Let us praise the Lord together!
Greetings, brothers and sisters, in the name of Jesus.
While studying a Sunday School lesson for this week, some things jumped out of the study guide at me.
The lesson, this week, deals with forgiving one another.
It occurred to me that we talk about forgiving each other a lot, but we seldom actually know how to forgive.
The Apostle Paul, writing to the church at Colossae, dealt with the concept of how Christian's ought to be able to forgive and forget every real or perceived offense.
Here's what Paul had to say in Colossians 3:12 and 13.
Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel aqainst you: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
Let's put it into simpler words.
As the elect of God, we are holy and beloved by God.
He has saved us, reconciled with us, redeemed us, and forgiven us for all of our sins.
God has not only forgiven us, He has also promised never to bring up the sins of our past, He has cast those sins into a sea of forgetfulness.
Our sins have been forgiven and forgotten.
That, brothers and sisters, is what God expects of us.
The lesson writer quotes Ken Sande, executive director of Peace Maker Ministries.
Sande has compiled a list of four principles that will help each of us to forgive others; in the same way Christ has forgiven us.
1. I will not dwell on this incident.
2. I will not bring this incident up again and use it against you.
3. I will not talk to others about this incident.
4. I will not let this incident stand between us or hinder our personal relationship.
I will confess, I have a hard time with all of those principles, but I have promised God, and myself, that I will strive to live by them for as long as I'm alive and in relatively sound mind.
I know that's a radical concept. The sound mind, I mean.
Anyway, I just thought it might be worth passing along to each of you.
Tell others about "The Well Guild", the loving spirit we are able to share with each other, the Agape love we are able to share, and the promises and provisions that come from God.
Forgiving starts at home, but extends outward to everyone around us and enables us to seriously contend for the faith and evangelize in the communities around us.
May our sovereign and holy God continue to pour out blessings on you all, and to lead, guide, and direct all of us as we reach out to the hopeless, helpless, and hurting all around us.
Your sis in Christ, and still learning as I grow,
~Lyn~
Greetings, brothers and sisters, in the name of Jesus.
While studying a Sunday School lesson for this week, some things jumped out of the study guide at me.
The lesson, this week, deals with forgiving one another.
It occurred to me that we talk about forgiving each other a lot, but we seldom actually know how to forgive.
The Apostle Paul, writing to the church at Colossae, dealt with the concept of how Christian's ought to be able to forgive and forget every real or perceived offense.
Here's what Paul had to say in Colossians 3:12 and 13.
Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel aqainst you: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
Let's put it into simpler words.
As the elect of God, we are holy and beloved by God.
He has saved us, reconciled with us, redeemed us, and forgiven us for all of our sins.
God has not only forgiven us, He has also promised never to bring up the sins of our past, He has cast those sins into a sea of forgetfulness.
Our sins have been forgiven and forgotten.
That, brothers and sisters, is what God expects of us.
The lesson writer quotes Ken Sande, executive director of Peace Maker Ministries.
Sande has compiled a list of four principles that will help each of us to forgive others; in the same way Christ has forgiven us.
1. I will not dwell on this incident.
2. I will not bring this incident up again and use it against you.
3. I will not talk to others about this incident.
4. I will not let this incident stand between us or hinder our personal relationship.
I will confess, I have a hard time with all of those principles, but I have promised God, and myself, that I will strive to live by them for as long as I'm alive and in relatively sound mind.
I know that's a radical concept. The sound mind, I mean.
Anyway, I just thought it might be worth passing along to each of you.
Tell others about "The Well Guild", the loving spirit we are able to share with each other, the Agape love we are able to share, and the promises and provisions that come from God.
Forgiving starts at home, but extends outward to everyone around us and enables us to seriously contend for the faith and evangelize in the communities around us.
May our sovereign and holy God continue to pour out blessings on you all, and to lead, guide, and direct all of us as we reach out to the hopeless, helpless, and hurting all around us.
Your sis in Christ, and still learning as I grow,
~Lyn~
