- Sep 12, 2016
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I just wanted to share a little devotional/mini-testimony that has been impressed upon my heart by the Spirit of God.
Once upon a time in my life, a person hurt me quite badly and caused my utter humiliation. And for a long time after I would dream up fantasies of getting even. And I understand that as Christians we are admonished to forgive others, as we ourselves seek pardon from God. And there is a special king of forgiveness - one that comes at a cost.
I was a backslider for 16 years before being restored. And I greatly desired God to deliver me from my bondage - my helplessness - so as to feel the great Love of the Father upon me and have peace, so therefore I did the two things a backslider can do: I cried out to the Lord Jesus Christ with all my being, and I forgave my enemies.
But I prayed a special prayer for the one who caused the special hurt. And I prayed this prayer out of a desire to please God, and yet as I prayed it I was yet blind to the connection that would be made obvious much later; I prayed for God to greatly bless and forgive this person, and if possible, that the Father allow this blessing to come at my expense. And it wasn't until I was later engulfed in the Spirit of God that I made the obvious connection: that the forgiveness and blessings we Christians receives came at God's expense.
Jesus was speaking very powerful truth when He said for us to turn the other cheek when smote, to let he who takes your coat also have your cloak, and if one ask you to go with him a mile - go two.
One does evil against you in that they take your coat, but you reward them by not only forgiving them, but by doing so at a cost to yourself.
Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. Matthew 5:48
When Jesus speaks of "no greater love" (John 15:13), I believe He is speaking of a love made perfect.
But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning. 8Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth. 9He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. 1 John 2:5-10
When Jesus was obedient to the death, He did so not for His own benefit, but according to the will of God the Father. That the Father was glorified, and that we obtained salvation, is a reward that our perfect Lord Jesus treasures so, and will ever onward as He selflessly bears the marks of our redemption for all eternity.
Once upon a time in my life, a person hurt me quite badly and caused my utter humiliation. And for a long time after I would dream up fantasies of getting even. And I understand that as Christians we are admonished to forgive others, as we ourselves seek pardon from God. And there is a special king of forgiveness - one that comes at a cost.
I was a backslider for 16 years before being restored. And I greatly desired God to deliver me from my bondage - my helplessness - so as to feel the great Love of the Father upon me and have peace, so therefore I did the two things a backslider can do: I cried out to the Lord Jesus Christ with all my being, and I forgave my enemies.
But I prayed a special prayer for the one who caused the special hurt. And I prayed this prayer out of a desire to please God, and yet as I prayed it I was yet blind to the connection that would be made obvious much later; I prayed for God to greatly bless and forgive this person, and if possible, that the Father allow this blessing to come at my expense. And it wasn't until I was later engulfed in the Spirit of God that I made the obvious connection: that the forgiveness and blessings we Christians receives came at God's expense.
Jesus was speaking very powerful truth when He said for us to turn the other cheek when smote, to let he who takes your coat also have your cloak, and if one ask you to go with him a mile - go two.
One does evil against you in that they take your coat, but you reward them by not only forgiving them, but by doing so at a cost to yourself.
Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. Matthew 5:48
When Jesus speaks of "no greater love" (John 15:13), I believe He is speaking of a love made perfect.
But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning. 8Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth. 9He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. 1 John 2:5-10
When Jesus was obedient to the death, He did so not for His own benefit, but according to the will of God the Father. That the Father was glorified, and that we obtained salvation, is a reward that our perfect Lord Jesus treasures so, and will ever onward as He selflessly bears the marks of our redemption for all eternity.
