Greetings!
Recently I have received some emails asking me about true forgiveness and repentance. Basically they wanted to know when it is OK to forgive and do you have to allow that person in your life again if you forgive and of course, what about God?
First off, I think it is always OK to forgive. God expects us to forgive others, especially if we want him to forgive us. But forgiveness and repentance should go hand in hand. So, what is repentance? Repentance is truly being sorry for the sin or offense to the other person or to God. And trying hard not to commit the same offense again.
Here is an example: Let's say I sinned against you or offended you in some way. I first need to apologize. But what if my apology is half-hearted? What if I say something like, "I'm sorry I hurt you BUT so and so ticked me off and I blamed it on you". Is that true repentance? NO!! Not accepting responsibility for my own actions and trying to blame someone else is not true repentance. It should not matter if someone else ticked me off. That did not give me the right to hurt you in some way. So and so did not put a gun to my head and make me take my frustrations out on you!!
Instead, if I were really sincere and repentant of what I did my apology should go something along these lines: "I am sorry for what I did to you, I will try not to behave that way again, please accept my apology." No buts, no excuses, no putting the blame elsewhere. I am truly apologizing for my actions.
The bottom line is we cannot control someone else's actions but we can control our own. And we must strive to control our "re-actions". People tend to have "re-actions" to different situations. Most of the time without thinking them or the consequences through first. If we have a "re-action" to something it is still our responsibility. Either think it through first or deal with the consequences later.
This is how we deal with other people, we also deal with God in much the same manner. You must be sincere in asking forgiveness, take responsibility for your actions and re-actions and be repentful in your heart. Does it mean you will never make the same mistake again? Not necessarily. But the difference is if the same situation arises and you were truly repentant after the first time, you might think it through before acting. Practicing to control your emotions and re-actions will help you in each situation. We are not perfect. It takes time. But people and even God will eventually get tired of you doing the same thing over and over and then apologizing without a repentant heart.
I also do not think it is always necessary to allow a person who has sinned against you back in your life. But each situation is different. For example, the person who abused me will never be a part of my life again. I do not think God would require me to put myself in danger. But as a Christian, I can forgive and love that person from afar by praying for them to turn from their evil ways and to give their life to God. And there are the times where the sin was a one time thing and although it hurt it was relatively mild in the grand scheme of things and you feel comfortable trying again. Either way, once there is forgiveness you should not carry a grudge. Move on with your life, either with or without that person.
I hope this has answered some of your questions. If not, just message me.
Until next time,,,,,,Blessings!!
Showing posts with label Forgiveness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Forgiveness. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Once saved, always saved???
Greetings!!
I wasn't sure what I would write about today when I got up earlier but God has really laid this on my heart. Many churches today preach the thought or theory of "Once saved, always saved." But I find basically nothing that supports that theory. Oh, sure if you do everything you are suppose to do and live a perfect life, yes, you are saved once and for all. We are not saved by works alone. We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus the Christ. However, just because you stand up in some church and say you believe in Jesus, that does not mean that's it and that is all you have to do!!
That is indeed the first step. You must confess your faith and confess your sins to the Heavenly Father first. But then you are required to do certain things to keep that salvation. Will you fail from time to time? Yes!! Failing by accident or by ignorance is forgivable. But the person who believes they can do whatever they want and it does not matter because they are saved is sadly mistaken! I have gotten into many debates over the years with this very topic.
Before we get into some scripture, let me give you an example. Let's say you are a Christian, you have your salvation. You go to church and you try to live a good life. But then one day, someone wrongs you in a really bad way. You have some choices to make. You can do as Jesus taught and turn the other cheek, or you can plan a way to get revenge, even though the bible tells you, "vengeance is mine, says the Lord". You know murder is a sin but this person hurt you so bad you want to kill them. You know how you would do it and not get caught. The Holy Spirit starts to convict you, reminding you that murder is a sin. But you think, big deal, I am saved, God will forgive me, I am going to heaven even if I kill this person. And so you kill him/her knowing before hand that it is a sin.
You have done a couple of things besides murdering someone. You turned your back on the convictions of the Holy Spirit. That is blaspheming the spirit which is the one thing the bible says IS unforgivable. You took God's forgiveness for granted, again blaspheming God. Blaspheming is not just using the Lord's name in vain, it is putting yourself above the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, it is also turning your back on them to do what you want to do. Sorry folks, but committing an intentional sin after you know better is not necessarily going to be forgiven. God knows what is in your heart, you might be able to hide from other humans but you can not hide your guilt from God. Pre-meditating a sin, any sin, is not going to be acceptable.
Turn with me to Matthew 5:31-46. This particular scripture talks about the final judgment day. Jesus separates the sheep, from the goats. The sheep being the believers who followed in His footsteps and lived life as He has told us to. The goats are also believers but they did not follow in His footsteps and went about life as usual believing they could pretty much do whatever they wanted. Jesus talks about feeding the hungry, visiting the sick and imprisoned, clothing the naked and giving drink to the thirsty.
Basically I believe Jesus is saying if you don't walk the walk along with talking the talk, you are not doing what you are called to do as a servant of mine and therefore condemned to hell. But I put the scripture in here because I want you to read it for yourself. Go from there and you will find other scripture in the bible that shows "once saved, always saved" is a bad theory.
Being a Christian and truly trying to walk the walk is not easy and it is not meant to be easy. Do you think what Jesus went through was easy? The bible says the road to heaven is narrow, winding and not the easy path but the road to hell is wide and easy to travel. In other words, it is going to take work to get down the path to heaven, and once you are saved you must take that harder path to get there.
Truly trying to live a full Christian life the way Jesus taught will bring persecution and ridicule from people but keep this scripture in mind when someone judges you falsely or persecutes you falsely. Matthew 5:10 says, "Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven" KJV other versions say, persecuted for my name's sake and Jesus is speaking. If you are persecuted for doing what Jesus has taught you to do, yours is the kingdom of heaven. Stop and grasp that a minute. The rewards in heaven are much greater than anything you can possess on earth. I would much rather worry about what I will have in heaven for all eternity than for what I might gain on this earth for just a mere few years in comparison. Wouldn't you??
Additional scripture for you to read. Matthew 7:13-29 Matthew 5:1-12 This will give you a good start, then you can also do a search for other scriptures that support these.
Until next time,,,,,,,,,Blessings!
I wasn't sure what I would write about today when I got up earlier but God has really laid this on my heart. Many churches today preach the thought or theory of "Once saved, always saved." But I find basically nothing that supports that theory. Oh, sure if you do everything you are suppose to do and live a perfect life, yes, you are saved once and for all. We are not saved by works alone. We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus the Christ. However, just because you stand up in some church and say you believe in Jesus, that does not mean that's it and that is all you have to do!!
That is indeed the first step. You must confess your faith and confess your sins to the Heavenly Father first. But then you are required to do certain things to keep that salvation. Will you fail from time to time? Yes!! Failing by accident or by ignorance is forgivable. But the person who believes they can do whatever they want and it does not matter because they are saved is sadly mistaken! I have gotten into many debates over the years with this very topic.
Before we get into some scripture, let me give you an example. Let's say you are a Christian, you have your salvation. You go to church and you try to live a good life. But then one day, someone wrongs you in a really bad way. You have some choices to make. You can do as Jesus taught and turn the other cheek, or you can plan a way to get revenge, even though the bible tells you, "vengeance is mine, says the Lord". You know murder is a sin but this person hurt you so bad you want to kill them. You know how you would do it and not get caught. The Holy Spirit starts to convict you, reminding you that murder is a sin. But you think, big deal, I am saved, God will forgive me, I am going to heaven even if I kill this person. And so you kill him/her knowing before hand that it is a sin.
You have done a couple of things besides murdering someone. You turned your back on the convictions of the Holy Spirit. That is blaspheming the spirit which is the one thing the bible says IS unforgivable. You took God's forgiveness for granted, again blaspheming God. Blaspheming is not just using the Lord's name in vain, it is putting yourself above the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, it is also turning your back on them to do what you want to do. Sorry folks, but committing an intentional sin after you know better is not necessarily going to be forgiven. God knows what is in your heart, you might be able to hide from other humans but you can not hide your guilt from God. Pre-meditating a sin, any sin, is not going to be acceptable.
Turn with me to Matthew 5:31-46. This particular scripture talks about the final judgment day. Jesus separates the sheep, from the goats. The sheep being the believers who followed in His footsteps and lived life as He has told us to. The goats are also believers but they did not follow in His footsteps and went about life as usual believing they could pretty much do whatever they wanted. Jesus talks about feeding the hungry, visiting the sick and imprisoned, clothing the naked and giving drink to the thirsty.
Basically I believe Jesus is saying if you don't walk the walk along with talking the talk, you are not doing what you are called to do as a servant of mine and therefore condemned to hell. But I put the scripture in here because I want you to read it for yourself. Go from there and you will find other scripture in the bible that shows "once saved, always saved" is a bad theory.
Being a Christian and truly trying to walk the walk is not easy and it is not meant to be easy. Do you think what Jesus went through was easy? The bible says the road to heaven is narrow, winding and not the easy path but the road to hell is wide and easy to travel. In other words, it is going to take work to get down the path to heaven, and once you are saved you must take that harder path to get there.
Truly trying to live a full Christian life the way Jesus taught will bring persecution and ridicule from people but keep this scripture in mind when someone judges you falsely or persecutes you falsely. Matthew 5:10 says, "Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven" KJV other versions say, persecuted for my name's sake and Jesus is speaking. If you are persecuted for doing what Jesus has taught you to do, yours is the kingdom of heaven. Stop and grasp that a minute. The rewards in heaven are much greater than anything you can possess on earth. I would much rather worry about what I will have in heaven for all eternity than for what I might gain on this earth for just a mere few years in comparison. Wouldn't you??
Additional scripture for you to read. Matthew 7:13-29 Matthew 5:1-12 This will give you a good start, then you can also do a search for other scriptures that support these.
Until next time,,,,,,,,,Blessings!
Monday, June 27, 2011
Oh what tangled webs we weave when we practice to deceive,,,,,
Greetings!!
Ever know someone who just can't seem to tell the truth about anything? Then when they get caught in a lie they tell another lie to get out of the first lie. And it begins to mushroom because they find themselves telling more and more lies to cover up the first lie. You know, it would have been so much easier if they just admitted the truth in the first place, LOL.
I know such a person. Seems he has weaved himself such a huge web of lies that he no longer knows what the truth actually is. At first, I was very angry with him. I felt like he was insulting my intelligence by lying to me over and over again. But it has gone to the point of just plain ridicules and silly. Now, all I do is laugh. He has proven himself out to be the fool. He has weaved such a web of lies and deception it has engulfed him and taken over his life. I almost feel sorry for him in a way. When you get in that deep there is no turning around and starting over. You really have made your own trap so to speak.
Jesus said, "do not lie". No exceptions. There was not a "do not lie, except,,,,,," (fill in the circumstance). He simply said, "do not lie". I believe that was for your own protection as well as the person you would be telling the lie to. Look at my example above. That person who has told so many lies to so many people no longer has any credibility. He has become a joke to many people because of the amount of lies and an enemy to some because the lies anger them. What has he gained by lying? Nothing! He touts his own horn thinking he is clever but his friends and relatives do not share in his high opinion of himself.
Lies destroy trust. How can anyone trust a person they know has lied to them? Especially repeatedly? When trust is destroyed the relationship breaks down. Whether it be an intimate relationship, friendship or relationship between family members. Many families are not talking to each other any more because someone in the family was a liar and caused problems and distrust.
I think we have all lied at one point or another. Its just part of human nature, but most will admit the truth when confronted and apologize for lying and end it. But then you have those like my example above that just keep lying and lying unwilling to admit the truth.
Father God has laid it on my heart that we all need to pray for those habitual liars that we know in our lives. They are weaving a web that will lead them straight to hell if they do not change their ways. We should pray that they open their hearts to God so that He can help them change to live a more honest and fruitful life. One with integrity and righteousness. One that will put them on the right path towards heaven and not the one they are on which will lead them to hell.
Heavenly Father, I lift up in prayer all those habitual liars. I pray you open their hearts to you so you can change them and make them a new person, free from the sins they have created in themselves. Show them how life can be so much better for them without silly lies that really get them no where. Father I pray you set their feet back on the right paths to follow your ways Father. I pray not one be lost through the gates of hell. Father I pray for the ability to forgive those who have lied to me or about me. Cleanse my heart from the pain I feel of being betrayed and lied to. Father I ask that you help me to always be a good example to those who have go astray. I ask these things in Jesus' loving and precious name, Amen!!
Until next time,,,,,,,,Blessings!
Ever know someone who just can't seem to tell the truth about anything? Then when they get caught in a lie they tell another lie to get out of the first lie. And it begins to mushroom because they find themselves telling more and more lies to cover up the first lie. You know, it would have been so much easier if they just admitted the truth in the first place, LOL.
I know such a person. Seems he has weaved himself such a huge web of lies that he no longer knows what the truth actually is. At first, I was very angry with him. I felt like he was insulting my intelligence by lying to me over and over again. But it has gone to the point of just plain ridicules and silly. Now, all I do is laugh. He has proven himself out to be the fool. He has weaved such a web of lies and deception it has engulfed him and taken over his life. I almost feel sorry for him in a way. When you get in that deep there is no turning around and starting over. You really have made your own trap so to speak.
Jesus said, "do not lie". No exceptions. There was not a "do not lie, except,,,,,," (fill in the circumstance). He simply said, "do not lie". I believe that was for your own protection as well as the person you would be telling the lie to. Look at my example above. That person who has told so many lies to so many people no longer has any credibility. He has become a joke to many people because of the amount of lies and an enemy to some because the lies anger them. What has he gained by lying? Nothing! He touts his own horn thinking he is clever but his friends and relatives do not share in his high opinion of himself.
Lies destroy trust. How can anyone trust a person they know has lied to them? Especially repeatedly? When trust is destroyed the relationship breaks down. Whether it be an intimate relationship, friendship or relationship between family members. Many families are not talking to each other any more because someone in the family was a liar and caused problems and distrust.
I think we have all lied at one point or another. Its just part of human nature, but most will admit the truth when confronted and apologize for lying and end it. But then you have those like my example above that just keep lying and lying unwilling to admit the truth.
Father God has laid it on my heart that we all need to pray for those habitual liars that we know in our lives. They are weaving a web that will lead them straight to hell if they do not change their ways. We should pray that they open their hearts to God so that He can help them change to live a more honest and fruitful life. One with integrity and righteousness. One that will put them on the right path towards heaven and not the one they are on which will lead them to hell.
Heavenly Father, I lift up in prayer all those habitual liars. I pray you open their hearts to you so you can change them and make them a new person, free from the sins they have created in themselves. Show them how life can be so much better for them without silly lies that really get them no where. Father I pray you set their feet back on the right paths to follow your ways Father. I pray not one be lost through the gates of hell. Father I pray for the ability to forgive those who have lied to me or about me. Cleanse my heart from the pain I feel of being betrayed and lied to. Father I ask that you help me to always be a good example to those who have go astray. I ask these things in Jesus' loving and precious name, Amen!!
Until next time,,,,,,,,Blessings!
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