The longer I am a Christian, and as long as I strive to continue growing (2 Peter 3:18), I am convinced that the most major of all doctrines which is crucial to Christian living is that of forgiveness. God is Holy, and His holiness governs all other attributes of Him. Under that holiness "umbrella" then are cardinal doctrines by which we as Christians must live. So allow me to take a few posts to discuss forgiveness. I propose that this doctrine is talked about much, practiced little, and properly understood even less. Hebrews 8:12 and other similar texts are so horribly misunderstood and misused.
Does God remember sin? If the question is "Can He forget?", well, of course not. Yet the word we think we know as 'remember', when used Biblically regarding forgiveness, actually means 'recall and hold against'. When He says He will not remember a believer's sins, He is literally saying He will not bring it up again, assuming it is properly confessed. The assumption of proper confession is inter-woven in my thinking here, because as we get into thinking of examples in daily life, forgiveness will Biblically follow repentance/confession, when both are managed in a God-glorifying manner.
I was a sinner, positionally separated from God, having never asked Christ to be my personal Savior. Once I confessed to God that I was, indeed, that sinner He said I was, His promise was to then look to Christ when He looks at me, and see His righteousness, in which I have placed my trust. When it comes time for my soul to be judged to Heaven or Hell, He will "not remember" my sin, but rather fulfill the promise of His forgiveness. OK, that's the big, weighty, theology of forgiveness, and it covers all other aspects of all forgiveness.
1 John 1:9 says that IF we confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive all our sins. Now we are talking about those daily, regular sins we commit. We are talking also about sin against our fellow Christians. I can think of little else as damaging as sin against a brother or sister in Christ, which goes either un-confessed or unforgiven. If I you sin against me, and then you confess that sin to me, the ball is in my court to forgive you. I might be mad at you, or think I was right all along, and yet, when you say "I'm sorry", and truly mean it, my requirement (not optional!) is to forgive. If I do not, then I cannot say that I am Christ-like.
Closing out this piece, that forgiveness that I give to you MUST, let me repeat that, MUST mirror the forgiveness God has given to me. If I truly forgive, I then will do three things:
1) Never bring it up to you again.
2) Never bring it up to God again.
3) Never bring it up in my own mind again.
The third is probably the toughest, because we spend so much time with ourselves. Yet this is exactly what God has done and continues to do in and through Christ for all who believe.
Do you have someone to forgive today, do I? Let's get it done, if we truly are walking in the Light.
Holding Fast to the Name of our Creator
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
A Wise Man...a conclusion from Proverbs 9
Proverbs chapters 1-9 take on the task of distinguishing between the wise and the un-wise, the wise vs. the foolish. Here in chapter 9 the two choices make what we might call closing arguments. Both call to the naive, to those looking to find their way, to those on a path to somewhere. Wisdom has prepared the table and the feast; wisdom is pictured as a house built at the highest point of the city, visible to all. Folly/foolishness, on the other hand, is also built on a high place, "by" the highest places of the city. Both are depicted as enticing, for completely different reasons, with wisdom taking the place as the higher place of the two (compare verses 3 and 14).
In between the calling and invitation of those two, we find some closing instruction to the wise who would like to see others follow a wise path. Once one has wisdom and understanding, he would naturally be inclined to guide others, which would involve reproof and correction, done properly. Some are more open than others to such corrective actions. Verses 7-10 explain the possibilities. If you correct a person who is a scoffer (one who mocks what is good and right), you will be dishonored (shamed) by that person. Worse, if you reprove (bring to judgment properly) one who is wicked, that person will insult you. Not quite the reaction you might like. Further, reproving that scoffer will result in hatred. Look around, when you take a stand against the world and its evil system, the world hates you.
On the contrary, take these same corrective measures against a wise man, and he will love you. This love is brotherly, as with a friend. Giving instruction to a wise person makes that person even wiser. Teach that man, who is said to be righteous, and he will learn even more. Now you might think all this teaching and learning would make one puffed up, but not so with the wise, who knows how to utilize such knowledge. To fear the Lord shows wisdom. Wisdom begins with that proper fear of the Lord. Following that, knowledge of God is understanding. All throughout Scripture we are commanded to know God, to be wise, to get understanding.
Yes, we are told to study, to learn, to know God, Who CAN be known! He has revealed Himself to us in His very Word. And so the wise will read it, and listen, and hear, and learn. Such knowledge will indeed lead to wisdom, which by definition, is "skillful learning". All the learning and knowledge in the world will be meaningless if you do not put it into action! Hear it, and do it! You'd think we were reading James now, huh.
Here is my summation of this great "wisdom vs. folly" section of Proverbs, these nine chapters. Wisdom will not come and drag you into her house, and neither will folly. The man who fears God will want to enter wisdom's house. We stand there, looking at both, weighing our options. Both are easy to see, easy to find, neither is hidden from view. And then...we make a choice, yes, we choose how we will live, reflective of our relationship with the Lord. Let's choose wisely!
Holding Fast to the Name of our Creator!
In between the calling and invitation of those two, we find some closing instruction to the wise who would like to see others follow a wise path. Once one has wisdom and understanding, he would naturally be inclined to guide others, which would involve reproof and correction, done properly. Some are more open than others to such corrective actions. Verses 7-10 explain the possibilities. If you correct a person who is a scoffer (one who mocks what is good and right), you will be dishonored (shamed) by that person. Worse, if you reprove (bring to judgment properly) one who is wicked, that person will insult you. Not quite the reaction you might like. Further, reproving that scoffer will result in hatred. Look around, when you take a stand against the world and its evil system, the world hates you.
On the contrary, take these same corrective measures against a wise man, and he will love you. This love is brotherly, as with a friend. Giving instruction to a wise person makes that person even wiser. Teach that man, who is said to be righteous, and he will learn even more. Now you might think all this teaching and learning would make one puffed up, but not so with the wise, who knows how to utilize such knowledge. To fear the Lord shows wisdom. Wisdom begins with that proper fear of the Lord. Following that, knowledge of God is understanding. All throughout Scripture we are commanded to know God, to be wise, to get understanding.
Yes, we are told to study, to learn, to know God, Who CAN be known! He has revealed Himself to us in His very Word. And so the wise will read it, and listen, and hear, and learn. Such knowledge will indeed lead to wisdom, which by definition, is "skillful learning". All the learning and knowledge in the world will be meaningless if you do not put it into action! Hear it, and do it! You'd think we were reading James now, huh.
Here is my summation of this great "wisdom vs. folly" section of Proverbs, these nine chapters. Wisdom will not come and drag you into her house, and neither will folly. The man who fears God will want to enter wisdom's house. We stand there, looking at both, weighing our options. Both are easy to see, easy to find, neither is hidden from view. And then...we make a choice, yes, we choose how we will live, reflective of our relationship with the Lord. Let's choose wisely!
Holding Fast to the Name of our Creator!
Monday, August 6, 2012
A Wise Man...(Proverbs 8)
A wise man...
...understands prudence
...listens to wisdom
...views wickedness as abomination
...does not speak in a crooked or perverted manner
...prefers wisdom to earthly riches/wealth
...hates evil
...is neither prideful or arrogant
...loves wisdom and its pursuit (to pursue wisdom is to pursue God, in essence)
...heeds instruction
...does not neglect instruction (these all sound very familiar, huh?)
...watches and waits for wise options, identifies wisdom
...does not hate wisdom, and does not love death (which arises from foolish/unwise choices)
Holding Fast to the Name of our Creator
...understands prudence
...listens to wisdom
...views wickedness as abomination
...does not speak in a crooked or perverted manner
...prefers wisdom to earthly riches/wealth
...hates evil
...is neither prideful or arrogant
...loves wisdom and its pursuit (to pursue wisdom is to pursue God, in essence)
...heeds instruction
...does not neglect instruction (these all sound very familiar, huh?)
...watches and waits for wise options, identifies wisdom
...does not hate wisdom, and does not love death (which arises from foolish/unwise choices)
Holding Fast to the Name of our Creator
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
A Wise Man...(Proverbs 7)
A wise man...
...keeps the word (obeys)
...treasures commandments
...is intimate with wisdom, understanding, in order to keep from the adulteress
...does not lack sense
...does not follow temptation (1 Cor. 10:13 is huge)
...will listen
...will pay attention
...will not stray
Holding Fast to the Name of our Creator
...keeps the word (obeys)
...treasures commandments
...is intimate with wisdom, understanding, in order to keep from the adulteress
...does not lack sense
...does not follow temptation (1 Cor. 10:13 is huge)
...will listen
...will pay attention
...will not stray
Holding Fast to the Name of our Creator
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