Forgiveness

Father, Forgive Them

[114 words] The Jewish authorities: “They spit in His face and struck Him. And some slapped Him, saying, ‘Prophesy to us, you Christ! Who is it that struck you?’” (Matt. 26:67-68). The Roman soldiers: “They spit on Him and took the reed and struck Him on the head” (Matt. 27:30). Peter: “I do not know…

Forgiving Others

[224 words] Jesus told a parable about a king who forgave a servant who owed a very large sum of money. However, this same servant refused to forgive another a very small amount. In the story, when the king heard about the actions of this unmerciful servant, he was “white hot” with anger and punished…

The Christian’s Advantage

[257 words] There is not a person in the world who can live totally above sin. Paul told us in Romans 3:23 that “All have sinned” and in John 1:8 says, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” Everyone makes mistakes and fails a…

The Christian’s Advantage

[257 words] There is not a person in the world who can live totally above sin. Paul told us in Romans 3:23 that “All have sinned” and in John 1:8 says, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” Everyone makes mistakes and fails a…

Moving the Comma

[426 words] Alexander III was Tsar of Russia from 1881-1894. His rule was marked by repression, and in particular by persecution of Jews. His wife, Maria Fedorovna, provided a stark contrast, being known for her generosity to those in need. On one occasion her husband had signed an order consigning a prisoner to life in…

The Hug Heard Around the World

[325 words] Having been convicted of murdering Botham Jean, a member of the Dallas West church of Christ, the last thing Amber Guyger probably expected to hear at her sentencing were the words “I forgive you” from a member of the victim’s family.  After reading a statement which expressed forgiveness and even a wish that…

Do Better Than Job’s Friends

[441 words] Job had been sitting on the ground in misery. Everything had been taken from him. He showed amazing restraint after losing all his possessions. Even more incredible self-control was on display when he was told about the death of his children. Even after being afflicted with a painful illness, even after his own…

To Receive Forgiveness, Love

[244 words] “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart” (Matthew 18:35).  In this age of tolerance, it is so easy for us to define biblical terms in our own ways, ways that perhaps suit or justify what we’re already doing. But God is…

I Will Remember Their Sins No More

[156 words] When the Hebrew writer quoted Jeremiah (Chapter 13) concerning the new covenant that Jesus brought, he writes, “For I will be merciful to their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more” (Heb 8:12). This is in stark contrast to the old covenant where the Hebrew writer states, “But in those (animal)…

Be Reconciled to Your Brother

[124 words] Too many people think going to church cancels out any wrong doing in their lives. Too many think putting something in the collection plate means the rest of their lifestyle is okay. However, Jesus has something to say about that: “if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that…

Baptism and the Forgiveness of Sins

[215 words] In the context of our congregation, the biblical teaching of baptism for the remission of sins is not a teaching that troubles any of us (at least, with regard to what I am aware). The other day I was talking to a Baptist preacher, a man with whom I am very impressed; he…

True Forgiveness

[441 words] “For if you forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:14-15).”Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins…

Forgiveness

[428 words] “Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you” (Eph. 4:32). The character of the Christian includes “bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you” (Col. 3:13). What…

Forgiving and Forgetting

[228 words] Henry Ward Beecher once said, “I can forgive, but I cannot forget.” Isn’t it wonderful that God both forgives and forgets when he forgives our sins? Hebrews 10:17 says of God, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” God expects us to do the same when it comes to…

Do You Have Any Sense?

[131 words] “Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense” (Proverbs 19:11). According to this proverb, someone who has good sense takes a while to get angry, and is quick to overlook someone else’s failures. The question for us is simply this: “Do we have good sense?” …

Time to Re-Evaluate

[218 words] Modem people have a hard time getting around the concept of hell and a “loving God.” They can’t imagine a loving God consigning multitudes of people to an eternal punishment. We have come a long way, it seems, from the “hell fire and damnation” sermons of a by-gone age. We have also ignored…

Forgiveness

[446 words] What on earth can we do about our sin? We can lie about it, ignore it, forget about it, refuse to confess our need for it, and blame it on others, but it will remain unchanged. However, if we understand the tragedy and burden of our sin (Is. .59:2; Rom 6:23), the one…

Watch the Ledger

[407 words] One of the hardest classes that I had when I started college was accounting. My teacher was a stickler, there was plenty of homework, and class was a fast-paced frenzy of new ideas. It should have been an easy subject, but I didn’t quite get the knack of it at first. It was…

The Hardest Words to Say

  [187 words] I must have been sick on the day they taught phonics in school. If I don’t recognize a word by sight, I can find some amazing ways to mispronounce it. I cringe when I have to use certain words because no matter how much I practice, I’m not sure how it will…

Sin

  [454 words] We’ve all heard the story of the preacher who was asked, “What are you preaching on Sunday?” He responded, “Sin.” The querist retorted, “Well are you fer or agin it?” It seems sin is a taboo topic in our world today. The politically correct movement wants us to use words like “illness,”…

The Hardest Words to Say

  [179 words] I must have been sick on the day they taught phonics in school. If I don’t recognize a word by sight, I can find some amazing ways to mispronounce it. I cringe when I have to use certain words because no matter how much I practice, I’m not sure how it will…

Behold, the Lamb of God

  [320 words] Sin has a way of demanding our attention. Whether it is a sin someone has committed against us or our falling prey to our own evil desires (James 1:14), sin has a way of becoming our focus. All sin is against God and carries with it the spiritual death sentence demanded by…

Freedom from Sin: Before or After?

  [105 words] Read Exodus 14:9-31 and 1 Corinthians 10:1-4. Now, when did Egypt lose their power over Israel? Before or after Israel was baptized into Moses? When did Israel find their freedom from bondage? Before or after they were baptized into Moses? How did Israel end up receiving their God-given freedom from slavery? By…

God Forgives Completely

[142 words] The East-West Promise (Psalm 103: 12) “As far as the east is from the west so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” The Stain Remover Promise (Isaiah 1: 18) ” … though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as while as snow; Though they are red like crimson, they…

The Losses We Endure

It was 2009. She died in my lap. I do not agree with those who say animals seek to be alone near death, though perhaps some seek comfort elsewhere. My cat friend had been poisoned as had been her sister who had died earlier. Our vet was fairly sure it was deliberate. I was too,…

Crucified with Christ

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.  The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” Galatians 2:20. If we replay the gospel backwards from the religious confusion we have today,…

Burnt Biscuits

When I was a child, my mom liked to make breakfast food for dinner every now and then. And I remember one night in particular when she had made breakfast after a long, hard day at work. On that evening so long ago, my mom placed a plate of eggs, sausage, and extremely burned biscuits…

Forgive and Forget

[396 words] The phrase “forgive and forget” has been in the English language for a long time. An older member of the church once commented to me concerning forgiving and forgetting, “I don’t know which is harder to do!” As difficult as they are for us humans to do–do them we must if we are…

70×7 – The Formula of Forgiveness

[177 words] The Lord Jesus Christ commands us to forgive people. And he punctuates it with this statement: “so that your Father in heaven may forgive you.” If you forgive, God forgives you. If you don’t forgive, God will not forgive you (Matthew 6:14-15). One of the more challenging things about forgiveness is that it’s…

Selfish Forgiveness

[276 words] Scientific findings have recently confirmed what we Christians have known all along. An unforgiving, grudge-holding spirit is not in our best interest. According to a report heralded by Newsweek, more than 1,200 published studies have now been conducted on the subject and the results are both consistent and conclusive: “…increased blood pressure and…

Written in Sand and Stone

Two friends were walking through the desert and got into an argument. One friend slapped the other one in the face. The one who got slapped was hurt, but without saying anything, wrote in the sand: “Today my best friend slapped me in the face.” They kept walking until they found an oasis. Thirsty, they…

Right in the Middle of Forgiveness

What is right in the middle of the word “forgiveness?” You have “for” and you have “ness,” but right in the middle of“forgiveness” is the word “give.” To “give” is to provide someone with something. To “forgive” is to provide someone with pardon. “Forgiving” is one of the greatest ways of “giving.” The New Testament…

Twenty-Five Years Later

One day as a wife and her husband quarreled, harsh words were spoken. Each was too proud to ask the other’s forgiveness and the bitter feelings finally led to divorce. Neither found a new mate during the intervening years. And now 25 years later, with one son already dead and the whereabouts of the other…