750 years after the law for humanity was established Jesus said,
“ I haven’t come to abolish the law but to fulfill it. (Matthew 5:17)
The law couldn’t be
abolished or set aside until it had been fulfilled, and its full effect and intent were realized - showing that humanity can't please God in our won effort, the law was given to show the sinfulness of man and that God's holiness is unattainable without a suitable bridge between man and God.
Only after these
lessons were learned and their importance realized was grace able to be
introduced. The effect of the law would no longer be necessary but the love of
Gods heart and his desire for reconciliation for us could be introduced through Jesus and his atonement.
I have a family
member living in my home that brings an ungodly sense of anger and bitterness
that unsettles my home daily. There are eruptions that take place that enrage my heart. I am learning forgiveness doesn’t make
room for offense or feelings. Forgiveness is not predicated on season nor on
condition but on sheer obedience to the command to forgive because I have been
forgiven. I don’t like it and it doesn’t make me happy nor do I look forward to
it but I do recognize the importance of forgiveness. Oh and when Peter comes to
Jesus asking: “Lord, how many times
shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times? My
brother and sister are not of the same family in Christ but the very person
next to me. Jesus tells Peter his generous idea of seven times is a bit off
center, Jesus's teaching on forgiveness here is unlimited times for the same offense within the same
day. That is the concept of forgiving your brother seventy times seven times.
So what does learning
the art of forgiveness look like? Is it just biting your tongue and controlling
an outburst of your own (sometimes justified) anger? No, forgiveness has to be heart felt and starts way before that person or
people get under your skin. That is why I label this “The art of forgiveness”. This is forgiveness that has to be nurtured, even cultivated, a yielding that has to be practiced and empowered by the working of the Holy
Spirit. Like anything else birthed through conviction and transformation buy
the Spirit, we need to keep in step with the Spirit so we don’t fulfill the
deeds of the flesh. Hmmm… like outbursts of anger? It’s not about not being mad
or not taking the opportunity to put someone in their place but it is about
dying to self and the application of obedience in the small things that lead up
to the big things. Believe me if we don’t work out our own salvation… the whole
living in obedience and dying to myself daily thing… we won’t do the Godly
thing when the biggies come knocking at our door.
Like the practice of medicine,
godliness is also something that needs to become a practice and has to be applied every day to be successful at
it.
I’m praying for you,
as my Christina brothers and sisters just as I am praying for me to continue in
obedience in the practice of godliness being right isn’t always the same as
being righteous in his sight.
