Love One Another - Part Three
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Forgiving One Another
John 13 (KJV 2000)
1 Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them unto the end.
34 A new commandment I give unto you, That you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
35 By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one to another.
Ephesians 4 (KJV 2000)
31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
32 And be you kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you.
The command to love one another is a command to love one another as Christ loved us. Many times, some believers have tried to substitute human love for Christ’s love, with poor results. Human love at its best has its limitations. Human love will care, help, forgive, assist, sacrifice and give to a limited extent. Only God’s love goes all the way.
Forgiveness is a necessary and non-negotiable feature of any relationship undergirded by the love of God, as long as one or more of the parties are not perfect. Those who cannot forgive cannot love – and those who cannot love cannot forgive.
Notice that just as we are commanded to love as Christ loved, even so we are commanded to forgive as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven us. We have such big boots to fill, but thank God in the New Birth we received the nature of God which allows us to love and to forgive as He does. Let’s allow that nature to dominate us!
Consider these truths about the way God forgave:
God Forgave Without Any Input from Sinful Man
God did not decide to send Christ to die for us because we apologized for our sins or were able to do anything to satisfy His claim of justice upon us. Some of us are very good at forgiving - but only after the offender has begged and apologised and performed some act of restitution. Others are only able to forgive after they have given the offender "a piece of my mind". I have heard some say, after being encouraged to forgive, “But he has not even apologised yet!”
Romans 5 (KJV 2000)
7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet perhaps for a good man some would even dare to die.
8 But God commends his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.God Forgives and Forgets
Actually, to say that the Omniscient God could forget anything is not literally true. But when God forgives, he does not allow the reality of what you did to colour your relationship with Him going forward. God is never a burnt child who dreads fire. He never becomes twice shy or three-times shy or billion-times shy, no matter how many times He’s bitten. When God forgives, the relationship has a fresh start, just as though you never sinned. When we forgive, we ought not to make statements like, “This is the 26th time you’re doing this”, “I knew in my mind that you will mess up and start begging again”. God’s love does not keep a record of wrong!
Isaiah 43 (KJV 2000)
25 I, even I, am he that blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and will not remember your sins.
Hebrews 8 (KJV 2000)12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
God is Excited at Restored Relationship
The great test of forgiveness is not so much how we behave while a quarrel lasts, but how we behave subsequently. Many times, I’ve seen people who say they have forgiven others, but their attitude towards the person remains cold and detached subsequently. We may or may not restore the offender to all privileges he previously enjoyed, but we should be gracious, warm, open and excited at the idea of a restored relationship. The love of God does not remain aloof after forgiving. Learn from the father of the Prodigal Son. His excitement when his son was restored to him was so much he threw a party and killed his fatted calf! When we forgive we should be excited because Satan is no longer able to take advantage of us!
2 Corinthians 2 (KJV 2000)10 To whom you forgive anything, I forgive also: for if I forgave anything, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes I forgave it in the person of Christ;
11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.
Luke 15 (KJV 2000)10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repents.
1 Corinthians 13 (KJV 2000)
6 Rejoices not in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;
Continue in grace!
Love One Another - Part Four
The Same Care One for Another John 13 (KJV 2000) 1 Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them unto the end.