We never deserve forgiveness
Luke
{6:27} But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you
{6:28} Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.
{6:29} And unto him that smiteth thee on the [one] cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not [to take thy] coat also.
{6:30} Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask [them] not again.
{6:31} And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.
{6:32} For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.
{6:33} And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.
{6:34} And if ye lend [to them] of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.
{6:35} But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and [to] the evil.
{6:36} Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.
{6:37} Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven
{6:38} Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
Love your enemies.
What if your enemy is someone you already love? Seriously. Does that sound contradictory? It's been proven that people you know and love hurt you more than strangers do. We don't want to believe that could be true. We trust the ones we love. Love and trust often go hand in hand don't they? How can you truly love someone and not trust them? As soon as the element of distrust creeps in it taints the love doesn't it? Instead of an 'I love you', it becomes an 'I love you but...' And as soon as that but emerges it changes the love doesn't it?
Love your enemies. What was Christ asking us to do by asking us to do good to them that hate us, bless them that curse us, pray for those who despitefully use us? What was He asking? The impossible? So much inside us rises up in rebellion, in revenge, in anger, in hatred when we are set upon by enemies, especially enemies you thought were your most cherished loved ones already. The sense of betrayal coupled with abuse is so raw, so intense.
So what was Christ asking for, the impossible? Yes. Yes, I said yes. Because it is impossible for the natural man in us to do that. So if Christ was asking us to do the impossible and we know that Christ wouldn't really ask us to do anything impossible, what was the purpose of His asking us to do all that to despicable creatures that are somehow below the standard of humanity we like to think should exist?
Christ was asking us to rely on Him. To rely on Christ in us to do these things.
Col.{1:27} To whom God would make known what [is] the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory
Gal. {3:26} For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
{3:27} For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
Christ in us, putting on Christ.
Col.
{3:1} If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
{3:2} Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
{3:3} For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
{3:4} When Christ, [who is] our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory
Risen with Christ.
We are dead and our live is hid with Christ in God.
Of ourselves we can do nothing.
John {15:5} I am the vine, ye [are] the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing
Abide in Christ.
Jesus knew when He told us to love our enemies that it would be impossible for us to do so without Him in our lives. The natural man inside each of us wars against the love of Jesus in favor of the sinful things that we have come to know as our natural tendencies. Paul knew this just as we do.
Romans
{7:24} O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
{7:25} I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
Jesus Christ our Lord alone can save us from ourselves. It is only through Him that we can truly face the worst of our enemies even if they are an enemy of the worst kind, a beloved trusted family member, and turn the other cheek. Love our enemies, impossible for us, but not for Christ in us.
Satan wins a victory over us if we allow his wily well laid schemes to bear fruit and rip us from the grasp of our Lord. Don't think that Satan doesn't scheme and have patience to do so, he does. The evil in Him is satisfied to lay traps down for us and glory in our falling into them and then using those captured in the traps as bait for future trapping. Yes, he sows his own seeds of discord and sits back to watch them take root and shoot up, grow and flourish until they try and bear fruit to our destruction. Only Christ saves us from that trap, from that wicked plant that would crush the life from us, the eternal life.
Don't be afraid to name names and point at Satan and declare him for what he is, a liar, an evil angel bent on destruction of all that is good in humanity.
When we truly realize we're fighting against principalities and wickedness in high places and not just our fellow man, we can know that the battle we're in is fierce. We fight against an unseen enemy using any means possible to fuel our destruction. So while our enemy might appear to be our fellow man, we need to recognize the truth-- our enemy is using our fellow man and yes, even our loved ones. Satan will stop at nothing to take us, to 'sift us as wheat'. Christ has prayed for us, for our faith to remain and in Him we have to place all our hope, all our trust. Such hope, such trust will allow us to truly love our enemies because we see beyond the here and now and glimpse into eternity when we do so. We lay hold of a future filled with love in Christ and we condemn the evil that would destroy us here and now and take eternity from us with bitterness and hatred.
Yes, we can do the impossible with Christ and with Christ alone through faith in Him.
May God bless us and keep us in Him now and forever. May our faith be renewed through each and every assault on it, may it serve to only make us stronger in our love for Christ and the hope of His love eternally.
Christ wasn't saying let the wicked escape punishment, Christ was saying there is a bigger picture- a much bigger picture where love rules and if your enemies can find that love in Christ because you reveal your own love of Christ then all glory and praise to God! Christ was saying if your enemy never finds their way to Christ but continuously and everlastingly abuses you that their reward for their wickedness is in His hands. We need to trust in Christ. If we love our enemies we are allowing Christ to reveal His love through us.
Someone once said to me they didn't deserve my forgiveness, and I said to them, that's the whole point-- we never deserve forgiveness. Christ died for us who don't deserve to be forgiven and isn't that the whole point?
Love.
Christ's love.
By His love, by His mercy and grace now and forever.
Amen.
5/21/10
The invitation was received not on parchment but by word of mouth. There was no need to RSVP, no need to worry over fancy dress or pristine trousers, polished shoes, nor styled hair. Come as you are, come one, come all the words rang out and curiousity offered its soft embrace gently drawing many.
The podium was a large gray rock with a soft patch of moss on the northern side and a worn crevice used as a step to attain a likely perch on the opposite side. No one sat, nor stood upon the boulder as of yet while people began to gather in a large circle around its central impressive, if yet vacant, figure.
"We are here to listen to the miracle worker, do you think he'll perform?"
"Of course, I'm counting on it."
"He best, else why would I be here?"
"What miracles will he do?"
"He heals."
"And others?"
"He feeds."
"Is there more?"
"He raised the dead."
"Ahhhh, are we sure he's real?"
"I'll believe it all when I see it."
"Shhhhh... here He comes!"
The man walked forward as the crowd parted and his expression was one of care. He had a soft smile for a child nestled against a mother's side and a gentle nod towards a very old man squinting to see him clearly. For those whose gaze touched His own they saw a tenderness, a kindness completely unassuming as it was offered so naturally, so freely.
Easy ascent up the natural stone step upon the boulder and the man carefully settled himself down with a happy sigh.
He didn't take long but began to speak and instantly his voice carried across the gathered throng, his words powerful.
And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. 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. Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing. Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery. Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil. Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly. And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye. Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you. Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? 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. Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
No miracles needed the words were enough as they cut to the heart of the listeners. No miracles as each word like a drop of water on a parched tongue pierced the great soul thirst of those hearing him speak. These words were truth as never before spoken. The multitude were ready to follow this man...
...are you?
5/21/11
Psa 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me
Why doesn't God hear us? If we regard iniquity in our hearts. If we keep sin in our lives why should we expect God to hear us? Why? It is true that our Savior came to save the sinners (which is all of us) but even He told one man He healed--
Joh 5:14 Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.
And a woman accused--
Joh 8:11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
Sin no more. Jesus knew all about our propensity towards sin and He did not say this-- 'go and TRY to sin no more' . He plainly stated, 'Sin no more'.
When we purposely sin we are shutting ourselves off from God. Every sin we commit estranges us from our God. Sin brings up a barrier between us and God as sure as a thick prison wall slamming down between us, no bars to see through, no windows, completely cut off. It's true. If it weren't true we would have had NO need of a Savior.
Sin was not eradicated when our Savior came and died for us. Sin in a person's life wasn't forever taken away after they were healed, or forgiven. They were told to sin no more. There would be future choices they'd have to make, they weren't inoculated against sin. Opportunities to sin would come again and again and again- and they'd have to choose whether or not to succumb to the sin each time. Just as we who have accepted our Savior can still choose sin. When we do sin the same thing happens that happens every time any one sins… we cut ourselves off from God and until we seek forgiveness, repenting of that sin, we are cut off.
If we regard sin in our hearts, if we hold onto our sins cherishing them, God cannot hear us. I'm not saying God isn't ready and willing to forgive us of our sins, He is! But as long as we love the sin in our lives, as long as we cling to our sin and refuse to repent of it there is no reason for God to hear us. He hears the cry of the repentant, but not that of the unrepentant.
Make no mistake, God knows our hearts. He knows.
1Jn 3:19 And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.
1Jn 3:20 For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.
1Jn 3:21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.
God is GREATER than our heart and knoweth all things.
Psa 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me
Can we assure our hearts before God if they are filled with sin? No. Not if the sin is not repented of.
Psa 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
If our heart is not contrite but regarding iniquity, we CANNOT expect God to hear us. We tell people to confess and repent of their sins, accepting Jesus as their sacrifice, accepting Jesus' forgiveness, but we can never tell a person to keep on sinning and Jesus will forgive you, we just can't. People will jump up and accuse us of making it a salvation by works when we say stuff like that, but it's true. Jesus preached this message of repentance and forgiveness. We can tell someone caught up in sin's evil grip to repent and forsake the sin and to do so every day, every hour, every minute if need be as they seek forgiveness through our Savior.
God knows our hearts and He is GREATER than our hearts. God will forgive knowing the heart of each and every one of us. God knows that the genuine cry of a sinner is much different from the cry coming from one who cherishes the sin in their hearts. Is it any wonder we must pray--
Psa 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
As long as we keep from surrendering ourselves fully to God, giving up the selfishness inside us, we can't expect God to hear us.
When Jesus told those whose lives He touched with His miracles to go and sin no more, He was telling them that sinning isn't something they should do. Just as we can sit here and say sin no more- that sinning has a consequence. Jesus wasn't telling them to sin no more on a whim. Jesus wasn't telling them to sin no more in a half-hearted manner. Jesus wasn't saying to sin no more just to hear Himself speak. These were important words, very important words.
Sin separates us from God. The first sin committed by a human begin separated us from God. When we stop trusting God in all things, when we look to ourselves for salvation we will NEVER find it. We only save ourselves by accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior, constantly.
Php 2:11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Php 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Psa 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me
If we cling to sin not repenting of it, not seeking the victory over it through our Savior, if we knowingly hold onto anything that would separate us from God - we can't expect Him to hear us.
If someone you love does something to hurt you, you expect them to stop doing that thing and to apologize in order to keep peace between you. If that person you love keeps doing that thing that hurts you and is unapologetic do you really believe they love you? Many abuse victims will stay in an abusive relationship because the abuser apologizes over and over and promises not to do it again, not to hurt them again. Often the abuser is very apologetic and sincerely so, not wanting to hurt but seemingly unable to keep from doing so. When there is very little or no repentance on the abuser's part they can of course use other things to get their victim to stay with them- emotional, mental torture. However, a lot of times that abuse causes a separation between the two. When a spouse cheats there is often a separation after that abuse. Divorce between a man and woman happens for many reasons, but we can look at those reasons and sin is at the root of them. Even when someone says they divorce because they *grew apart*, the sin lies in the neglect that caused that to happen. When a person is separated from God it is because they are regarding sin in their heart. When that separation occurs God will not hear us, not until we've genuinely repented of that sin and found forgiveness in our Savior.
We can believe God when we are told that He will take care of us. We can believe God when we are told to ask and we will receive. What we can't believe is that sin doesn't matter. Our Savior died for us because of sin- sin matters. We live in a world that will try and convince you at every turn that sin doesn't matter. Sins have become acceptable. We call darkness - light. Sin isn't acceptable and we really need to examine our lives to find out where we might have conformed to the world because as long as we are conformed to the world we are NOT with God. And yes, the world has convinced millions that they can be conformed to the world and still be saved- that's a deception Satan has excelled at.
By the grace and mercy of our Lord may we be wholly His! May we not be conformed to the world! May we not accept sin just because the world has!
By His love may we NEVER regard sin in our hearts and may He always hear us!
Amen.
{6:27} But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you
{6:28} Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.
{6:29} And unto him that smiteth thee on the [one] cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not [to take thy] coat also.
{6:30} Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask [them] not again.
{6:31} And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.
{6:32} For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.
{6:33} And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.
{6:34} And if ye lend [to them] of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.
{6:35} But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and [to] the evil.
{6:36} Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.
{6:37} Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven
{6:38} Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
Love your enemies.
What if your enemy is someone you already love? Seriously. Does that sound contradictory? It's been proven that people you know and love hurt you more than strangers do. We don't want to believe that could be true. We trust the ones we love. Love and trust often go hand in hand don't they? How can you truly love someone and not trust them? As soon as the element of distrust creeps in it taints the love doesn't it? Instead of an 'I love you', it becomes an 'I love you but...' And as soon as that but emerges it changes the love doesn't it?
Love your enemies. What was Christ asking us to do by asking us to do good to them that hate us, bless them that curse us, pray for those who despitefully use us? What was He asking? The impossible? So much inside us rises up in rebellion, in revenge, in anger, in hatred when we are set upon by enemies, especially enemies you thought were your most cherished loved ones already. The sense of betrayal coupled with abuse is so raw, so intense.
So what was Christ asking for, the impossible? Yes. Yes, I said yes. Because it is impossible for the natural man in us to do that. So if Christ was asking us to do the impossible and we know that Christ wouldn't really ask us to do anything impossible, what was the purpose of His asking us to do all that to despicable creatures that are somehow below the standard of humanity we like to think should exist?
Christ was asking us to rely on Him. To rely on Christ in us to do these things.
Col.{1:27} To whom God would make known what [is] the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory
Gal. {3:26} For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
{3:27} For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
Christ in us, putting on Christ.
Col.
{3:1} If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
{3:2} Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
{3:3} For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
{3:4} When Christ, [who is] our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory
Risen with Christ.
We are dead and our live is hid with Christ in God.
Of ourselves we can do nothing.
John {15:5} I am the vine, ye [are] the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing
Abide in Christ.
Jesus knew when He told us to love our enemies that it would be impossible for us to do so without Him in our lives. The natural man inside each of us wars against the love of Jesus in favor of the sinful things that we have come to know as our natural tendencies. Paul knew this just as we do.
Romans
{7:24} O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
{7:25} I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
Jesus Christ our Lord alone can save us from ourselves. It is only through Him that we can truly face the worst of our enemies even if they are an enemy of the worst kind, a beloved trusted family member, and turn the other cheek. Love our enemies, impossible for us, but not for Christ in us.
Satan wins a victory over us if we allow his wily well laid schemes to bear fruit and rip us from the grasp of our Lord. Don't think that Satan doesn't scheme and have patience to do so, he does. The evil in Him is satisfied to lay traps down for us and glory in our falling into them and then using those captured in the traps as bait for future trapping. Yes, he sows his own seeds of discord and sits back to watch them take root and shoot up, grow and flourish until they try and bear fruit to our destruction. Only Christ saves us from that trap, from that wicked plant that would crush the life from us, the eternal life.
Don't be afraid to name names and point at Satan and declare him for what he is, a liar, an evil angel bent on destruction of all that is good in humanity.
When we truly realize we're fighting against principalities and wickedness in high places and not just our fellow man, we can know that the battle we're in is fierce. We fight against an unseen enemy using any means possible to fuel our destruction. So while our enemy might appear to be our fellow man, we need to recognize the truth-- our enemy is using our fellow man and yes, even our loved ones. Satan will stop at nothing to take us, to 'sift us as wheat'. Christ has prayed for us, for our faith to remain and in Him we have to place all our hope, all our trust. Such hope, such trust will allow us to truly love our enemies because we see beyond the here and now and glimpse into eternity when we do so. We lay hold of a future filled with love in Christ and we condemn the evil that would destroy us here and now and take eternity from us with bitterness and hatred.
Yes, we can do the impossible with Christ and with Christ alone through faith in Him.
May God bless us and keep us in Him now and forever. May our faith be renewed through each and every assault on it, may it serve to only make us stronger in our love for Christ and the hope of His love eternally.
Christ wasn't saying let the wicked escape punishment, Christ was saying there is a bigger picture- a much bigger picture where love rules and if your enemies can find that love in Christ because you reveal your own love of Christ then all glory and praise to God! Christ was saying if your enemy never finds their way to Christ but continuously and everlastingly abuses you that their reward for their wickedness is in His hands. We need to trust in Christ. If we love our enemies we are allowing Christ to reveal His love through us.
Someone once said to me they didn't deserve my forgiveness, and I said to them, that's the whole point-- we never deserve forgiveness. Christ died for us who don't deserve to be forgiven and isn't that the whole point?
Love.
Christ's love.
By His love, by His mercy and grace now and forever.
Amen.
5/21/10
The invitation was received not on parchment but by word of mouth. There was no need to RSVP, no need to worry over fancy dress or pristine trousers, polished shoes, nor styled hair. Come as you are, come one, come all the words rang out and curiousity offered its soft embrace gently drawing many.
The podium was a large gray rock with a soft patch of moss on the northern side and a worn crevice used as a step to attain a likely perch on the opposite side. No one sat, nor stood upon the boulder as of yet while people began to gather in a large circle around its central impressive, if yet vacant, figure.
"We are here to listen to the miracle worker, do you think he'll perform?"
"Of course, I'm counting on it."
"He best, else why would I be here?"
"What miracles will he do?"
"He heals."
"And others?"
"He feeds."
"Is there more?"
"He raised the dead."
"Ahhhh, are we sure he's real?"
"I'll believe it all when I see it."
"Shhhhh... here He comes!"
The man walked forward as the crowd parted and his expression was one of care. He had a soft smile for a child nestled against a mother's side and a gentle nod towards a very old man squinting to see him clearly. For those whose gaze touched His own they saw a tenderness, a kindness completely unassuming as it was offered so naturally, so freely.
Easy ascent up the natural stone step upon the boulder and the man carefully settled himself down with a happy sigh.
He didn't take long but began to speak and instantly his voice carried across the gathered throng, his words powerful.
And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. 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. Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing. Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery. Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil. Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly. And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye. Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you. Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? 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. Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
No miracles needed the words were enough as they cut to the heart of the listeners. No miracles as each word like a drop of water on a parched tongue pierced the great soul thirst of those hearing him speak. These words were truth as never before spoken. The multitude were ready to follow this man...
...are you?
5/21/11
Psa 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me
Why doesn't God hear us? If we regard iniquity in our hearts. If we keep sin in our lives why should we expect God to hear us? Why? It is true that our Savior came to save the sinners (which is all of us) but even He told one man He healed--
Joh 5:14 Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.
And a woman accused--
Joh 8:11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
Sin no more. Jesus knew all about our propensity towards sin and He did not say this-- 'go and TRY to sin no more' . He plainly stated, 'Sin no more'.
When we purposely sin we are shutting ourselves off from God. Every sin we commit estranges us from our God. Sin brings up a barrier between us and God as sure as a thick prison wall slamming down between us, no bars to see through, no windows, completely cut off. It's true. If it weren't true we would have had NO need of a Savior.
Sin was not eradicated when our Savior came and died for us. Sin in a person's life wasn't forever taken away after they were healed, or forgiven. They were told to sin no more. There would be future choices they'd have to make, they weren't inoculated against sin. Opportunities to sin would come again and again and again- and they'd have to choose whether or not to succumb to the sin each time. Just as we who have accepted our Savior can still choose sin. When we do sin the same thing happens that happens every time any one sins… we cut ourselves off from God and until we seek forgiveness, repenting of that sin, we are cut off.
If we regard sin in our hearts, if we hold onto our sins cherishing them, God cannot hear us. I'm not saying God isn't ready and willing to forgive us of our sins, He is! But as long as we love the sin in our lives, as long as we cling to our sin and refuse to repent of it there is no reason for God to hear us. He hears the cry of the repentant, but not that of the unrepentant.
Make no mistake, God knows our hearts. He knows.
1Jn 3:19 And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.
1Jn 3:20 For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.
1Jn 3:21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.
God is GREATER than our heart and knoweth all things.
Psa 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me
Can we assure our hearts before God if they are filled with sin? No. Not if the sin is not repented of.
Psa 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
If our heart is not contrite but regarding iniquity, we CANNOT expect God to hear us. We tell people to confess and repent of their sins, accepting Jesus as their sacrifice, accepting Jesus' forgiveness, but we can never tell a person to keep on sinning and Jesus will forgive you, we just can't. People will jump up and accuse us of making it a salvation by works when we say stuff like that, but it's true. Jesus preached this message of repentance and forgiveness. We can tell someone caught up in sin's evil grip to repent and forsake the sin and to do so every day, every hour, every minute if need be as they seek forgiveness through our Savior.
God knows our hearts and He is GREATER than our hearts. God will forgive knowing the heart of each and every one of us. God knows that the genuine cry of a sinner is much different from the cry coming from one who cherishes the sin in their hearts. Is it any wonder we must pray--
Psa 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
As long as we keep from surrendering ourselves fully to God, giving up the selfishness inside us, we can't expect God to hear us.
When Jesus told those whose lives He touched with His miracles to go and sin no more, He was telling them that sinning isn't something they should do. Just as we can sit here and say sin no more- that sinning has a consequence. Jesus wasn't telling them to sin no more on a whim. Jesus wasn't telling them to sin no more in a half-hearted manner. Jesus wasn't saying to sin no more just to hear Himself speak. These were important words, very important words.
Sin separates us from God. The first sin committed by a human begin separated us from God. When we stop trusting God in all things, when we look to ourselves for salvation we will NEVER find it. We only save ourselves by accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior, constantly.
Php 2:11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Php 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Psa 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me
If we cling to sin not repenting of it, not seeking the victory over it through our Savior, if we knowingly hold onto anything that would separate us from God - we can't expect Him to hear us.
If someone you love does something to hurt you, you expect them to stop doing that thing and to apologize in order to keep peace between you. If that person you love keeps doing that thing that hurts you and is unapologetic do you really believe they love you? Many abuse victims will stay in an abusive relationship because the abuser apologizes over and over and promises not to do it again, not to hurt them again. Often the abuser is very apologetic and sincerely so, not wanting to hurt but seemingly unable to keep from doing so. When there is very little or no repentance on the abuser's part they can of course use other things to get their victim to stay with them- emotional, mental torture. However, a lot of times that abuse causes a separation between the two. When a spouse cheats there is often a separation after that abuse. Divorce between a man and woman happens for many reasons, but we can look at those reasons and sin is at the root of them. Even when someone says they divorce because they *grew apart*, the sin lies in the neglect that caused that to happen. When a person is separated from God it is because they are regarding sin in their heart. When that separation occurs God will not hear us, not until we've genuinely repented of that sin and found forgiveness in our Savior.
We can believe God when we are told that He will take care of us. We can believe God when we are told to ask and we will receive. What we can't believe is that sin doesn't matter. Our Savior died for us because of sin- sin matters. We live in a world that will try and convince you at every turn that sin doesn't matter. Sins have become acceptable. We call darkness - light. Sin isn't acceptable and we really need to examine our lives to find out where we might have conformed to the world because as long as we are conformed to the world we are NOT with God. And yes, the world has convinced millions that they can be conformed to the world and still be saved- that's a deception Satan has excelled at.
By the grace and mercy of our Lord may we be wholly His! May we not be conformed to the world! May we not accept sin just because the world has!
By His love may we NEVER regard sin in our hearts and may He always hear us!
Amen.