Tag Archives: forgiveness

The Common and the Holy

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What’s wrong with the words we use in common speech today?  A great deal is wrong with the words we use in common speech today.

American society is no longer built on the Bible’s vocabulary.  It is built on what is common to man, not on what is Holy before God.

I don’t point this out to make accusation.  I point this out as a matter of fact:  That if I am to speak of the things of God, I must use the vocabulary of man.  It makes no sense to send a man who speaks a certain language and expect foreigners to understand him.

So if I talk about the things of God, I run the risk of ignorance on the part of the listener.  Therefore it is good, sometimes, to paraphrase until a man’s soul strives to understand.

But there are also times when the only words that are of any value, in explaining the things of God, are the very words which God has given to us.  One such word that falls, if you will “to the dirt”, between the things of God and the things of man, is “rejoice”.

Show me a place on Twitter or facebook where “rejoice” is used regularly.  Point to conversation, and show me where two people have used the word regularly and with understanding.  Though it is a simple and self explanatory word, people simply don’t use it.

But in the things of God, it takes first place.  I rejoice at the righteousness of God!  I rejoice at his excellent and unexpected mercy!  And I rejoice that his promises are true and faultless!  I rejoice continually, that my sins are forgiven before the Living God; in Christ Jesus my Holy and Faithful Lord!

How many times I have tried to explain this, and realize I have not found the means to communicate.  Even when I speak to Christians, who know these things, there is a lack of evidence that they understand.  For their lives only reflect a certain portion of such rejoicing.  How then can I expect to relay these things to a people who do not know their left from their right.

But I will testify of what is true.  And by the truth, I am forced to use the word “rejoice”.  (I suppose I could use the word “elation”, but how is that any more common than the word “rejoice”?)

I ask forgiveness from those who do not understand its value.  But it is the only word English has, to properly describe the joy a man experiences at the forgiveness of his sins.

I understand the righteousness of God, because I have read it in His Holy Word the Bible.  I see that I am not able to uphold his Holy Law, for I stumble around as a man in the dark when I try to do it.  Fear becomes my best friend, and drives me to seek His mercy.

So, by “The Faith“, His Holy Word teaches me.  I approach him in prayer with confession.  To my complete amazement, the Sovereign God reaches down to touch me with forgiveness.

With understanding comes a volume of tears.  And when I rise from prayer, confidence fills me, where there was fear before.  I am forgiven of my trespasses, and find the strength, to strive after his Holy Law again.

Who can explain this mystery?  I look within, and find myself void of proof.  I can tell you it’s true, but I cannot prove it.  I am forced to display what God has done in me.  And you are forced to judge rightly according to what you perceive in me.

Is there love?  Yes.  Is there patience?  Yes.  Do I display a hatred for the things of man, while I love the things of God?  Yes. Is there knowledge of His Holy Word?  Yes.  Is there a desire to do the things of God rather than the things of men?  Yes.  Has his love made me different than other men of this world?   The answer is yes.

The forgiveness of God produces these things, which are called fruit.  And it is these things that God is looking for in his people.  “Does the man believe, to the point that he has changed.”  This is the summation of God’s intent.

Without such fruit in a man, he cannot say he has understood the forgiveness of God.  But when the forgiveness of God comes, as I have described, there is a rejoicing that does not cease.

Rejoicing in God is a never ending, that is to say eternal, gift that we give back for the love he has given.  We are forced, by our love, to worship Him with truth, and joy, and desire to do righteously.  What better word might someone use than “rejoice”?

The absence of this word, among the people of America, tells me that they have not received forgiveness for their sins.  Others may say, “This has to do with a lack of Bible knowledge.  It is simply a lack of vocabulary.  Teach them, and they will own it”. 

How can I possibly own what belongs to God unless God gives it to me?

I do not perceive that America lacks vocabulary.  For they talk incessantly between one another.  And they seem well enough able to understand, for they respond in great volume.

Bible language has to do with Bible things.  Bible things have to do with the Living God in Christ Jesus.  Those who do not know the vocabulary of the Bible, do not know the living God.  For the words of the Bible become a living testimony in the one who receives forgiveness of his sins.

I understand a debate that may form by what I just said.  But I ask you to leave it where it is, that men may ponder this in their soul.  If men see us debate the issue they will leave the job to us.  What good is then accomplished?

When?

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When does the grace of God appear to a man in the form of forgiveness for his sins?

The very moment that man decides in his heart to humble himself before the Most High God, confess his sins and ask for mercy.

The question is not whether God delays.  The question is does the man believe.

God asks, “Do you want to be well”.  Be ready to take up your mat and go home.

Palpable Forgiveness

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Beyond this place is joy for those who learn to trust the Lord.  And since we know that God cannot lie, we learn to believe that there is a certain joy in receiving his forgiveness now.  Those who believe this have proven that God is true.  Yes there is proof!  And any man can know it.

It is God’s glory to give, for he is life.  Therefore it is our glory to receive.  And we do not receive without a substantial reward.  For in the soul of he who receives is proof that God rewards those who earnestly seek Him.  It is not the reward that comes from the things of this world.

To the soul who is yet blind, such words carry no weight.  But to those who have received, a joyful amen comes quickly.

This world will offer you a billion alternatives to the pain you now suffer.  They offer you pleasure of every possible sort to alleviate your troubled soul. 

I am over 60 years old now and have searched this world for the things that help.  from the sensual to the religious, and all things in between, I have looked.  I have found nothing that compares to the palpable forgiveness of God in Christ Jesus.

They offer what will deaden a man’s senses.  They offer distractions.  But such things are not effective in alleviating our guilt before the Holy One; a guilt that troubles us every day and every night of our life.

The guilt of the soul causes hatred of every sort.  It stifles love.  Its restrains joy to temporary distractions.  You know sooner grasp a joyful moment, and it is taken away.  You want to love, but the guilt of your soul proves you are unlovely.  So you end up striking out in various ways, or trying in vain to cover your shame.

Yoga teaches tranquility of mind.  But nothing in the body can bring tranquility to the soul.  Religions of this world teach sacrifice.  But God has chosen his own sacrifice, therefore he does not accept the sacrifice of men for their salvation.  No sacrifice a man can make brings tranquility to the soul.  For God has chosen his door of giving.

The riches of this world can be gathered, yes.  And for a time they alleviate the stress upon our minds.  Yet the soul is restless and full of guilt and shame.  And the one who puts his trust in the things he can gather or do, is not at peace deep within himself.   He only finds himself looking for another way.

But the tranquility that comes from the forgiveness of Christ is complete.  One moment a man’s guilt is upon him.  He can feel it as if it is a thick blanket.  The next moment he is free and full of joy.  An unexplainable transformation has taken place.  Unspeakable piece has arrived.

Where foreboding was, now joyful expectation comes.  Tears flow.  But they are not the tears of a man.  They are the tears of a son of God.

I know we have sinned.  I know we feel guilty to the very center of our soul; a guilt that our hands cannot reach.  I know that in our great weakness we look for anything to alleviate this pain. That is the first part of the gospel of Christ.  But if that is all there is, then there is no hope.

But the one who puts his faith in the Holy son of God, and continues throughout his life to look to him for help, will find himself full of an unearthly joy.  It is not the joy of child feels at Christmas time.  It is an unshakable peace.  The man’s Maker has come and healed him.

Men laugh at this message.  But even those who laugh, desire it to be true.  It is true my friend.  The joy you desire lay just beyond the door of pride. 

At the threshold of humility a man finds what he needs.  If a man will put away the knowledge of his own mind, and understand these things by faith, he will find he has hope.  This hope will not disappoint him, if he continues to live in it. And in time, all the remedies of this world pale to oblivion.

I do not speak of this as one who has only heard.  I speak of this as one who continually proves that the Lord’s gospel is powerful, effective, true and eternal.  And I speak of this as one who’s conscience is clean.  It is not that I am sinless.  It is that the forgiveness of Christ is stronger than my guilt.  And I testify that his forgiveness affects my soul.

If you will listen to these words and seek His face with all you have, You too will be able to prove the glory of God in Christ Jesus. 

An Inconvient Truth

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An Inconvient Truth

An Inconvient Truth (Photo credit: yuan2003)

Allow me to speak as one who has been accepted by Jesus.  I am a Christian who has been a horrible sinner.  Drinking, drugs, profanity, blasphemy, immorality, and every other kind of sin were the banner of my life.  I don’t say this to brag at the amount of change in my life.  What I mean is that I don’t say that as a badge of some sort.  It is not to my honor that I lived like that for over 30 years.  And it is of no credit to me that it took nearly 50 years of living to come to terms with the Lord Jesus.  I speak of these things to show you that I know what it is to live in wickedness.  Now I am going to  speak as the man who God has caused to inhabit this bag of blood.  And it is to the wicked I will render these words.  You who have also came from that kind of life and now find yourselves blessed by the presence of God will know what I am about to say is true.

What will you do, sinner and foolish men, you who now walk as if there is no accounting?  What will you do when you are older and find that those you have trashed along the way begin to die?  What will you say?  There is an accounting here in the flesh.  It will fall on you with great noise in your soul as you watch opportunity to make things right evaporate before your very eyes.  You who divorced the mother of your children, what will you do when she dies before you do?  What will you feel as you realize that your hope of making things right between you is absolutely and forever gone?

You who have abandoned the children you have fathered, what will you do when one of them dies before you do?  What will you cry that will make it right between you?  There is an accounting to be had even before the judgment of God.  I can testify to you that you will weep like a little child.  Ache in your heart will overwhelm you.  And you will be left with nothing to say, no where to go, nothing to do that will be useful.

This post is a warning that sin has consequences.  If you are wise you will listen to what I have said.  I do not speak as one who supposes these things.  I have tasted them and warn you as one of you who has become full of hope in Jesus.  Yet that plague of regret enters my life uninvited.  I do not weep as you will weep if you continue on your path of wickedness and rebellion before God.  But weep I do, none-the-less.

I urge you to do all you can to make things right now.  I tell you a truth.  A moment is coming toward you with earnest speed in which you will loathe who you are.  Now is the time to rise up and find courage.  Or you can simply wait long enough.  And you will surely see that what I say here is true.

 

By His Grace.

Rights or Obligation?

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Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven, as in the r...

Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven, as in the reconciliation of Jacob and Esau in Genesis 33, after Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld, illustration from a Bible card published by the Providence Lithograph Company (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A “right” can be established if the proper means has been gained.  An obligation really doesn’t care whether you want to meet it or not, it remains against you until the contract between you and the obligation expires.  A “right” never dispels as long as the giver of that right remains.

Sometimes people who have lived a relatively “righteous” life will look down on a drunk (or worse) who has gotten a handle on life’s prerequisites.  And when the sinner begins to live a “righteous” life and speaks about it openly the “righteous” folk will come to detest him.  You would think they would embrace the sinner gone “good”.  But that is rarely the case.  The sinner is embraced by the perceived righteous if he has some quality that they themselves admire.  But if he has worn out his bodily welcome he is shunned and laughed at as a fool.

I can see why the “righteous” think they alone have the corner on speaking about what is right.  After all, they have worked hard to guard against the kind of behavior that the sinner allowed to swamp his boat.  But there comes a place where their perceived right becomes judgment against others.  To them, their “rights” are being usurped by an illegal citizen of their ranks.

But the obligation to speak belongs to the sinner more.  He has been lifted from certain death to a place of understanding.  He knows the ground he has covered.  He knows better what it is to be filled with wickedness.  So he has an obligation to warn others.  Not to mention that he is likely far more thankful for being set loose from his former life.  So the very fact of his thankful heart compels him to meet his obligation to speak about what is “righteous”.

“But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.” (from Luke 7:36-50)

Take IT!

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Sarah Trimmer

Sarah Trimmer (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

To my brothers and sisters:

A question was posed to me.  And in truth I was asked to answer.  “Have you taken all that the Lord your God is willing to offer you?”  What was proposed is a consideration of His promise.  And the question is raised as an answer to prayer.  This question is poised every time we enter prayer with the God who cannot lie.

What has He promised His people?  Isn’t it true that He has said that all who enter the Kingdom of Heaven will do so without sin?  Isn’t it true that no man will see the face of the Father without holiness?  Isn’t it true that it is God’s will that no man should perish, but that all should find eternal life in His Son?  And isn’t it true that those who believe will know that they have eternal life; that this joy of truth should abide in them so as to cause laughter, joy, love, mercy, wisdom, understanding, and a certain doing that belongs to the holy family of God?

Each of us answers this question with truth, no matter how we lie to ourselves.  God sees all.  God leads His people in power and truth.  We do not serve Him out of a silly religious practise.  Religion is what we do as a result of His blessings.  But we yearn to approach Him with the same dedication to truth that He presents to us.

I urge us all to consider where we stand in our belief.  And I beg that we all consider that we serve the Living God who raises the dead.  Take His promises!  Enjoy forgiveness of sins in the name of Jesus.  But let us not leave anything on the table as we march into eternity.  Let us consider what He offers to all His people.  And let us allow Him a great bounty from His patient labors.

Amen