A couple of blogs back I spoke about forgivness. For something just a little different, I thought I would see if anyone is interested in a conversation about that subject matter. No devotional today, just a question.
Is forgiveness something you do on a regular basis? How do you handle it? What is the normal outcome? Does it reveal the power of God in your life?
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11 comments:
1. Q. Is forgiveness something you do on a regular basis?
A. In the sense of letting people get away with whatever minor sins (real or perceived--hey! I haven't yet resisted to the point of bloodshed, yet, if you know what I mean. . . ) they may have committed against me, I intend to do so every time I'm keeping my eye on the Jesus ball.
2. Q. How do you handle it?
A. When my eyes are on that "Jesus ball," my logic works like this: If a Man unjustly nailed to a wooden, Roman tool of capiatal punishment can ask God to let his perpetrators live even though they deserve to die, then what right do I have to insist that some rude person be punished by me or anyone else for his comparatively insignificant slight against me?
3. Q. What is the normal outcome?
A. My godliness muscles (1 Tim. 4:7) feel a little sore the next day, but I've yet to see someone turn to Christ because of it yet, or anything dramatic like that.
4. Q. Does it reveal the power of God in your life?
A. To the extent that Christ's substitution on the cross has moved me to imitate his sacrifice in my much smaller scale scenario (1 Peter 2:21), I'd have to say, that's what I call revealing the power of God in my life.
Thanks for replying, John. My question was designed to learn how you approach the other person, what do you say, and how does it affect their life.
Obviously you are growing spiritually, and I am wondering if the people you forgive (actively, with words) are growing as well.
When someone asks me to forgive them, I do. Sometimes, depending on what it is, I struggle with forgetting. If that person does it over and over again, then I start to feel that they were not sincere. It does carry over in how I react to the person.
Anonymous,
Thanks for your honesty. I know how very hard it is to forget, though I choose to work from a "choose not to remember" perspective. It is that "over and over" part that gets us. Yet, our Father has clearly told us that we must forgive over and over and over again. (See Luke 17:4). Failure to do so is just as much a violation of God's principles as is the offense orginally committeed.
Yeah, but, theology geek that I am, it's hard for me to get practical right off the bat, what with all the theological axes I have to grind and all . . .
:)
John,
Surely you're not telling us that getting all one's theology perspectives correct is more vital or important than practicing the Truth that we do know. . .one of which would be the priority of forgiveness. Right?
No, I believe what I believe affects what I do. Therefore, if I'm asked how I'm going to live some aspect of the Christian life, my answer is going to begin at the foot of the cross where my Savior died for me. My intention is to live in the light of how my Savior died for me and is alive forevermore praying for me at the right hand of the Father. It's my starting place.
So, if you ask me about how I handle forgiving others and what the outcome of that is, and about whether my behavior has exhibited the power of God in my life, my focus is not going to be on technique, but on my Savior. Because I'm forgiven, therefore I must forgive. What I believe determines what I do.
But as far as the actual behavior of forgiving goes, there are very few people I know who've actually sought my forgiveness in the past several years. You're one of the few. I've put up with a lot for which no one sought forgiveness, and I've borne with a lot for which no one has sought forgiveness, and I've done it as a sacrifice of thanksgiving to my Savior who died for me while I was still an unrepentant sinner and I was the one who deserved to die.
In short, I believe in Gospel-driven sanctification. If I keep my eyes on Jesus, I will be transformed into his image, not because I've been given some relevant, practical set of techniques, but because I love him because he first loved me--how it will look from day to day may be subject to change, but the one thing that will always be the same is that it will be a manifestation of love for God and my neighbor borne out of my God-given faith in Christ.
John,
What you are saying sounds really holy. And I agree with you TOTALLY. One of the things that I am attempting to solidify here is simply this: I know God has forgiven me. I don't have to wait on everything theological to fall into place before I understand that Truth. And, since I know that Truth, I have the responsiblity, and the privlege, and the power to forgive someone else who has wronged me. To do that I need words and actions. I just trying to determine what those words and actions are and then ascertain what results from that practice.
Well, I guess I must repeat what I said before about the actual behavior:
"But as far as the actual behavior of forgiving goes, there are very few people I know who've actually sought my forgiveness in the past several years. You're one of the few. I've put up with a lot for which no one sought forgiveness, and I've borne with a lot for which no one has sought forgiveness, and I've done it as a sacrifice of thanksgiving to my Savior who died for me while I was still an unrepentant sinner and I was the one who deserved to die."
That means I have no techniques to offer, just a sense of gratitude. Sorry . . . but, hey! Look at all these comments we're racking up!!!
:)
John,
Thanks for your comments. I appreciate your reading the blog, and I trust you will continue.
No prob, Chris!
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