There is nothing anyone can do to me, no mis-deed, no trespass, no evil done now or in the future that hasn't already been paid for by the blood of Christ. So how can I hold on to anger and bitterness? These are the results of an unforgiving heart. Was Christ's death not enough!? The debt was paid. What a fool I am to think that I should demand more from someone who offends me by seeking my own payment in anger, bitterness, and revenge. Christ blood was more and more and more than enough!
John MacArthur, in his Oct 11 radio broadcast entitled, "The portrait of a new life", says that the way we forgive is the measure of the depth of appreciation that we have for Christ's death for our sins. John goes on to say that it is also a measure of whether we have love in our hearts. Christ's forgiveness of our sins is the ultimate act of love and Eph 4:32 says we should forgive like Christ forgave. So by holding on to anger and bitterness we demonstrate that we don't love. 1 John 4:7 says that those who love know God. By not forgiving we show that we don't love and by not loving we show that we don't know God.
Use forgiveness to gauge the love you show and remember that the offenses against you have been paid for ALREADY. Don't demand more by giving in to your anger! You don't have that right! Was Christ's torture, his beatings, whippings, humiliation, the nails through his feet and hands not enough for you!?
2 comments:
chris' thoughts:
Are they really my thoughts though? Anyway. Just so happens I have run into some scripture recently that touches on this.
Philippians 2:5-11 (New Living Translation)
5Your attitude should be the same that Christ Jesus had. 6Though he was God, he did not demand and cling to his rights as God. 7He made himself nothing; he took the humble position of a slave and appeared in human form. 8And in human form he obediently humbled himself even further by dying a criminal's death on a cross. 9Because of this, God raised him up to the heights of heaven and gave him a name that is above every other name, 10so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
So the thought here is, if our attitude is to be like Christ. If we are to put others ahead of us humbline ourselves. Then why the anger? Why then can we not forgive?
Also look at this my friends. Christ, the one who knew all, the one who knew that others would try to get him KILLED, the one who could tell that you had done wrong even if you didn't know you did wrong. He (Christ) forgave us of our sins. His death was a perfect covenant(mega promiss)of our fogiveness. Let it go man.
Listen you may know I have had my share of anger in the past. And I appriciate this post as it has opened up my eyes to my sin of anger as well. Lets put on JOY not anger.
Chris mentioned COVENANT. I'm going to post on this topic later on. I heard two sermons by Todd Friel on COVENANT that blew me away. Work is pretty tense right now so I'm not sure when I'll get to it. Oh, and Mike, you probably need to let me know what I'm doing that torques you off, otherwise, I'll just continue to unconscienciously irritate you.
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