FORGIVEN & FORGIVING...

Another of the most difficult areas of understanding *GOD'S* WILL, is forgiveness, especially troublesome when terrible things happen, such as the loss of life from hate, violence, and other negative aspects of humanity! Forgiveness is crucial to our growth, development, and eternal relationship with THE LORD! In the OLD TESTAMENT, an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth, was not exactly THE WAY, but was embraced: in THE NEW TESTAMENT, CHRIST SAYS:

MATTHEW 5: 38-48... 
38/ "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' 
39/ But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on (your) right cheek, turn the other one to him as well. 
40/ If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand him your cloak as well. 
41/ Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go with him for two miles. 
42/ Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow. 
43/ "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 
44/ But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, 
45/ that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. 
46/ For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors  do the same? 
47/ And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same?
48/ So be perfect,  just as your heavenly Father is perfect.

 Lev 24:20. The Old Testament commandment was meant to moderate vengeance; the punishment should not exceed the injury done. Jesus forbids even this proportionate retaliation. Of the five examples that follow, only the first deals directly with retaliation for evil; the others speak of liberality. Lev 19:18. There is no Old Testament commandment demanding hatred of one's enemy, but the "neighbor" of the love commandment was understood as one's fellow countryman. Jesus extends the love commandment to the enemy and the persecutor. His disciples, as children of God, must imitate the example of their Father, who grants his gifts of sun and rain to both the good and the bad.

Jesus' disciples must not be content with merely usual standards of conduct; see Matthew 5:20 where the verb "surpass" (Greek perisseuo) is cognate with the unusual (perisson) of this verse. Perfect: in the gospels this word occurs only in Matthew, here and in Matthew 19:21. The Lucan parallel (Luke 6:36) demands that the disciples be merciful.

The plain instruction is, Suffer any injury that can be borne, for the sake of peace, committing your concerns to the Lord's keeping. And the sum of all is, that Christians must avoid disputing and striving. If any say, Flesh and blood cannot pass by such an affront, let them remember, that flesh and blood shall not inherit the kingdom of God; and those who act upon right principles will have most peace and comfort.  

Some get awfully angry with such instruction, especially when people are harmed, or killed by those whom, seemingly, oppose them, politically, religiously, by heritage, and so on! People want know HOW, and WHY they should forgive such tragedies! People balk at these verses, because their passions, and sufferings override the ability to LOVE! Yes, it is VERY difficult for us to learn to forgive the enemy, and to LOVE them, but, CHRIST HAS SHOWN US, in HIS OWN SUFFERING, EVEN HANGING from a cross/tree, that THE WILL OF *GOD* IS FORGIVENESS IN THE HEART OF LOVE! What did CHRIST say as HE was near death? "FORGIVE THEM FATHER, FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO!", so, you see, HE KNOWS BETTER than we, THE PURPOSE involved, or the principles therein... 

Surely, IF we ARE of HIM, and released from the bondage of the flesh, we are able to get through our anger, our passions, and step UP from the flesh, to the spirit, which IS our TRUE existence, in this plane, and beyond! We are LEARNING FROM THE MASTER, and ALL HE TEACHES IS IMPERATIVE TO beyond!!!

Every time a criminal harms, or kills a human, there are lynch mob mentalities, and words, creating more havoc; NONE aligned with CHRIST, or LOVE! People react just as violently as the perpetrators, and so, place themselves on the same level with them, as they shout, frenzied, uncontrolled wishes to see that person suffer 100 fold for what they did. Understandable to the flesh, but, *GODLY*? NOPE! Will seeing the criminal suffer actually end the pain? Will it bring the victim back? Will it do anything except satisfy a carnal wish???

I DETEST human, or any suffering, especially at the hand of evil, and misconduct, yet, I understand LOVE enough to know that I CAN grow past this, VOID of vengeance, because if I don't, then I am chained by wrong from all sides, and won't be able to escape it! I KNOW ALL VENGEANCE IS THE LORD'S, and so, IN LOVE, I surrender what could take me far, far away from my LORD! I have LEARNED to forgive, and while it is difficult at times, it IS healing, and allows us to move forward, as well as, denies the evil any more power than it already had. TO *GOD* BE ALL GLORY, NONE to what is wrong, bad, and evil, NONE!!!

Just consider the endlessness of what THE LORD HAS FORGIVEN us! From the beginning to this late date, just consider what HE has forgiven; it is staggering, and yet, it is a beautiful part of HIS LOVE for us! We so do what we WANT to do, despite HIS WILL, and wishes, and take it for granted that HE doesn't really mind, but, we can't extend the same GRACE, and MERCY to others! We forget, it seems, that NONE, NOT ONE is without sin, without flaw, without something to forgive! What is detestable in the sight of THE LORD, we try to measure in order to justify, and it just doesn't work that way! WHEN we FOLLOW HIM, and forgive as HE does, we are standing in righteousness, and LOVE, thereby, GLORIFYING HIM, OVER the evil of the world, who CLAIMS to have a permanent, and deadly hold on us, from matters as simple as what comes forth of our mouths, all the way to sins that are horrendous! The point is, ALL HAVE FALLEN SHORT, and NONE are without sin, and so, to comparatively measure sin is simply, wrong...

If we think we are better than anyone, we are standing in the flesh in pride, and pride is something THE LORD detests with all HIS being; not only that, pride leads us to greater sin, and greater wrongs of behaviours!!!

Another point to consider; IF we had NO holds placed on us, or our consciences; if there were no instructions from *GOD*, nor human laws, would there BE any people yet remaining? IF we COULD just exact revenge, for anything, would there be anyone alive???

*GODLY* people are ABOVE what is of the world, thus, they are elevated over revenge, hatred, and all the binding negatives therein! We are of spirit, ALIGNED TO THE HOLY SPIRIT, TO prove the power, and necessity of LOVE, *GOD*!!!

Yes, it is difficult, but, with THE LORD, it is possible, to LIVE as HE HAS COMMANDED, IN LOVE, and in the servitude of that LOVE! ONLY then, are we TRULY REFLECTING HIM, and HIS WILL, and by example, guiding others TO HIM, to safety, to LIFE!!!

REV. LWINSOR © 2013
BIBLICAL, and/or other references marked BOLDLY IN COLOURS