. We see this in Mark 11:24-25, “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. (25) 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.” It is a direct command that we are to forgive. Notice that he says, “And when ye stand praying, forgive…” Why? It is evident here that God wants to forgive us. Our unforgiveness has not only placed us in bondage, it has also bound the hands of God on our behalf. God cannot violate His word, He is bound by it. He wants us to talk to Him but to be able to freely do so we need to remove the sin of unforgiveness. No one is more familiar with that than David as he tell us in Psalm 66:18, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:”

When we choose to let go and forgive, it is the beginning step in seeking help to free us from the bondage of sin that we placed ourselves in are once again open to the forgiveness of God. We open our selves back up to the blessings of the windows of heaven. We find this in Matthew 6:14-15, “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: (15) But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Jesus explains this to us here in this passage. Our forgiveness is contingent upon our forgiving other. If we do not do so we cannot expect God to extend forgiveness to us. The righteousness of God will not allow Him to do or go against that which is a direct violation to His Word. As the sin of unforgiveness had bound us in turn the Word of God bound the hands of God.

When we make the effort to God and ask Him to forgive us of the sin of unforgiveness we are in actuality keeping God’s commandments. We cannot truly love the one that we hold unforgiveness towards, so once we forgive them we are free to love them again. God tells us that we are to love one another, and in doing so we prove that we love Jesus. Look at John 14:21, “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.” We also see in John 15:13, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” This does not only apply to physical life, we also need to lay down our sinful life of unforgiveness for others. We need to lay down our prideful life for others and anything that keeps us from an open relationship with others these need to be repented of, and turned over to God to free you of the bondage.

In this we do not only do we prove that we love Jesus but we will once again abide in Christ’s love as we are told in John 15:10, “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.” Keeping His commandments places us in His abiding love. There is nothing worse than trying to hold on to the appearance of an “everything is alright life style.” We struggle to do so in our homes, at work, or school and even in church. How much more is our false lifestyle amplified when we struggle to “keep face” among the brethren when we are living with know sin? All that it has done is keep us from a right relationship with God.

To be continued

Thoughts on Unforgiveness: Part 4 of 8

The question that I started with was, “To what means do we/can we serve God when we hold on to the sin of unforgiveness in our heart?”

In turn I asked the second question, “In the light of all that Christ has done for us, what is it that holds us back from forgiving?”

Too often we get caught up in the dark side of sin and its appeal. When we choose to hold on to sin for a time it separates us from the love of God and exposes us to the wiles of the Devil. The scriptures tell us in I Peter 5:8, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” We have been warned that the Devil was out to trick and trap us but we in our sin of unforgiveness send out a beacon in his direction. Our unforgiving spirit attracts him much like the shark is drawn to blood. He devours our joy and love for God by helping us to wallow in our desire and to hold onto that which we should not. Much like a drowning man holding on to his prize possessions refusing to let go and grab a life preserver he slowly sinks into the darkness. The prize possession causes us to sink further and further into sin and away from the blessings of God.

This may sound like a story from the Twilight Zone but it is really based on a text taken straight from scripture. II Corinthians 2:10-11, “To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ; (11) Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.” By choosing to not forgive someone we have take our eyes off of the Lord and allowed Satan a foothold. Our sin of unforgiveness has given Satan the advantage and he will run with it. We have fallen asleep and let the enemy into our camp. Our desire to hold onto that which we should not has allowed him to slip in and we held the door open for him. Through his subtlety he soon has us turn that sin into an idol that blocks our view of God. Forgiveness is a choice; it is a choice that we must make and that choice must be based on obedience to God.

In the above passage as in other Scriptures we are commanded to forgive and when we do so we are to forgive completely. If we do not then we have not forgiven them at all (we will talk about that later.) For now we need to realize that God had instructs us to forgive and the best way to do so is to pray for them. In praying for others, you free yourself from potential bondage from the sin of unforgiveness. I know that Jesus knows exactly what He wants you to pray for when it comes to those you might have anything against.

The reason we must forgive and forgive others “completely” is because there is a possibility that we will still hold on with out forgiving so that we can hold them hostage at a later time. This is true of so many people who will say “I will forgive them but I won’t forget it or them.” This is sin because they haven’t forgiven them in the first place, they must forgive them completely. People who do so are blinded by Satan, and they allow him the power to torment them because they have chosen to sin. He will do what he can to keep them in chains and hold them hostage because of sin.

If we have unforgiveness in our heart Satan does get the advantage in and over our heart. Luke 6:45, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.” If this is true, how long can we keep this sin private? No, that is one thing that we know from scripture that we cannot do. “But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.” (Numbers 32:23) How long dare we extend the gap between us and the grace and forgiveness of God? That is a question that we have to ask our selves. Each hour we linger we are move farther and farther from the closeness of the Saviour.

If left unchecked, your sin of unforgiveness will soon cause you to experience more of the darker side effects sin; if you do not deal with it you will experience other sins such as anger or bitterness. This is much like being caught in a vortex. You do not notice the swirling decent at first because it is at a slow rate. The motion of the swirling rapidly increases as re approach the center. The speed and rate of rotation of the sin vortex are greatest the further (or longer) you are in the grasp of sin. These others sins will manifest themselves when we get angry at those who are friends of those we have not forgiven. This happens when we see them or the person that we have not forgiven and the anger level rises and the occurrences are more frequent the further into the vortex of sin we travel. This is because of the association that one has with the other, and the deeper into cycle we are. They will start all over again and again because our thoughts of those we have not forgiven enter our mind and then the episode that led to the unforgiveness becomes vivid in our minds, and we re-live that over again. There is no hope; there is no peace because we are in sin. All of our relationships with any associated party will begin to decay because we do not let go and forgive.

To be continued:

Thoughts on Unforgiveness: Part 3 of 8

The question that I started with was, “To what means do we/can we serve God when we hold on to the sin of unforgiveness in our heart?”

In turn I asked the second question, “In the light of all that Christ has done for us, what is it that holds us back from forgiving?”

The scriptures tell us that we are to be conformed to the image of Christ, Romans 8:29, “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.” We also find in Romans that this conformation process is our reasonable service Romans 12:1-2, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. (2) And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

I believe that this problem of unforgiveness is what many Christians struggle with today. Because of unforgiven sin, their thoughts are clouded and they believe that the conformation that God calls for is unreasonable; this must be their mindset because many blatantly refuse to change. The Word of God tells us that we are to present our bodies and lives as a living sacrifice. We are commanded to change, and part of that change is to drop our selfish desires and be more selfless as Christ was. If we do not change then we see one of two potential problems. Either God is wrong and has lied to us; which is impossible or that those who belong to Him but are refusing to change and are blatantly living with the sin of unforgiveness.

If we hold on to an unforgiving heart we cannot love one another as Christ has told us to do. It is our responsibility as believers to forgive others even if they refuse to forgive us. God sent His Son Jesus to die for our sins, so that we may be reconciled to Him. This happened at the moment of salvation but somewhere along the line many have believed the lie of the Devil over the truth of Christ and have selfishly held grudges and unforgiveness against others. The sin of unforgiveness is part of the debt that Christ paid. Because this has been paid, He now asks that we extend the same forgiveness to others we are to forgive as you have been forgiven. He gave us an excellent example of this in his life and in a parable which we find in Matthew 18:23-35. Unforgiveness will eat away at your heart and if left unchecked, if left unresolved it will eventually consume you.

If that is not enough we also see that the sin unforgiveness hinders our prayers from getting answered. Mark 11:24, 25, “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. (25) 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.” The truth from the Word of God is that if we forgive others, He forgives us. This truth is amplified here in Matthew 7:7, 8, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: (8) For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” That sounds good and many of us have this passage placed in our memory banks for a later date, sadly we fail to look at the verses that fully, this is especially true when we move down to verse 12 which says, “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.”(Matthew7:12) If you do not forgive them, it will not be forgiven you. As I have said before, God cannot go against His Word; He is eternally bound by it, down to the last jot or tiddle (Matt. 5:18).

John 15:7 tells us, “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” We see here that we abide in Him (which we do by keeping His commandments), and His Word in us, we can be at peace to ask for anything and if it is with in His will it will be given onto us. The reason a lot of people’s prayers go unanswered, is not because of unbelief as it is the sin of unforgiveness because they are in sin and are not keeping the commandments that Jesus gave us. They are living with the selfish sin of unforgiveness and because of this they cannot abide in Christ’s love. Unforgiveness becomes a barrier hindering their prayers. Hebrews 12:14-15 says, “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: (15) looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled”

We are to pursue peace (through forgiveness) notice the last part of verse 15 which says, “… lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled” This is a so very common in Christian circles as well as in the World. I believe that this is one of the most common everyday sins that defile people. Many of those who are in this bondage of sin called unforgiveness can easily escape them if they would step up and forgive those who have wronged them or thought that they have wronged them.

To be continued. . . . .

Thoughts on Unforgiveness: Part 2 of 8

The question that I started with was, “To what means do we/can we serve God when we hold on to the sin of unforgiveness in our heart?”

In the light of all that Christ has done for us, what is it that holds us back from forgiving? Christ has opened the door for all men to receive the gift of Salvation. Christ has forgiven all of our sin by making Himself to be sin for us. What is it that keeps the Christian from forgiving others? Perhaps the answer lies in II Peter 2:9-10, “The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: (10) But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, self-willed, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.” Self willed or should we just simply say selfish will? Either way we say it, we are wrong if we believe that God will over look our sin or perhaps turn a blind eye to it because we belong to Christ.

Perhaps it is one of the saddest parts of the doctrine of Eternal Security. We know we are saved and secure in Christ so we selfishly remove ourselves from the guilt of the sin of unforgiveness. We, in a prideful way, say that our sins are covered by the blood of Christ and in essence we are self-covering them with eternal forgiveness. In doing so, we overlook the fact that we are disobedient to Christ by deceiving ourselves in thinking that Christ will somehow let us get away with this sin. In the process of our self-righteousness we are self deceived. Someone once said the worst form of deception is self-deception and I do agree. Many Christians walk around self deceived believing that all is right with the world and in their relationship with God. Not aware, or worse yet, not willing to accept the fact that their selfishness has led them far from God. It has boxed them into a world framed by their own deception. David in Psalm 58:3 said, “The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.” Sadly, the one we lie to the most ends up being ourselves.

Scripture says, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” Psalm 66:18; why is that? When you regard something you show or hold it with feeling of respect and/or affection, to esteem or place value or worth upon it. So if we regard iniquity (sin) in our life God says that He will not hear or listen intently to us. If you regard something long enough, whether it is right or wrong, you will soon elevate it high enough that it will cause you a problem later on in life. James 4:17 tells us, “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” God has to be first in our lives. He has to be on the throne in our heart. That throne is a single seat and so many believers try to stack things on God’s lap thinking that all is right not realizing that their selfish desires has forced God off that throne. He will never settle for second place.

If we hold unforgiveness against somebody we prevent God from forgiving our sins. It says in Matthew 6:15, “But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” We find here that our selfishness and sin of unforgiveness ties the hands of God from working on our behalf. God cannot and will not violate His Word. So if we do not forgive others He will not extend forgiveness to us. Jesus said in John 15:12, “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.” The sin of unforgiveness causes us to violate His commandments. The love that we say we have for Jesus is secondary to the love we hold for our self. Every relationship offers opportunities for forgiveness, if we fail or ignore these opportunities the relationship will not survive. All other relationships will suffer including the one you have with God.

To be continued:

Thoughts on Unforgiveness

I sat in the church sanctuary Sunday morning after the first service thinking about the conversations that I have had over the past several days. Having a few moments to gather my thoughts one question came to my mind. “To what means do we/can we serve God when we hold on to the sin of unforgiveness in our heart?”

To what means do we/can we think that we can serve God when we hold to the sin of unforgiveness. Yet this is evident in the lives of many who claim the name of Christ. God so often calls us to free ourselves from the sin and bondage of unforgiveness. Yet at the same time we so foolishly run headlong back into it. Mark 11:25-26, "And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. (26) But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses." The apostle Paul said it this way, II Corinthians 2:10, “To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave anything, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ.” Forgive and it will be forgiven, turn loose, let go and hold on to God. That is the message but the practice so often is grab that grudge and hold on for dear life, no matter who or how often we hurt those around us. The truth is, we cannot fully serve God while we hold on to the sin of unforgiveness which in itself is grounded in the sin of selfishness. God commands us to do so as we see in the following verses where are given the two greatest commandments: Matthew 22:37-40, “Jesus said to him, "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. (38) This is the first and great commandment. (39) "And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself' (40) On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

We will all struggle with selfishness, we are born with that mindset but we can overcome it and keep it in check. We have the choice to choose to sin or not to sin. We selfishly choose who we hold things against and whom we do not but it is God who commands us not to do so at all, Luke 6:37, “Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven.”

Our church recently started a new series entitled “Live Different,” the first message in the series is a good launching point for those who hold on to the sins of unforgiveness. (To view the message series “Live Different” go to http://www.egreenwood.org/resources/bulletins/ for sermon notes or Pod casts.) In addition, I like the way David says we are to live in Psalm 46:10 where he shares with us what God says, “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.” To be still means to be quiet, to be selfless and to be relentless, to know that God is God. He will be exalted; He will be glorified if we are still long enough to let Him be. He cannot be God if we hold other in that place. We need to turn them over to God and let God take care of our troubles and trials.

Unforgiven sin places a barrier between us and God, this barrier and soon becomes a god to us, robbing us of joy, and keeping us from the blessings of God.

As believers in Christ, we need to purpose in our hearts to turn that which besets us over to God so that He can be in his rightful place on the throne of our hearts.

To be continued: