June 26, 2001
We were at a funeral when we heard someone say that they seldom go to funerals or church because “the preacher always makes me feel guilty.”
No one likes guilt. It steals both peace and sleep. Yet guilt is as vital to our well-being as pain. Pain tells us our body is injured or sick. Guilt tells us to stop and consider our actions.
Both are built in signals that protect us from physical and moral danger yet they can malfunction. My oldest son lost two fingers in a sawmill accident. Sometimes he feels pain in those fingers yet they are gone. This “phantom pain” is not legitimate.
Sometimes guilt is not legitimate either. When my nephew died on a trip away from home, my brother said, “I should have driven him there myself.” As we talked about it, he realized that he had no reason to feel guilty. He knew his son was dying, regardless of the trip. Taking that trip or having his dad with him on it would not have changed the inevitable.
Also, we can be trained to think our actions are wrong but they are neither illegal or immoral. A friend has huge pangs of guilt over spilled food. He admits that when he was little, his mother scolded him at the slightest accident, making him feel that spilling food was deliberate bad behavior. While his head says this guilt is silly, his emotions poke his conscience.
Illegitimate or false guilt makes us beat ourselves with regret over things that are simple mistakes, or unavoidable and out of our control. True guilt is different. It relates to moral choices we make and things we can change.
True guilt convicts us when we do things that are against an outside standard such as civil law and God’s moral laws. Whether we rob a bank or say unkind, careless words, or neglect to do something we knew we should have done, we can feel pangs of conscience. These feelings are supposed to direct us toward change and help us to think, talk, and live upright, moral lives.
Real guilt comes in two varieties. The Bible talks about the remorse we feel when we do wrong and get caught. We may be sad, mad, or otherwise upset but that is as far as this kind of guilt goes. It creates an uproar but we do not change.
The other kind of guilt is a “sorrow that leads to repentance” or a turn away from whatever we did toward changed behavior. This guilt is different from simply being sorry we got caught because with it we realize we have displeased God — and we did not want to do that. We are sorry because we are hurting ourselves and our relationship with Him, so we take steps to live differently.
This makes sense. If we get a painful sliver under our skin, we don’t take painkillers but look for ways to remove the sliver. Yet some people who feel true guilt avoid tackling the real issues. They try to get rid of the law or God (and say He is dead). They try to eradicate those guilty feelings with excuses, rationalizing and denial. This may numb their conscience but it does not set them free.
God’s solution for guilt is confession, forgiveness and cleansing. The Bible says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)
Running away from guilt makes as much sense as trying to cure a broken leg with pills. While we might be able to cover some kinds of pain for a while, covering guilt never works. It builds life-limiting scar tissue and blocks our relationship with God and others.
Lord, repentance is never a one-time activity. Even the godliest of Your people must constantly listen to their conscience. Help me then, to always hear what guilt is saying to me. If it is true guilt, may I never try to cover or excuse it but bring it to You for forgiveness so You can change my life. Amen.
Showing posts with label forgiveness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label forgiveness. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 28, 2018
Monday, July 31, 2017
White as snow? .......... Parables 621
December 15, 1998
Something magical happens with the first snowfall. From my studio window, I see hundreds of rooftops. In fair weather, they are a kaleidoscope but after the first snowfall, their various sizes and shapes are unified in white, outlined with dark eaves-trough edges. Snow pulls them together in a huge patchwork quilt. It blankets everything.
Although each flake is crystal clear, millions of snowflakes together take on a pristine quality that makes the world look as the cliche says, “white as snow.”
Because of its color and its ability to cover, snow is used in an invitation from God found in the Old Testament book of Isaiah. “Come now; and let us reason together,” says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.”
Scarlet metaphorically suggests sin is the color of shame, vivid and awful in the sight of God. He wants people to reason it out, to get past vague expressions like, “Of course we have sin” to a personal recognition that acknowledges “I am a sinner.”
Part of the reasoning called for in this verse is to also recognize the reasonableness of God. He is not a tyrant eager to drop a judgment hammer but a God who loves us. Sin spoiled our ability to know and love Him in return. For our sake and for His own, He planned to do something about it. This verse becomes a promise as He says, “they shall be as white as snow.”
This metaphorical use of snow also suggests how God does it. As snow covers the ground, the roof tops and everything it falls upon, so the forgiveness of God can cover our sin. He can give our lives a newness that is something like the freshness of that first snowfall.
Making sin white as snow is not the same as covering it up. God does not mask or hide what we have done as someone who pretends it is not there. Before sin can be covered, it must first be acknowledged and confessed. The Bible says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
After we uncover our sin to God, He covers it in the sense that His forgiveness cleanses or washes our guilt from His record. Instead of offenses, our slate is wiped clean. In God’s mind, we are as white as snow.
Sin is scarlet but so is its remedy. God says without the “shedding of blood, there is no remission for sin.” Forgiveness and red blood go together. While this is gruesome to us, God uses blood as a cleansing agent for sin, the blood of His Son Jesus Christ.
Why isn’t being sorry for our sin enough to satisfy God? Can’t He forgive us on that basis? No, because sin is far more serious to Him than we imagine. It has marred His image in us and we fall short of all He intended. Besides, sin demands punishment. A holy God cannot look the other way.
The wages of sin is death but paying our own wages would not do it. A substitute is acceptable. In the Old Testament, is was an unblemished lamb. Then Christ came, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. The substitute had to be perfect and since we are not, we cannot pay our debt ourselves.
God sent Jesus to be our substitute. His death paid our wages for sin and because He was sinless, God accepted His sacrifice. Then He rose from the dead, triumphing over both sin and death. Those who trust in Him are given that same victory.
When we sin, we can look to the Son of God who bled and died for us because He is the only One who can say, “Father, I got it covered.”
Something magical happens with the first snowfall. From my studio window, I see hundreds of rooftops. In fair weather, they are a kaleidoscope but after the first snowfall, their various sizes and shapes are unified in white, outlined with dark eaves-trough edges. Snow pulls them together in a huge patchwork quilt. It blankets everything.
Although each flake is crystal clear, millions of snowflakes together take on a pristine quality that makes the world look as the cliche says, “white as snow.”
Because of its color and its ability to cover, snow is used in an invitation from God found in the Old Testament book of Isaiah. “Come now; and let us reason together,” says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.”
Scarlet metaphorically suggests sin is the color of shame, vivid and awful in the sight of God. He wants people to reason it out, to get past vague expressions like, “Of course we have sin” to a personal recognition that acknowledges “I am a sinner.”
Part of the reasoning called for in this verse is to also recognize the reasonableness of God. He is not a tyrant eager to drop a judgment hammer but a God who loves us. Sin spoiled our ability to know and love Him in return. For our sake and for His own, He planned to do something about it. This verse becomes a promise as He says, “they shall be as white as snow.”
This metaphorical use of snow also suggests how God does it. As snow covers the ground, the roof tops and everything it falls upon, so the forgiveness of God can cover our sin. He can give our lives a newness that is something like the freshness of that first snowfall.
Making sin white as snow is not the same as covering it up. God does not mask or hide what we have done as someone who pretends it is not there. Before sin can be covered, it must first be acknowledged and confessed. The Bible says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
After we uncover our sin to God, He covers it in the sense that His forgiveness cleanses or washes our guilt from His record. Instead of offenses, our slate is wiped clean. In God’s mind, we are as white as snow.
Sin is scarlet but so is its remedy. God says without the “shedding of blood, there is no remission for sin.” Forgiveness and red blood go together. While this is gruesome to us, God uses blood as a cleansing agent for sin, the blood of His Son Jesus Christ.
Why isn’t being sorry for our sin enough to satisfy God? Can’t He forgive us on that basis? No, because sin is far more serious to Him than we imagine. It has marred His image in us and we fall short of all He intended. Besides, sin demands punishment. A holy God cannot look the other way.
The wages of sin is death but paying our own wages would not do it. A substitute is acceptable. In the Old Testament, is was an unblemished lamb. Then Christ came, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. The substitute had to be perfect and since we are not, we cannot pay our debt ourselves.
God sent Jesus to be our substitute. His death paid our wages for sin and because He was sinless, God accepted His sacrifice. Then He rose from the dead, triumphing over both sin and death. Those who trust in Him are given that same victory.
When we sin, we can look to the Son of God who bled and died for us because He is the only One who can say, “Father, I got it covered.”
Friday, April 28, 2017
No Debts ................ Parables 581
January 6, 1981
For every person in the U.S., there are two credit cards— a contributing factor to a per capita debt of $20,886 and a per household debt of $55,869.
Canadian statistics are not as easy to find but we have a similar problem. In fact, living in debt is so common that the term “debt-free” seems an impossibility.
Freedom from every kind of debt. Can it happen? Can a person ever be financially current? Is it possible not to owe anyone anything? The Bible says it is. Regarding human debt, God even commands us, “Owe no man anything.”
While this is an unbelievable command (especially after holiday spending that stretches budgets and credit to its limits), there is another type of debt-free situation that is even more astounding. It involves being free from spiritual indebtedness, free from the account we owe God.
To illustrate, Jesus once told a story about a servant who owed his king a huge amount of money. When the king decided to settle his accounts, this servant could not pay his debt. The king ordered him and his family sold to cover it. The servant begged for mercy. The king was merciful, took pity on him and completely canceled his huge debt.
Later, that servant approached another man who owed him a much smaller sum. The debtor begged for extra time to pay it but the servant became angry and told the man he would put him in prison until he could pay it.
When the king heard about what happened, he was furious with his servant. He said, “I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?”
This story is mainly Jesus’ instruction to His people to show mercy to others. Because God has forgiven us, we need to forgive others also. However, key to being able to forgive is first knowing how God is like that king and our debt is like the servant’s debt.
Some assume that those who receive God’s forgiveness and give their lives to Him, now owe Him something, that a lifetime of service somehow is payment for their debt. But can anyone possibly repay their debt to God?
The story Jesus told also illustrates the size of the debt God has forgiven. Like the servant’s account with his king, the size of our sin is far greater than we could ever repay. Think of it this way: one unkind thought, or one lie, or one sin of any kind, per day for fifty years equals more than 18,000 sins. Remember, sin is simply going our own way and ignoring God’s way.
Since the Bible also adds that “whatever is not of faith is sin,” our account is large. We cannot count the full number of our debts to God, never mind repay them. Besides, what would we pay them with? God says, “All . . . fall short of the glory of God” and “all our works of righteousness are like filthy rags.”
The Gospel is the good news that our debt can be canceled— in two ways. One is that someone pays it for us. The other is that the King has mercy and forgives it. The Bible describes how God did both.
Jesus is fully human yet sinless. He is full of the glory of God; He does not fall short. His life is filled to the brim with the goodness we do not have. When He died on the cross, He paid our debt for sin, both as our substitute and as our payment.
God accepted that sacrifice. To those who acknowledge their debt and make known their desire to settle their account, He says, “Your debt is paid. Because of My Son, you are debt-free.”
For every person in the U.S., there are two credit cards— a contributing factor to a per capita debt of $20,886 and a per household debt of $55,869.
Canadian statistics are not as easy to find but we have a similar problem. In fact, living in debt is so common that the term “debt-free” seems an impossibility.
Freedom from every kind of debt. Can it happen? Can a person ever be financially current? Is it possible not to owe anyone anything? The Bible says it is. Regarding human debt, God even commands us, “Owe no man anything.”
While this is an unbelievable command (especially after holiday spending that stretches budgets and credit to its limits), there is another type of debt-free situation that is even more astounding. It involves being free from spiritual indebtedness, free from the account we owe God.
To illustrate, Jesus once told a story about a servant who owed his king a huge amount of money. When the king decided to settle his accounts, this servant could not pay his debt. The king ordered him and his family sold to cover it. The servant begged for mercy. The king was merciful, took pity on him and completely canceled his huge debt.
Later, that servant approached another man who owed him a much smaller sum. The debtor begged for extra time to pay it but the servant became angry and told the man he would put him in prison until he could pay it.
When the king heard about what happened, he was furious with his servant. He said, “I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?”
This story is mainly Jesus’ instruction to His people to show mercy to others. Because God has forgiven us, we need to forgive others also. However, key to being able to forgive is first knowing how God is like that king and our debt is like the servant’s debt.
Some assume that those who receive God’s forgiveness and give their lives to Him, now owe Him something, that a lifetime of service somehow is payment for their debt. But can anyone possibly repay their debt to God?
The story Jesus told also illustrates the size of the debt God has forgiven. Like the servant’s account with his king, the size of our sin is far greater than we could ever repay. Think of it this way: one unkind thought, or one lie, or one sin of any kind, per day for fifty years equals more than 18,000 sins. Remember, sin is simply going our own way and ignoring God’s way.
Since the Bible also adds that “whatever is not of faith is sin,” our account is large. We cannot count the full number of our debts to God, never mind repay them. Besides, what would we pay them with? God says, “All . . . fall short of the glory of God” and “all our works of righteousness are like filthy rags.”
The Gospel is the good news that our debt can be canceled— in two ways. One is that someone pays it for us. The other is that the King has mercy and forgives it. The Bible describes how God did both.
Jesus is fully human yet sinless. He is full of the glory of God; He does not fall short. His life is filled to the brim with the goodness we do not have. When He died on the cross, He paid our debt for sin, both as our substitute and as our payment.
God accepted that sacrifice. To those who acknowledge their debt and make known their desire to settle their account, He says, “Your debt is paid. Because of My Son, you are debt-free.”
Monday, February 13, 2017
What can be done with guilt and shame? .......... Parables 549
March 10, 1997
Certain pro-choice advocates claim that women who have had an abortion suffer less trauma than those with an unwanted child. This argument supposedly comforts anyone who struggles with the emotional aftermath of the choice they made to terminate their pregnancy.
It seems to me that comparing the degree of trauma people experience depends more on individual personality and maturity than it does on the differences in their experiences. However, actions that people take after a trauma can indicate the measure of hardship they personally felt.
Statistics provide information in this area. For instance, one country reports women who undergo abortion have a suicide rate three times higher than normal and six times greater than the amount of suicides associated with childbirth. According to those statistics, trauma after an abortion seems very high.
Those who experience this say their feelings include guilt, a sense of shame and even grief over the loss of their child. It is important to remember that feelings like this are not restricted to women who have had abortions. Mothers who cannot take care of their children also feel a certain sense of guilt and shame. All parents in the process of raising children struggle with difficulties and sometimes feel guilty about their performance.
Guilt, shame, grief, sorrow and pain are part of the human experience, as are poor choices. Even if we could perfectly choose our experiences, sorrow and pain would not be avoided. Next best to avoiding negative situations is learning how to deal with them and the consequences. In the case of emotions like guilt, shame and loss, they can be overcome but not by denying the degree to which they are felt.
It is normal to feel terrible when we violate our own standards, never mind God’s laws. Denial of those feelings prevents us from discovering guilt’s remedy. Acts 13:38 says, “Therefore, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.”
Like guilt, shame is also a natural emotional response to behavior that violates our conscience. We feel embarrassed and humiliated before other people and before God. Again, to deny its reality or its severity also prevents us from finding God’s remedy. The Bible says, “Jesus endured the cross, scorning its shame” that we might know the freedom of sins forgiven.
It also says that “anyone who trusts in Him will never be put to shame.” Forgiveness not only clears our hearts of guilt but wipes away shame’s pain and protects us from any further threats of shame.
In one sense, loss has no cure. A dead child cannot be restored to life, nor will having more children fill the emptiness or assuage the grief. This is one horror of abortion. It is so final. However, God also has an answer for grief and even a reason. Jeremiah wrote: “Though He brings grief, He will show compassion, so great is His unfailing love. For He does not willingly bring affliction or grief to the children of men.”
We experience grief because we are designed by God to feel loss and the consequences of our destructive choices. However, He intends that those feelings draw us closer to Him. He knows He is the only one who can give us comfort and peace.
Abortion critics need to recognize that guilt, shame and grief can bring a woman into such deep despair that she may commit suicide. After-the-fact judgment is not going to help her. It may even push her deeper into that pit.
Instead, women, or anyone in despair, needs God’s protection from the dark powers of suicidal depression and the good news of His love, forgiveness, comfort and hope.
Certain pro-choice advocates claim that women who have had an abortion suffer less trauma than those with an unwanted child. This argument supposedly comforts anyone who struggles with the emotional aftermath of the choice they made to terminate their pregnancy.
It seems to me that comparing the degree of trauma people experience depends more on individual personality and maturity than it does on the differences in their experiences. However, actions that people take after a trauma can indicate the measure of hardship they personally felt.
Statistics provide information in this area. For instance, one country reports women who undergo abortion have a suicide rate three times higher than normal and six times greater than the amount of suicides associated with childbirth. According to those statistics, trauma after an abortion seems very high.
Those who experience this say their feelings include guilt, a sense of shame and even grief over the loss of their child. It is important to remember that feelings like this are not restricted to women who have had abortions. Mothers who cannot take care of their children also feel a certain sense of guilt and shame. All parents in the process of raising children struggle with difficulties and sometimes feel guilty about their performance.
Guilt, shame, grief, sorrow and pain are part of the human experience, as are poor choices. Even if we could perfectly choose our experiences, sorrow and pain would not be avoided. Next best to avoiding negative situations is learning how to deal with them and the consequences. In the case of emotions like guilt, shame and loss, they can be overcome but not by denying the degree to which they are felt.
It is normal to feel terrible when we violate our own standards, never mind God’s laws. Denial of those feelings prevents us from discovering guilt’s remedy. Acts 13:38 says, “Therefore, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.”
Like guilt, shame is also a natural emotional response to behavior that violates our conscience. We feel embarrassed and humiliated before other people and before God. Again, to deny its reality or its severity also prevents us from finding God’s remedy. The Bible says, “Jesus endured the cross, scorning its shame” that we might know the freedom of sins forgiven.
It also says that “anyone who trusts in Him will never be put to shame.” Forgiveness not only clears our hearts of guilt but wipes away shame’s pain and protects us from any further threats of shame.
In one sense, loss has no cure. A dead child cannot be restored to life, nor will having more children fill the emptiness or assuage the grief. This is one horror of abortion. It is so final. However, God also has an answer for grief and even a reason. Jeremiah wrote: “Though He brings grief, He will show compassion, so great is His unfailing love. For He does not willingly bring affliction or grief to the children of men.”
We experience grief because we are designed by God to feel loss and the consequences of our destructive choices. However, He intends that those feelings draw us closer to Him. He knows He is the only one who can give us comfort and peace.
Abortion critics need to recognize that guilt, shame and grief can bring a woman into such deep despair that she may commit suicide. After-the-fact judgment is not going to help her. It may even push her deeper into that pit.
Instead, women, or anyone in despair, needs God’s protection from the dark powers of suicidal depression and the good news of His love, forgiveness, comfort and hope.
Friday, December 30, 2016
What about angels? .......... Parables 530
October 22, 1996
Angels are everywhere. They are fashioned into stick pins, earrings, tie tacks, cross stitch designs and wall plaques. They are the topic of books and poems. Three “angels” even star in a television series. Of course all are “good” angels, who do kind deeds and have beautiful faces.
Far from being figments of human imagination, angels are described in the Bible as created beings who do the will of God and act as His messengers. There are referred to more than 300 times in both the Old and New Testament. Most bring messages to God’s people, some are warnings and others, like those who appeared to the shepherds near Bethlehem, bring good news.
There is a negative category of angels too. Jesus’ disciples excitedly reported, “even the demons submit to us in Your name.” To this, Jesus replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven . . . Do not rejoice over this but rather that your names are written down in heaven.” Jesus downplayed their focus on demons but did not deny that they exist.
Fallen angels are not like those people who go astray and we call “fallen angels.” People have hope—Christ promises to save and give new life to any who come to him—but the angels who fell from heaven are not similarly blessed.
Jude 6 says, “And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home—these He has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day.” These angels are doomed. God “hurled” them out of heaven without offering them a second chance.
The prince of these fallen angels has many names. Revelation 12 calls him, “the great dragon,” “that ancient serpent,” “the devil,” “Satan,” and the “accuser” of God’s people. In another passage of Scripture, Jesus calls him “the liar” and “the father of lies.”
While some say there is no devil, Jesus describes him as an actual personality, a created being who resists God. Others think he is behind every corner and all evil. The Bible keeps a balance. Satan does exist, but we are capable of doing wrong all by ourselves. Furthermore, Satan is not a counterpart to God; he is not all powerful nor does he know all things. He cannot be everywhere. He can disguise himself as “an angel of light” but since God “hurled him out of heaven,” his domain is darkness and lies.
The prophet Isaiah described his rebellion this way: “How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’”
With those expressions of pride, Satan lifted himself above God but his ambition backfired. As Isaiah says, God “brought (him) down to the grave, to the depths of the pit.”
Before he is finally judged, the devil “roams the earth, like a roaring lion.” His main activity is putting untrue ideas in our heads in such a way that we think they are true, even that they are our own thoughts. He is subtle and powerful but we are not helpless. Through studying Scripture, we can learn to detect his schemes. Through “the blood of the Lamb, the word of our testimony and by not loving our lives” we can overcome him.
Christ death and shed blood guarantee forgiveness and eternal life to those who believe in Him. Christians can give testimony to His saving power and we know Satan cannot ruin what God has done for us. Our fear of death is broken. Unlike fallen angels who have been cast into outer darkness, we know when we are “absent from the body, we will be present with the Lord.”
Angels are everywhere. They are fashioned into stick pins, earrings, tie tacks, cross stitch designs and wall plaques. They are the topic of books and poems. Three “angels” even star in a television series. Of course all are “good” angels, who do kind deeds and have beautiful faces.
Far from being figments of human imagination, angels are described in the Bible as created beings who do the will of God and act as His messengers. There are referred to more than 300 times in both the Old and New Testament. Most bring messages to God’s people, some are warnings and others, like those who appeared to the shepherds near Bethlehem, bring good news.
There is a negative category of angels too. Jesus’ disciples excitedly reported, “even the demons submit to us in Your name.” To this, Jesus replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven . . . Do not rejoice over this but rather that your names are written down in heaven.” Jesus downplayed their focus on demons but did not deny that they exist.
Fallen angels are not like those people who go astray and we call “fallen angels.” People have hope—Christ promises to save and give new life to any who come to him—but the angels who fell from heaven are not similarly blessed.
Jude 6 says, “And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home—these He has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day.” These angels are doomed. God “hurled” them out of heaven without offering them a second chance.
The prince of these fallen angels has many names. Revelation 12 calls him, “the great dragon,” “that ancient serpent,” “the devil,” “Satan,” and the “accuser” of God’s people. In another passage of Scripture, Jesus calls him “the liar” and “the father of lies.”
While some say there is no devil, Jesus describes him as an actual personality, a created being who resists God. Others think he is behind every corner and all evil. The Bible keeps a balance. Satan does exist, but we are capable of doing wrong all by ourselves. Furthermore, Satan is not a counterpart to God; he is not all powerful nor does he know all things. He cannot be everywhere. He can disguise himself as “an angel of light” but since God “hurled him out of heaven,” his domain is darkness and lies.
The prophet Isaiah described his rebellion this way: “How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’”
With those expressions of pride, Satan lifted himself above God but his ambition backfired. As Isaiah says, God “brought (him) down to the grave, to the depths of the pit.”
Before he is finally judged, the devil “roams the earth, like a roaring lion.” His main activity is putting untrue ideas in our heads in such a way that we think they are true, even that they are our own thoughts. He is subtle and powerful but we are not helpless. Through studying Scripture, we can learn to detect his schemes. Through “the blood of the Lamb, the word of our testimony and by not loving our lives” we can overcome him.
Christ death and shed blood guarantee forgiveness and eternal life to those who believe in Him. Christians can give testimony to His saving power and we know Satan cannot ruin what God has done for us. Our fear of death is broken. Unlike fallen angels who have been cast into outer darkness, we know when we are “absent from the body, we will be present with the Lord.”
Monday, July 11, 2016
Amazing Forgiveness .......... Parables 456
January 17, 1995
The headline said: FATHER OFFICIATES AT THE WEDDING OF HIS SON’S KILLER.
According to the news item, Rev. Walter Everett forgave the man who murdered his son. The younger Everett was shot after a misunderstanding and physical struggle. His death was another senseless tragedy.
In the mind of the murderer, the forgiveness from his victim’s father must seem even more senseless. He says he does not fully understand how or why this father could do it. After what he had done, revenge and hatred seem far more natural. But it was good news.
Everett’s wife could not understand her husband either. How could he forgive their son’s killer? She was so distressed that, after 34 years of marriage, she walked out.
I’ve occasionally struggled to forgive people who have wronged me. In one situation, I was willing to do it and even offered it, but the other person seemed to have no desire to be forgiven or even admit wrong had been done. Up until that time, I believed forgiveness was complete only if it was received. I also thought forgiveness would restore broken relationships. However, the other person did not want restoration and even met my attempt with further betrayal and hurt. It seemed clear forgiveness would not change anything. Why then should I forgive? Even though the Bible says I must do it, it did not make sense.
Then I read from Isaiah 48 God’s words to His people: “For my name’s sake will I defer mine anger... For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another.”
From this I learned another aspect of forgiveness important to my own situation. God Himself forgives because it is not like God to be unforgiving. His very nature is to be compassionate, kind and generous. If people are not willing to receive His kindness, it becomes a blotch on their name, not on God’s character.
Forgiveness, in this one case particularly, was for me. As a child of God, my Father did not want me to hold unforgiveness in my heart. It would be foreign to godliness and contrary to the Christlikeness to which He has called me. The person who hurt me may never receive my offer, but by forgiving that person, I am acting as God intends.
When I did it, I was set free from anger, from the nagging desire for revenge, and therefore from all possibility of bitterness. My own spirit became soft and settled. My relationship with God grew sweeter. Clearly, forgiveness is profitable for me.
The Psalmist prayed, “For the sake of your name, O LORD, forgive my iniquity, though it is great” and “Help us, O God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name’s sake.”
Asking for forgiveness on the basis of God’s name and His character is clarified further when we consider His forgiveness. His Son was also murdered by people who misunderstood His actions and struggled with accepting His claims. Crucifying the sinless Jesus was a brutal and totally senseless act. Yet, by that act, God was able to forgive not only those who killed His Son, but all sinners and all sins ever committed by every person. His forgiveness brings restoration between sinful people (who accept it) and a Holy God.
Does that make sense? Without faith, it is illogical. God dying on a cross so He could forgive us? That is senseless — but it is also good news!
The headline said: FATHER OFFICIATES AT THE WEDDING OF HIS SON’S KILLER.
According to the news item, Rev. Walter Everett forgave the man who murdered his son. The younger Everett was shot after a misunderstanding and physical struggle. His death was another senseless tragedy.
In the mind of the murderer, the forgiveness from his victim’s father must seem even more senseless. He says he does not fully understand how or why this father could do it. After what he had done, revenge and hatred seem far more natural. But it was good news.
Everett’s wife could not understand her husband either. How could he forgive their son’s killer? She was so distressed that, after 34 years of marriage, she walked out.
I’ve occasionally struggled to forgive people who have wronged me. In one situation, I was willing to do it and even offered it, but the other person seemed to have no desire to be forgiven or even admit wrong had been done. Up until that time, I believed forgiveness was complete only if it was received. I also thought forgiveness would restore broken relationships. However, the other person did not want restoration and even met my attempt with further betrayal and hurt. It seemed clear forgiveness would not change anything. Why then should I forgive? Even though the Bible says I must do it, it did not make sense.
Then I read from Isaiah 48 God’s words to His people: “For my name’s sake will I defer mine anger... For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another.”
From this I learned another aspect of forgiveness important to my own situation. God Himself forgives because it is not like God to be unforgiving. His very nature is to be compassionate, kind and generous. If people are not willing to receive His kindness, it becomes a blotch on their name, not on God’s character.
Forgiveness, in this one case particularly, was for me. As a child of God, my Father did not want me to hold unforgiveness in my heart. It would be foreign to godliness and contrary to the Christlikeness to which He has called me. The person who hurt me may never receive my offer, but by forgiving that person, I am acting as God intends.
When I did it, I was set free from anger, from the nagging desire for revenge, and therefore from all possibility of bitterness. My own spirit became soft and settled. My relationship with God grew sweeter. Clearly, forgiveness is profitable for me.
The Psalmist prayed, “For the sake of your name, O LORD, forgive my iniquity, though it is great” and “Help us, O God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name’s sake.”
Asking for forgiveness on the basis of God’s name and His character is clarified further when we consider His forgiveness. His Son was also murdered by people who misunderstood His actions and struggled with accepting His claims. Crucifying the sinless Jesus was a brutal and totally senseless act. Yet, by that act, God was able to forgive not only those who killed His Son, but all sinners and all sins ever committed by every person. His forgiveness brings restoration between sinful people (who accept it) and a Holy God.
Does that make sense? Without faith, it is illogical. God dying on a cross so He could forgive us? That is senseless — but it is also good news!
Friday, December 11, 2015
No Resurrection, no Christianity ............. Parables 364
April 6, 1993
Christianity stands or falls on one issue. Taking a firm stand on this issue landed Paul the Apostle in the middle of a controversy.
About 55-60 years after the birth of Christ, Roman leader Festus, governor of Caesarea, didn’t know what to do with this fiery preacher. Some angry Jews demanded justice concerning their charges against him but they could not prove what they said and Paul, a Roman citizen, refused to be tried in their territory. He insisted he be taken to Rome for the Emperor’s decision.
Festus was confused. He discussed the matter with King Agrippa. “When his accusers got up to speak, they did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected. Instead they had some points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a dead man named Jesus who Paul claimed was alive.”
Obviously Festus did not believe Paul’s message either, but resurrection was not a new idea. One segment of Jewish religion always taught that people would be raised from the dead. The idea most of them refused to accept concerned Jesus, the man who claimed to be God, the man they had crucified. Other Jews, including Paul, preached that He was alive, that He had risen from the dead.
Why should that shake them up? Why bother with the expense and hassle of bringing legal action against a radical preacher for a message they were sure was untrue? What was the point? If Paul was wrong, after a while no one would listen to him and the issue would fade into the past. If Paul was right, some should have been delighted that resurrection had been proved a reality.
However, the death and resurrection of Jesus was full of implications. This event could not be accepted at face value without considering the significance of all else Jesus said and did. Anyone who rises from the dead and walks the earth again like He did, could not be a mere man. His resurrection demanded they reconsider His claims. Who was He? Why did He die? How does what He said apply to them?
The clip shown at the Academy Awards of Clint Eastwood’s performance in a movie called “Unforgiven”sets up the message of the resurrection. One line, (even though somewhat out of context) explains the reason Jesus died. Apparently some men had been killed. Another younger actor was trying to adjust his emotions to the finality of their death. In desperation, he lifted a bottle to his mouth and said, “Anyway, they deserved it.” To this, Eastwood replied, “We all deserve it.”
That’s it. That’s why the Jews were mad at Paul’s message. Jesus died because we all deserve it. Only Jesus did not deserve to die. His life was spotless before man and God. He willingly went to the cross to satisfy the justice sin demands because He loves us.
This was the claim of Christ, that He was God Himself, filled with love and compassion for people whose sin meant they deserved nothing but death. If this claim was true, nothing less than His death and resurrection would prove it.
Of course those who wanted Jesus to die could not accept Paul’s message. It incriminated them. Better get rid of Paul. Oddly enough, it had not been too many years prior that Paul felt the same way. He also killed Christians. It was not until the risen Christ confronted him personally that he knew the message was true.
The movie “Unforgiven” (which I have not seen) sounds like bad news compared to the amazing hope that Paul’s accusers refused to accept and that Paul himself nearly missed. Thankfully, God had compassion on him and rewrote his story — with a small title change from Eastwood’s film — it now reads “Forgiven.”
Christianity stands or falls on one issue. Taking a firm stand on this issue landed Paul the Apostle in the middle of a controversy.
About 55-60 years after the birth of Christ, Roman leader Festus, governor of Caesarea, didn’t know what to do with this fiery preacher. Some angry Jews demanded justice concerning their charges against him but they could not prove what they said and Paul, a Roman citizen, refused to be tried in their territory. He insisted he be taken to Rome for the Emperor’s decision.
Festus was confused. He discussed the matter with King Agrippa. “When his accusers got up to speak, they did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected. Instead they had some points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a dead man named Jesus who Paul claimed was alive.”
Obviously Festus did not believe Paul’s message either, but resurrection was not a new idea. One segment of Jewish religion always taught that people would be raised from the dead. The idea most of them refused to accept concerned Jesus, the man who claimed to be God, the man they had crucified. Other Jews, including Paul, preached that He was alive, that He had risen from the dead.
Why should that shake them up? Why bother with the expense and hassle of bringing legal action against a radical preacher for a message they were sure was untrue? What was the point? If Paul was wrong, after a while no one would listen to him and the issue would fade into the past. If Paul was right, some should have been delighted that resurrection had been proved a reality.
However, the death and resurrection of Jesus was full of implications. This event could not be accepted at face value without considering the significance of all else Jesus said and did. Anyone who rises from the dead and walks the earth again like He did, could not be a mere man. His resurrection demanded they reconsider His claims. Who was He? Why did He die? How does what He said apply to them?
The clip shown at the Academy Awards of Clint Eastwood’s performance in a movie called “Unforgiven”sets up the message of the resurrection. One line, (even though somewhat out of context) explains the reason Jesus died. Apparently some men had been killed. Another younger actor was trying to adjust his emotions to the finality of their death. In desperation, he lifted a bottle to his mouth and said, “Anyway, they deserved it.” To this, Eastwood replied, “We all deserve it.”
That’s it. That’s why the Jews were mad at Paul’s message. Jesus died because we all deserve it. Only Jesus did not deserve to die. His life was spotless before man and God. He willingly went to the cross to satisfy the justice sin demands because He loves us.
This was the claim of Christ, that He was God Himself, filled with love and compassion for people whose sin meant they deserved nothing but death. If this claim was true, nothing less than His death and resurrection would prove it.
Of course those who wanted Jesus to die could not accept Paul’s message. It incriminated them. Better get rid of Paul. Oddly enough, it had not been too many years prior that Paul felt the same way. He also killed Christians. It was not until the risen Christ confronted him personally that he knew the message was true.
The movie “Unforgiven” (which I have not seen) sounds like bad news compared to the amazing hope that Paul’s accusers refused to accept and that Paul himself nearly missed. Thankfully, God had compassion on him and rewrote his story — with a small title change from Eastwood’s film — it now reads “Forgiven.”
Friday, September 25, 2015
Genuine Forgiveness ................ Parables 331
August 18, 1992
Forgiveness is perhaps the most marvelous grace — yet also the most misunderstood. Whenever someone says “I forgive, but I will never forget” or “How can I forgive... it will just happen again” or “No problem, it was nothing,” they have not fully realized the reality of forgiveness.
First, forgiveness does not require to never again recall that you were offended. While the Psalmist pleads “Do not remember the sins of my youth nor my transgressions; according to Your mercy remember me for Your goodness’ sake, O LORD” (Psalms 25:7) and God says “I am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins” (Isaiah 43:25), the Bible makes it clear that God does not simply forget things.
“Remember” can mean call to mind with the intention of acting upon those thoughts in an appropriate way. Since sin against God deserves judgment, the psalmist asks God to “forget” his sins by showing mercy rather than wrath.
Second, biblical forgiveness is not based on whether or not the offender repeats what has been done. If that were the case, God could never forgive any of us. Christians are well aware of how the sins we struggle to never do are the very sins we tend to repeat. If God gave only one or even three chances, we would never experience His forgiveness.
Third, forgiveness is not given lightly, with a glib “no problem.” Sin is serious and forgiveness is costly. The holy nature of God demands sin be punished. He could neither overlook offenses against Him or underrate their seriousness. However, rather than inflict those who sinned, He sent His Son who “became sin for us that we might receive the righteousness of God.” God the Son suffered and died so we could be forgiven.
For us, forgiveness is not easy either. It demands a choice reject thinking about the offenses of the one who has sinned against us, refusing to mull it over in our minds or allow ourselves to indulge in indignation or a spirit of vengeance. While we may not ever forget what was done, we must choose not to remember it with hostility and bitterness.
For us, forgiveness also has little to do with the behavior of the one we forgive and a great deal to do with our inner attitude. The other person may never repent or ask for forgiveness, but we must hold an attitude of forgiveness in our hearts. Whether they are willing to receive it or not is not our responsibility. We have to wrestle with our own pride and sense of self-preservation with accompanying emotional desires to retaliate. It is a hard-fought battle to overcome our own anger for the sake of forgiving. When we do it, the ball is in the offender’s court.
Winning this battle is much easier for those who understand the price that was paid by God for their own forgiveness. He says: “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:31,32).
God knows we will be hurt, bitter, angry and filled with malice towards others. Life is like that and sinners are like that; we hurt one another and we react to those hurts. The imperative here is not to react with anger but instead put those thoughts away — the equivalent of not “remembering” them — and replace them with kindness and a tenderness towards those who offend. They may not deserve it or even ask for it yet that is how God in Christ has forgiven us. We have not deserved it and many have not even asked for it, yet it is fully available from Him.
No, refusing to hold on to a desire for revenge is not easy, especially if the offender keeps on hurting us, but it is possible by the grace of God and the example set by His Son to fully and completely forgive.
Forgiveness is perhaps the most marvelous grace — yet also the most misunderstood. Whenever someone says “I forgive, but I will never forget” or “How can I forgive... it will just happen again” or “No problem, it was nothing,” they have not fully realized the reality of forgiveness.
First, forgiveness does not require to never again recall that you were offended. While the Psalmist pleads “Do not remember the sins of my youth nor my transgressions; according to Your mercy remember me for Your goodness’ sake, O LORD” (Psalms 25:7) and God says “I am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins” (Isaiah 43:25), the Bible makes it clear that God does not simply forget things.
“Remember” can mean call to mind with the intention of acting upon those thoughts in an appropriate way. Since sin against God deserves judgment, the psalmist asks God to “forget” his sins by showing mercy rather than wrath.
Second, biblical forgiveness is not based on whether or not the offender repeats what has been done. If that were the case, God could never forgive any of us. Christians are well aware of how the sins we struggle to never do are the very sins we tend to repeat. If God gave only one or even three chances, we would never experience His forgiveness.
Third, forgiveness is not given lightly, with a glib “no problem.” Sin is serious and forgiveness is costly. The holy nature of God demands sin be punished. He could neither overlook offenses against Him or underrate their seriousness. However, rather than inflict those who sinned, He sent His Son who “became sin for us that we might receive the righteousness of God.” God the Son suffered and died so we could be forgiven.
For us, forgiveness is not easy either. It demands a choice reject thinking about the offenses of the one who has sinned against us, refusing to mull it over in our minds or allow ourselves to indulge in indignation or a spirit of vengeance. While we may not ever forget what was done, we must choose not to remember it with hostility and bitterness.
For us, forgiveness also has little to do with the behavior of the one we forgive and a great deal to do with our inner attitude. The other person may never repent or ask for forgiveness, but we must hold an attitude of forgiveness in our hearts. Whether they are willing to receive it or not is not our responsibility. We have to wrestle with our own pride and sense of self-preservation with accompanying emotional desires to retaliate. It is a hard-fought battle to overcome our own anger for the sake of forgiving. When we do it, the ball is in the offender’s court.
Winning this battle is much easier for those who understand the price that was paid by God for their own forgiveness. He says: “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:31,32).
God knows we will be hurt, bitter, angry and filled with malice towards others. Life is like that and sinners are like that; we hurt one another and we react to those hurts. The imperative here is not to react with anger but instead put those thoughts away — the equivalent of not “remembering” them — and replace them with kindness and a tenderness towards those who offend. They may not deserve it or even ask for it yet that is how God in Christ has forgiven us. We have not deserved it and many have not even asked for it, yet it is fully available from Him.
No, refusing to hold on to a desire for revenge is not easy, especially if the offender keeps on hurting us, but it is possible by the grace of God and the example set by His Son to fully and completely forgive.
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Grannie Disease ................ Parables 318
May 19, 1992
During a recent visit, our oldest son noticed I kept forgetting to do something and quipped “I get that too — it’s called granny-disease.”
I should have swatted him. Most women want to forget birthdays only, and never become old enough to be forgetful! However, I did console myself with this thought: I am in good company — God forgets things too.
Directly related to God’s forgetfulness is one aspect of our own ability to forget. My husband and I marvel how the memory of confessed, forgiven sin fades. Our recall of things done in the past, things we were so ashamed of, has faded to the point where neither of us can remember details, even if we try. Yet there was a time we thought we would never forget.
Recently, God graciously delivered a friend of mine from a life of violent sin and demonic oppression that once dominated everything she did. What amazes her is that now she can scarcely remember even the most recent images from her past. She is particularly overjoyed that plaguing mental images are completely gone — as if she did not even experience them.
I know that some people are able to push painful or ugly memories out of their minds with busyness and noise, but their forgetfulness is repression, a deliberate effort. It is not the same as what God does with a Christian’s memory of sin.
To understand it, we need to first know what God Himself does with our sin. The Psalmist explains that “the LORD is merciful and gracious and slow to anger... while He does hate sin, He does not stay angry for ever...” even though He has every right to remain angry with us.
God offers forgiveness for at least two reasons. First, He can forgive because of the gospel. The death of His Son satisfied His righteous wrath against sin. We deserved the penalty but He loved us so much that He sent His Son to pay the penalty our sin deserved. Those who acknowledge their sin and need for forgiveness and believe in Christ as their sin-bearer, are pardoned. Their offenses are removed from them, nailed to His cross and God says, “Their sins and iniquities I will remember no more (Hebrews 10:17).
Second, His own nature demands forgiveness. Because He is holy, He cannot hold grudges. He says: “I, even I, am He that blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and will not remember your sins.” That is why we can pray as the psalmist did: “Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember me for thy goodness’ sake, O LORD” (Psalms 25:7).
The marvel is God not only forgives our confessed sin but also removes it. He promises: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Psalm 103 goes on to say “He has not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities... as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”
Christians experience the reality of freedom from guilt. As we confess daily and as each sin is cleansed, its guilt is taken away. Then, as we learn to live more and more under the control of the Holy Spirit, we more and more think like He thinks — and the more we think like He thinks, the more we are able to simply forget our sins — as He does.
None of us like it when we can’t remember the names of our good neighbors or where we put the car keys, but when it comes to forgetting cancelled sin, I do welcome having granny-disease.
During a recent visit, our oldest son noticed I kept forgetting to do something and quipped “I get that too — it’s called granny-disease.”
I should have swatted him. Most women want to forget birthdays only, and never become old enough to be forgetful! However, I did console myself with this thought: I am in good company — God forgets things too.
Directly related to God’s forgetfulness is one aspect of our own ability to forget. My husband and I marvel how the memory of confessed, forgiven sin fades. Our recall of things done in the past, things we were so ashamed of, has faded to the point where neither of us can remember details, even if we try. Yet there was a time we thought we would never forget.
Recently, God graciously delivered a friend of mine from a life of violent sin and demonic oppression that once dominated everything she did. What amazes her is that now she can scarcely remember even the most recent images from her past. She is particularly overjoyed that plaguing mental images are completely gone — as if she did not even experience them.
I know that some people are able to push painful or ugly memories out of their minds with busyness and noise, but their forgetfulness is repression, a deliberate effort. It is not the same as what God does with a Christian’s memory of sin.
To understand it, we need to first know what God Himself does with our sin. The Psalmist explains that “the LORD is merciful and gracious and slow to anger... while He does hate sin, He does not stay angry for ever...” even though He has every right to remain angry with us.
God offers forgiveness for at least two reasons. First, He can forgive because of the gospel. The death of His Son satisfied His righteous wrath against sin. We deserved the penalty but He loved us so much that He sent His Son to pay the penalty our sin deserved. Those who acknowledge their sin and need for forgiveness and believe in Christ as their sin-bearer, are pardoned. Their offenses are removed from them, nailed to His cross and God says, “Their sins and iniquities I will remember no more (Hebrews 10:17).
Second, His own nature demands forgiveness. Because He is holy, He cannot hold grudges. He says: “I, even I, am He that blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and will not remember your sins.” That is why we can pray as the psalmist did: “Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember me for thy goodness’ sake, O LORD” (Psalms 25:7).
The marvel is God not only forgives our confessed sin but also removes it. He promises: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Psalm 103 goes on to say “He has not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities... as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”
Christians experience the reality of freedom from guilt. As we confess daily and as each sin is cleansed, its guilt is taken away. Then, as we learn to live more and more under the control of the Holy Spirit, we more and more think like He thinks — and the more we think like He thinks, the more we are able to simply forget our sins — as He does.
None of us like it when we can’t remember the names of our good neighbors or where we put the car keys, but when it comes to forgetting cancelled sin, I do welcome having granny-disease.
Monday, April 13, 2015
Good from evil .............. Parables 260
(March 27, 1991)
A few years ago the brothers of a young man felt extremely threatened by his leadership abilities so they plotted to kill him. Somehow their plan was bungled but they didn’t realize it; he didn’t die, but did leave the country. In his new location, the ambitious young man soon had a job. He worked hard and achieved a position of responsibility. Then hard luck hit him again. This time his boss’s wife tried to seduce him. Since he was upright and moral, her efforts didn’t succeed, however the scorned seductress was upset and retaliated. She accused him before her husband of attempted rape. Her husband was furious and the young man went to prison.
Confinement didn’t turn our hero sour though. Soon his unique skills were appreciated by a couple of prison mates. Later, one of them was released and was working for a man of prominence who had a special problem. He remembered this young fellow back in prison and told his boss he knew someone who could solve the problem. So our hero was released from prison and given a job offer of considerable significance. He began planning and making investments intended to profit both his new employer and his new country.
In the meantime, severe famine conditions developed in both this country and in his homeland. His family lost everything. Destitute and starving, his brothers decided they needed to relocate if they were going to survive. Oddly enough, they traveled to the same country in which their brother now lived. To make a long story short, he was the person with means and authority who could feed them and meet their financial difficulties.
Of course they were terrified when they realized this benefactor was their brother whom they had betrayed. They were certain he would retaliate. He had every right to -- but he didn’t. In fact, when he told them he would take care of them, he gave them this reason for his actions: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good, to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he spoke kindly to them.
In case you have not guessed, the young man was Joseph, the biblical lad who was given a coat of many colors. He was left for dead by his jealous brothers and became a leader in Egypt, prudently storing grain before a famine. As a result, there was enough, not only for Egypt but to feed the huge family of his father, Jacob, who later came searching for food.
As I considered an action someone took against me (that was intended for evil), this story of Joseph came to mind. My situation did not involve a plot to murder me (at least I don’t think it did), but it was like Joseph’s in that the consequences seemed unbearable for me. What about the one who sinned?
The Bible says the results of evil are hardly ever what anyone could call good, especially for those who commit the deeds. If the guilty persons are Christians, there will be chastening (Hebrews 12). If they are not, “the wages of sin is death,” meaning separation from God for eternity. Evil doesn’t pay.
So how does it work for the one sinned against? Do we have to bear the bitter consequences too? Not all the time. Joseph’s story shows that God is bigger than sin and can work behind the scenes to reverse the sinner’s intended results. His brothers wanted Joseph’s destruction, but God worked it for good, both for Joseph and for them!
The supreme example is the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. He was an innocent victim whose enemies determined to destroy Him — this had to be the greatest sin. Yet out of it, God worked the greatest good... the crime committed became His means of redemption for sinners. Surely such a God can be trusted, even with whatever our enemies might try to do against us.
A few years ago the brothers of a young man felt extremely threatened by his leadership abilities so they plotted to kill him. Somehow their plan was bungled but they didn’t realize it; he didn’t die, but did leave the country. In his new location, the ambitious young man soon had a job. He worked hard and achieved a position of responsibility. Then hard luck hit him again. This time his boss’s wife tried to seduce him. Since he was upright and moral, her efforts didn’t succeed, however the scorned seductress was upset and retaliated. She accused him before her husband of attempted rape. Her husband was furious and the young man went to prison.
Confinement didn’t turn our hero sour though. Soon his unique skills were appreciated by a couple of prison mates. Later, one of them was released and was working for a man of prominence who had a special problem. He remembered this young fellow back in prison and told his boss he knew someone who could solve the problem. So our hero was released from prison and given a job offer of considerable significance. He began planning and making investments intended to profit both his new employer and his new country.
In the meantime, severe famine conditions developed in both this country and in his homeland. His family lost everything. Destitute and starving, his brothers decided they needed to relocate if they were going to survive. Oddly enough, they traveled to the same country in which their brother now lived. To make a long story short, he was the person with means and authority who could feed them and meet their financial difficulties.
Of course they were terrified when they realized this benefactor was their brother whom they had betrayed. They were certain he would retaliate. He had every right to -- but he didn’t. In fact, when he told them he would take care of them, he gave them this reason for his actions: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good, to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he spoke kindly to them.
In case you have not guessed, the young man was Joseph, the biblical lad who was given a coat of many colors. He was left for dead by his jealous brothers and became a leader in Egypt, prudently storing grain before a famine. As a result, there was enough, not only for Egypt but to feed the huge family of his father, Jacob, who later came searching for food.
As I considered an action someone took against me (that was intended for evil), this story of Joseph came to mind. My situation did not involve a plot to murder me (at least I don’t think it did), but it was like Joseph’s in that the consequences seemed unbearable for me. What about the one who sinned?
The Bible says the results of evil are hardly ever what anyone could call good, especially for those who commit the deeds. If the guilty persons are Christians, there will be chastening (Hebrews 12). If they are not, “the wages of sin is death,” meaning separation from God for eternity. Evil doesn’t pay.
So how does it work for the one sinned against? Do we have to bear the bitter consequences too? Not all the time. Joseph’s story shows that God is bigger than sin and can work behind the scenes to reverse the sinner’s intended results. His brothers wanted Joseph’s destruction, but God worked it for good, both for Joseph and for them!
The supreme example is the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. He was an innocent victim whose enemies determined to destroy Him — this had to be the greatest sin. Yet out of it, God worked the greatest good... the crime committed became His means of redemption for sinners. Surely such a God can be trusted, even with whatever our enemies might try to do against us.
Friday, May 23, 2014
Do mistakes need forgiveness? .................... Parables 121
U.S. SHOOTS DOWN IRAN JET 290 DEAD
Whatever our feeling about U.S. involvement in the Middle East, this mind-numbing tragedy stained faces with tears and filled minds with questions, many of which may never be answered. How could it happen? What will be the consequence? What will happen to the men who gave the orders to fire? Are they guilty of an act of aggression?
As I considered this headline, other questions came to mind: If a person makes a terrible error without intent to do wrong, does God still call that a sin? Will “I didn’t mean to . . . ” exonerate a person from guilt before God for their actions?
Jesus told a story about a landowner who had to leave his servants in charge of his property. Some took their responsibility seriously. Others did not. Jesus described their fate: “And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not . . . do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he who did not know, yet committed things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few” (Luke 12:47-48).
The servant who willfully did wrong deserved his punishment. But the servant who didn’t know that what he was doing was wrong was also punished, not as severely, but nonetheless punished.
In the book of Acts, Peter explained that those who crucified Jesus were ignorant of what they were doing, “ . . . you killed the Prince of life whom God hath raised from the dead . . . through ignorance you did it . . . ” Yet they needed forgiveness or Jesus, when they nailed Him to the cross, would not have prayed, “Father, forgive them, they do not know what they do.”
According to Leviticus 5:17-19, ignorance is no excuse. When God’s commands are broken, it is sin: “And if a soul sins and commits any of these things which are forbidden by the commandments of the Lord; though he does not know it, yet he is guilty . . . he has certainly trespassed against the Lord.”
Not all sin is committed in ignorance, but whatever the case, Jesus died so sinners could be forgiven. His salvation is for anyone who will come to Him, in faith, repenting of their sin, and believing in Him.
One more question: Does that mean that once a sinner has been forgiven, there will be no consequences or punishment for sin? That depends. God will not punish His children with eternal judgment; His forgiveness is forever. Romans 8 declares that the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ makes us free from the law of sin and death.
However, if civil law is broken, the lawbreaker can expect to serve his sentence, see Romans 13. Besides that, there is God’s law of cause and effect. If I unintentionally break someone’s arm, God will forgive me, and so might the person, but they still must wear a cast for six weeks.
The U.S. government, as a body, may not bring this matter before God, although individuals probably already have done so. Some may be held accountable legally for what has happened. A great many will suffer the consequences - perhaps all of us, should it set off a full-scale war.
But whatever the U.S. does with this major mistake, we should not forget one thing - we make them too, both big and small. The remedy that restores individual peace of mind and satisfies a sin-hating God is not “I didn’t mean to . . . ” but, “You are right, I am wrong. Please forgive me . . . ” accompanied by faith in the good news that the sacrifice of Jesus Christ is sufficient to cover any and every sin we commit, intentional or not.
Whatever our feeling about U.S. involvement in the Middle East, this mind-numbing tragedy stained faces with tears and filled minds with questions, many of which may never be answered. How could it happen? What will be the consequence? What will happen to the men who gave the orders to fire? Are they guilty of an act of aggression?
As I considered this headline, other questions came to mind: If a person makes a terrible error without intent to do wrong, does God still call that a sin? Will “I didn’t mean to . . . ” exonerate a person from guilt before God for their actions?
Jesus told a story about a landowner who had to leave his servants in charge of his property. Some took their responsibility seriously. Others did not. Jesus described their fate: “And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not . . . do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he who did not know, yet committed things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few” (Luke 12:47-48).
The servant who willfully did wrong deserved his punishment. But the servant who didn’t know that what he was doing was wrong was also punished, not as severely, but nonetheless punished.
In the book of Acts, Peter explained that those who crucified Jesus were ignorant of what they were doing, “ . . . you killed the Prince of life whom God hath raised from the dead . . . through ignorance you did it . . . ” Yet they needed forgiveness or Jesus, when they nailed Him to the cross, would not have prayed, “Father, forgive them, they do not know what they do.”
According to Leviticus 5:17-19, ignorance is no excuse. When God’s commands are broken, it is sin: “And if a soul sins and commits any of these things which are forbidden by the commandments of the Lord; though he does not know it, yet he is guilty . . . he has certainly trespassed against the Lord.”
Not all sin is committed in ignorance, but whatever the case, Jesus died so sinners could be forgiven. His salvation is for anyone who will come to Him, in faith, repenting of their sin, and believing in Him.
One more question: Does that mean that once a sinner has been forgiven, there will be no consequences or punishment for sin? That depends. God will not punish His children with eternal judgment; His forgiveness is forever. Romans 8 declares that the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ makes us free from the law of sin and death.
However, if civil law is broken, the lawbreaker can expect to serve his sentence, see Romans 13. Besides that, there is God’s law of cause and effect. If I unintentionally break someone’s arm, God will forgive me, and so might the person, but they still must wear a cast for six weeks.
The U.S. government, as a body, may not bring this matter before God, although individuals probably already have done so. Some may be held accountable legally for what has happened. A great many will suffer the consequences - perhaps all of us, should it set off a full-scale war.
But whatever the U.S. does with this major mistake, we should not forget one thing - we make them too, both big and small. The remedy that restores individual peace of mind and satisfies a sin-hating God is not “I didn’t mean to . . . ” but, “You are right, I am wrong. Please forgive me . . . ” accompanied by faith in the good news that the sacrifice of Jesus Christ is sufficient to cover any and every sin we commit, intentional or not.
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Perfuming a pig? .................... Parables 085
While washing the wood paneled walls that line the stairway to the basement of our home, I felt like I was trying to perfume a pig. The stairs themselves are still the 2 inch boards used by the builder, without benefit of carpet or tile to cover them. A few years ago someone painted them off-white; someone else walked on the paint before it was dry; a few families moved in and out; some put a chip here, a gouge there... those stairs looked pretty shabby. In energy born from frustration, I grabbed a paint brush and give them a quick coat of fresh paint.
The nicks and gouges are the same color now. The wood is still rather beat-up but the paint gives a uniform effect. It will do, for a time, but I still feel vaguely unsatisfied; I did not fix the real problem.
That can happen in other areas of life too. Ever have an argument with someone, mumble “I’m sorry”, but still feel that something was left undone? Also, there is the vague unrest after doing a job at less than our best. It is easy to make an excuse and shrug it off, but it gets added to the clutter of the unfinished, the unsatisfactory, the “I-wish-I-could- do-it-over” stuff in our lives.
The Bible tells Christians to put the past behind, to press on toward the goal of Christlikeness. That sounds great, but we must also settle differences with others, pay our debts, and do our very best. How can we put the past behind without feeling like we are leaving a trail of debris along the way?
1) Keep short accounts with God: When I was a little girl, my grandmother told me never to apply perfume without first taking a bath. The principle carries over into spiritual life. If it is battered and gouged, or spotted and dirty, any efforts to whitewash it will only cover it up, not fix it. So, if the left-overs include unconfessed sin that must be dealt with. Putting on the perfume of goodness is important, but it does not correct the problem of any dirt that might be underneath.
Sin is serious, not to be swept under the carpet or whitewashed with excuses. David acknowledged his sin saying it was “always before me” and asked God “cleanse my heart and restore the joy of my salvation.” He did that because he knew that God “...is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (I John 1:9).
2) Make restitution: The past may include some unresolved relationship problems. God asks us to deal with them too, even if they seem like “old” issues. When I became a Christian the Lord impressed upon me to apologize to someone I had wronged ten years before. It was hard to find the person’s location and write a letter of apology, but the burden of the unfinished was lifted. Jesus said not to bring any gift to the alter of God without dealing with unresolved differences with others. (See Matt. 5:23,24)
3) Put the things we cannot do anything about into the Lord’s hands: No amount of regret, sighing, or unscrambling will change most of the past. If we have confessed any sin to God and done what we can to correct broken relationships with others, then it is time to move on. Moaning “if only” is destructive and time-wasting. When we spend a lot of time wishing we had done differently, that is all we do, wish. And our lives never change now - when we have opportunity to change.
4) Be free to build memories for the future. Tomorrow I want to be able to look back on today with the awareness that I did what the Lord wanted me to do with as much ability has He has given me to do it. If it does not happen that way, then, because of His mercy, I am “not consumed... His compassions fail not. They are new every morning...” making each new day a new beginning without a backlog of the unfinished to spoil it.
The nicks and gouges are the same color now. The wood is still rather beat-up but the paint gives a uniform effect. It will do, for a time, but I still feel vaguely unsatisfied; I did not fix the real problem.
That can happen in other areas of life too. Ever have an argument with someone, mumble “I’m sorry”, but still feel that something was left undone? Also, there is the vague unrest after doing a job at less than our best. It is easy to make an excuse and shrug it off, but it gets added to the clutter of the unfinished, the unsatisfactory, the “I-wish-I-could- do-it-over” stuff in our lives.
The Bible tells Christians to put the past behind, to press on toward the goal of Christlikeness. That sounds great, but we must also settle differences with others, pay our debts, and do our very best. How can we put the past behind without feeling like we are leaving a trail of debris along the way?
1) Keep short accounts with God: When I was a little girl, my grandmother told me never to apply perfume without first taking a bath. The principle carries over into spiritual life. If it is battered and gouged, or spotted and dirty, any efforts to whitewash it will only cover it up, not fix it. So, if the left-overs include unconfessed sin that must be dealt with. Putting on the perfume of goodness is important, but it does not correct the problem of any dirt that might be underneath.
Sin is serious, not to be swept under the carpet or whitewashed with excuses. David acknowledged his sin saying it was “always before me” and asked God “cleanse my heart and restore the joy of my salvation.” He did that because he knew that God “...is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (I John 1:9).
2) Make restitution: The past may include some unresolved relationship problems. God asks us to deal with them too, even if they seem like “old” issues. When I became a Christian the Lord impressed upon me to apologize to someone I had wronged ten years before. It was hard to find the person’s location and write a letter of apology, but the burden of the unfinished was lifted. Jesus said not to bring any gift to the alter of God without dealing with unresolved differences with others. (See Matt. 5:23,24)
3) Put the things we cannot do anything about into the Lord’s hands: No amount of regret, sighing, or unscrambling will change most of the past. If we have confessed any sin to God and done what we can to correct broken relationships with others, then it is time to move on. Moaning “if only” is destructive and time-wasting. When we spend a lot of time wishing we had done differently, that is all we do, wish. And our lives never change now - when we have opportunity to change.
4) Be free to build memories for the future. Tomorrow I want to be able to look back on today with the awareness that I did what the Lord wanted me to do with as much ability has He has given me to do it. If it does not happen that way, then, because of His mercy, I am “not consumed... His compassions fail not. They are new every morning...” making each new day a new beginning without a backlog of the unfinished to spoil it.
Monday, September 9, 2013
The only cure for guilt ........................... Parables 018
What would you think of a doctor who gave you a few aspirins for a broken leg? What would you think of the staff in an emergency ward if you were in agony with a face full of glass and they offered you a 292 and a drink of water? You probably wouldn’t be too impressed at their efforts to treat your pain.
The dictionary defines pain as: “The unpleasant sensation of feeling resulting from or accompanying some injury, over-strain, or obstruction of the physical powers.” Obviously, pain has a purpose. It is there to inform us that something is wrong. The person who constantly treats pain with painkillers rather than seeking the source of the pain, is certain to face far more serious consequences than some “unpleasant sensations or feelings.” In fact, their life could be at stake.
Our emotions also contain a warning signal. This signal is designed to inform us when something is wrong with our spiritual condition. It is the unpleasant sensation or feeling that we call “guilt” and it acts much the same as pain. It accompanies some offense committed, or obstruction that we have placed between ourselves and God, to prevent His power from being active in our lives. And, as with pain, we have invented some “guilt-killers,” things that we use to try to cover the issue instead of getting to the root of the problem. I don’t know what other people do, but here are some of my “home-cure remedies” for guilt, none of which do any good, and in fact compound the problem and confuse the patient:
1) Blaming others and therefore denying responsibility for my own faults.
2) Rationalization, which is really redefining the “illness” so that I am not really guilty at all, and therefore need no treatment.
3) Excuses: “I couldn’t help it” “I didn’t know any better” “You made me do that!” and this gem, “That’s just the way I am!” Sometimes excuses are valid, but most of the time they are offered as a panacea for guilt.
4) Promising that I will never do it again, a sort of fantasy whereby I begin to think that because I have such good intentions, I have solved the entire problem.
5) Talking to myself about the various aspects of the problem so much that I have covered all the angles, am sick of the subject, have dulled my sense of guilt, and therefore have not had to admit it or do anything constructive about it.
6) Balance it out by focusing on my goodness, which is like saying, “Oh, I know my left arm is broken, but my right one is still okay.”
7) An extreme self-condemnation, exaggerating my responsibility for the mess that the entire world is in, to the point where I simply do not do anything specific about the garbage that is really mine.
8) And when all else fails, self-pity, even though it is a bitter spoonful of medicine to take, transfers the pain of guilt to a more satisfying pain of being a “poor innocent victim of circumstances!”
I am thankful to my Lord that even should I decide to take this entire batch of supposed painkillers for my guilt, He eventually brings me back to the place where I started, and to this verse which offers the only remedy that is effective: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
Just as a healthy body enjoys the well-being of being pain-free, those who know God’s forgiveness and cleansing from sin can enjoy freedom from guilt. His remedy is to get to the root of the problem and when we receive the forgiveness that He offers, the symptom is taken care of along with the disease.
The dictionary defines pain as: “The unpleasant sensation of feeling resulting from or accompanying some injury, over-strain, or obstruction of the physical powers.” Obviously, pain has a purpose. It is there to inform us that something is wrong. The person who constantly treats pain with painkillers rather than seeking the source of the pain, is certain to face far more serious consequences than some “unpleasant sensations or feelings.” In fact, their life could be at stake.
Our emotions also contain a warning signal. This signal is designed to inform us when something is wrong with our spiritual condition. It is the unpleasant sensation or feeling that we call “guilt” and it acts much the same as pain. It accompanies some offense committed, or obstruction that we have placed between ourselves and God, to prevent His power from being active in our lives. And, as with pain, we have invented some “guilt-killers,” things that we use to try to cover the issue instead of getting to the root of the problem. I don’t know what other people do, but here are some of my “home-cure remedies” for guilt, none of which do any good, and in fact compound the problem and confuse the patient:
1) Blaming others and therefore denying responsibility for my own faults.
2) Rationalization, which is really redefining the “illness” so that I am not really guilty at all, and therefore need no treatment.
3) Excuses: “I couldn’t help it” “I didn’t know any better” “You made me do that!” and this gem, “That’s just the way I am!” Sometimes excuses are valid, but most of the time they are offered as a panacea for guilt.
4) Promising that I will never do it again, a sort of fantasy whereby I begin to think that because I have such good intentions, I have solved the entire problem.
5) Talking to myself about the various aspects of the problem so much that I have covered all the angles, am sick of the subject, have dulled my sense of guilt, and therefore have not had to admit it or do anything constructive about it.
6) Balance it out by focusing on my goodness, which is like saying, “Oh, I know my left arm is broken, but my right one is still okay.”
7) An extreme self-condemnation, exaggerating my responsibility for the mess that the entire world is in, to the point where I simply do not do anything specific about the garbage that is really mine.
8) And when all else fails, self-pity, even though it is a bitter spoonful of medicine to take, transfers the pain of guilt to a more satisfying pain of being a “poor innocent victim of circumstances!”
I am thankful to my Lord that even should I decide to take this entire batch of supposed painkillers for my guilt, He eventually brings me back to the place where I started, and to this verse which offers the only remedy that is effective: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
Just as a healthy body enjoys the well-being of being pain-free, those who know God’s forgiveness and cleansing from sin can enjoy freedom from guilt. His remedy is to get to the root of the problem and when we receive the forgiveness that He offers, the symptom is taken care of along with the disease.
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