Greetings
Dear Reader,
Yesterday
an observation was made that I wish to agree with wholeheartedly. The question was posed and posted: “Why is it
that Christians so quickly brush off the "bad behavior" of themselves
and remind everyone else that God is still loving. There is something deeply
troubling about this. The claim the salvation of eternity and then write off
the pain or suffering that they cause as temporary and meaningless. Worse
still, there are times when Christians cause a great deal of suffering and pain
and claim that it is the will of God.”
I think
we do brush aside our bad behavior often.
I know that I am either much harder or too often easier I my own actions
than I am on others. Christ followers
often fail to own the depth and impact of their sin. We behave as if our ultimate forgiveness
somehow mitigates the impact of our actions.
I know that
I personally feel the depth of the consequences of my failures to follow Christ
over the years. It continues to impact
others and even though there is forgiveness from Christ there is no assurance
that this heals the damage my actions do to others. In fact the very idea that I feel that I am
forgiven by God may be odious to people who have not forgiven me.
Take the
extreme case of someone who has murdered another person. The killer may truly see how wrong his
actions are and seek the redemption and forgiveness that is in Christ. He may even feel forgiven and somewhat
relived. This does not mean that he has
been forgiven by the family of the person he murdered. He must always be aware of what he taken from
them. Even if they do forgive him it
does not heal the damage or remove the loss.
I
believe this is why Christ made it so very clear that the forgiveness of God
and our forgiveness of each other is so closely related. It is why when we wrong others we are to do
what is necessary to heal and repair the situation. It is why Jesus put it upon us to act when we
realize that someone has something against us.
Forgiveness
is a bi-axis and multidirectional concept.
When I do wrong the matter is not resolved until I have the forgiveness
of God and of those I have wronged. It
is my responsibility to seek the forgiveness of all who are involved. Paradoxically but still true is the matter
that I am obligated to forgive those who have wronged me. No matter how much I am hurt, angered, or
betrayed by what happens Christ insists that I forgive the one who wronged me.
I
believe that this is one of the great hindrances to faith. If I do not see my own failings, pride, and
self-centeredness then I will not realize how much I need the forgiveness that
Christ bought for us. If I think that forgiveness
from Christ dismisses the obligation I have to live humbly before others then I
am mistaken. If I do not acknowledge my
failures as they relate to those around me I appear arrogant and unloving. The same is true if I do not actively forgive
those who wrong me. My not forgiving
others makes me hard hearted and bitter so easily. A balance must exist between all of these in
the way I think and live.
Imagine
how much easier it would be to accept Christ followers, even if you did not
believe if they did these things. I know
that just reviewing these concepts for this writing have reminded me of how
important it is for me to keep them in mind as I deal with everyone. I think that if I remain constantly aware of
my own sinfulness when I deal with others it will work to make me more humble
and much more forgiving. That combined
with the love I spoke of earlier can do much to show the true nature of God.
Wishing
you joy in the journey,
Aramis
Thorn
Mat
13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a
disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally
hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."
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