ccc
cccOur Father, we thank you for the forgiveness made
possible by your Son. Thus, we respectfully request that you help
each of us to have the desire, ability, knowledge, and motivated
action to forgive others in accordance with your will - - even as
you have instructed us. In the precious and sacred name of Jesus,
we pray. Amen.
cccAnd forgive us our sins; for we also forgive
every one that is indebted to us. Luke 11:4.
cccAnd forgive us our sins; for we also
forgive every one that is indebted to us. Luke 11:4. Jesus
teaches that we can receive forgiveness from God only as we
forgive others. It is the love of God that draws us unto Him, and
that love cannot touch our hearts without creating love for our
brethren.
cccAfter completing the Lord's Prayer, Jesus added:
If ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father
will also forgive you: but if ye forgive not men their
trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your
trespasses. He who is unforgiving cuts off the very channel
through which alone he can receive mercy from God. We should not
think that unless those who have injured us confess the wrong we
are justified in withholding from them our forgiveness. It is
their part, no doubt, to humble their hearts by repentance and
confession; but we are to have a spirit of compassion toward
those who have trespassed against us, whether or not they confess
their faults. However sorely they may have wounded us, we are not
to cherish our grievances and sympathize with ourselves over our
injuries; but as we hope to be pardoned for our offenses against
God we are to pardon all who have done evil to us.
cccBut forgiveness has a broader meaning than many
suppose. When God gives the promise that He will abundantly
pardon, He adds, as if the meaning of that promise exceeded
all that we could comprehend: My thoughts are not your
thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the Lord. For as
the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than
your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:7
9. God's forgiveness is not merely a judicial act by which He
sets us free from condemnation. It is not only forgiveness for
sin, but reclaiming from sin. It is the outflow of redeeming love
that transforms the heart. David had the true conception of
forgiveness when he prayed, Create in me a clean heart, O
God; and renew a right spirit within me. Psalm 51:10. And
again he says, As far as the east is from the west, so far
hath He removed our transgressions from us. Psalm 103:12.
cccGod in Christ gave Himself for our sins. He suffered
the cruel death of the cross, bore for us the burden of guilt,
the just for the unjust, that He might reveal to us
His love and draw us to Himself. And He says, Be ye kind
one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, even as God
also in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:32, R.V. Let
Christ, the divine Life, dwell in you and through you reveal the
heaven-born love that will inspire hope in the hopeless and bring
heaven's peace to the sin-stricken heart. As we come to God, this
is the condition which meets us at the threshold, that, receiving
mercy from Him, we yield ourselves to reveal His grace to others.
cccThe one thing essential for us in order that we may
receive and impart the forgiving love of God is to know and
believe the love that He has to us. 1 John 4:16. Satan is working
by every deception he can command, in order that we may not
discern that love. He will lead us to think that our mistakes and
transgressions have been so grievous that the Lord will not have
respect unto our prayers and will not bless and save us. In
ourselves we can see nothing but weakness, nothing to recommend
us to God, and Satan tells us that it is of no use; we cannot
remedy our defects of character. When we try to come to God, the
enemy will whisper, It is of no use for you to pray; did not you
do that evil thing? Have you not sinned against God and violated
your own conscience? But we may tell the enemy that the
blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin. 1
John 1:7. When we feel that we have sinned and cannot pray, it is
then the time to pray. Ashamed we may be and deeply humbled, but
we must pray and believe. This is a faithful saying, and
worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world
to save sinners; of whom I am chief. 1 Timothy 1:15.
Forgiveness, reconciliation with God, comes to us, not as a
reward for our works, it is not bestowed because of the merit of
sinful men, but it is a gift unto us, having in the spotless
righteousness of Christ its foundation for bestowal.
cccWe should not try to lessen our guilt by excusing
sin. We must accept God's estimate of sin, and that is heavy
indeed. Calvary alone can reveal the terrible enormity of sin. If
we had to bear our own guilt, it would crush us. But the sinless
One has taken our place; though undeserving, He has borne our
iniquity. If we confess our sins, God is
faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from
all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9. Glorious truth!-- just to
His own law, and yet the Justifier of all that believe in Jesus.
Who is a God like unto Thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and
passeth by the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He
retaineth not His anger forever, because He delighteth in
mercy. Micah 7:18. MB 113-116.
cccDear brother, God loves you, and is very
patient toward you, notwithstanding your many errors and
mistakes. In view of the tender, pitying love of God exercised in
your behalf, should you not be more kind, forbearing, patient,
and forgiving to your children? 4T 362:3.
cccWe are not forgiven because we forgive, but as
we forgive. COL 251:5.
cccThe Lord is seeking to teach my husband to
have a spirit of forgiveness, and forgetfulness of the dark
passages in his experience. The remembrance of the unpleasant
past only saddens the present, and he lives over again the
unpleasant portion of his life's history. 3T 97:2.
cccAnd forgive us our debts, as we forgive our
debtors. Matthew 6:12.
cccOur Saviour taught His disciples to pray:
Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. A
great blessing is here asked upon conditions. We ourselves state
these conditions. We ask that the mercy of God toward us may be
measured by the mercy which we extend to others. Christ declares
that this is the rule by which the Lord will deal with us.
If ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father
will also forgive you: but if ye forgive not men their
trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your
trespasses. Wonderful terms! but how little are they
understood or heeded. One of the most common sins, and one that
is attended with most pernicious results, is the indulgence of an
unforgiving spirit. How many will cherish animosity or revenge
and then bow before God and ask to be forgiven as they forgive.
Surely they can have no true sense of the import of this prayer
or they would not dare to take it upon their lips. We are
dependent upon the pardoning mercy of God every day and every
hour; how then can we cherish bitterness and malice toward our
fellow sinners! If, in all their daily intercourse, Christians
would carry out the principles of this prayer, what a blessed
change would be wrought in the church and in the world! This
would be the most convincing testimony that could be given to the
reality of Bible religion. 5T 170:3-171:1.
cccThe strongest man is he, who, while sensitive
to abuse, will yet restrain passion and forgive his enemies. Such
men are true heroes. 4T 656:2.
cccMany who are sincerely seeking for holiness of
heart and purity of life seem perplexed and discouraged. They are
constantly looking to themselves, and lamenting their lack of
faith; and because they have no faith, they feel that they cannot
claim the blessing of God. These persons mistake feeling for
faith. They look above the simplicity of true faith, and thus
bring great darkness upon their souls. They should turn the mind
from self, to dwell upon the mercy and goodness of God and to
recount His promises, and then simply believe that He will
fulfill His word.
cccWe are not to trust in our faith, but in the
promises of God. When we repent of our past transgressions of His
law, and resolve to render obedience in the future, we should
believe that God for Christ's sake accepts us, and forgives our
sins.
cccDarkness and discouragement will sometimes come upon
the soul, and threaten to overwhelm us; but we should not cast
away our confidence. We must keep the eye fixed on Jesus, feeling
or no feeling. We should seek to faithfully perform every known
duty, and then calmly rest in the promises of God.
cccAt times a deep sense of our unworthiness will send
a thrill of terror through the soul; but this is no evidence that
God has changed toward us, or we toward God. No effort should be
made to rein the mind up to a certain intensity of emotion. We
may not feel today the peace and joy which we felt yesterday; but
we should by faith grasp the hand of Christ, and trust Him as
fully in the darkness as in the light.
Satan may whisper, You are too great a sinner for Christ to
save. While you acknowledge that you are indeed sinful and
unworthy, you may meet the tempter with the cry, By virtue
of the atonement, I claim Christ as my Saviour. I trust not to my
own merits, but to the precious blood of Jesus, which cleanses
me. This moment I hang my helpless soul on Christ. The
Christian life must be a life of constant, living faith. An
unyielding trust, a firm reliance upon Christ, will bring peace
and assurance to the soul.
Be not discouraged because your heart seems hard. Every obstacle,
every internal foe, only increases your need of Christ. He came
to take away the heart of stone, and give you a heart of flesh.
Look to Him for special grace to overcome your peculiar faults.
When assailed by temptation, steadfastly resist the evil
promptings; say to your soul, How can I dishonor my
Redeemer? I have given myself to Christ; I cannot do the works of
Satan. Cry to the dear Saviour for help to sacrifice every
idol, and to put away every darling sin. Let the eye of faith see
Jesus standing before the Father's throne, presenting His wounded
hands as He pleads for you. Believe that strength comes to you
through your precious Saviour.
cccBy faith look upon the crowns laid up for those who
shall overcome; listen to the exultant song of the redeemed,
Worthy, worthy is the Lamb that was slain and hast redeemed us to
God! Endeavor to regard these scenes as real. Stephen, the first
Christian martyr, in his terrible conflict with principalities
and powers, and spiritual wickedness in high places, exclaimed,
Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man
standing on the right hand of God. The Saviour of the world
was revealed to him as looking down from heaven upon him with the
deepest interest; and the glorious light of Christ's countenance
shone upon Stephen with such brightness that even his enemies saw
his face shine like the face of an angel.
cccIf we would permit our minds to dwell more upon
Christ and the heavenly world, we should find a powerful stimulus
and support in fighting the battles of the Lord. Pride and love
of the world will lose their power as we contemplate the glories
of that better land so soon to be our home. Beside the loveliness
of Christ, all earthly attractions will seem of little worth.
cccLet none imagine that without earnest effort on
their part they can obtain the assurance of God's love. When the
mind has been long permitted to dwell only on earthly things, it
is a difficult matter to change the habits of thought. That which
the eye sees and the ear hears too often attracts the attention
and absorbs the interest.
cccBut if we would enter the city of God, and look upon
Jesus in His glory, we must become accustomed to beholding Him
with the eye of faith here. The words and the character of Christ
should be often the subject of our thoughts and of our
conversation; and each day some time should be especially devoted
to prayerful meditation upon these sacred themes.
MYP 111:1-114:1.
cccThank God for the words, to build, and
to plant. By these words Jeremiah was assured of the Lord's
purpose to restore and to heal. Stern were the messages to be
borne in the years that were to follow. Prophecies of
swift-coming judgments were to be fearlessly delivered. From the
plains of Shinar an evil was to break forth
upon all the inhabitants of the land. I will utter My
judgments against them, the Lord declared, touching
all their wickedness, who have forsaken Me. Verses 14, 16.
Yet the prophet was to accompany these messages with assurances
of forgiveness to all who should turn from their evil-doing.
cccAs a wise master builder, Jeremiah at the very
beginning of his lifework sought to encourage the men of Judah to
lay the foundations of their spiritual life broad and deep, by
making thorough work of repentance. Long had they been building
with material likened by the apostle Paul to wood, hay, and
stubble, and by Jeremiah himself to dross. Refuse silver
shall men call them, he declared of the impenitent nation,
because the Lord hath rejected them. Jeremiah 6:30,
margin. Now they were urged to begin building wisely and for
eternity, casting aside the rubbish of apostasy and unbelief, and
using as foundation material the pure gold, the refined silver,
the precious stones--faith and obedience and good works--which
alone are acceptable in the sight of a holy God.
cccThrough Jeremiah the word of the Lord to His people
was: Return, thou backsliding Israel, . . . and I will not
cause Mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the
Lord, and I will not keep anger forever. Only acknowledge thine
iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God. .
. . Turn, O backsliding children, saith the Lord; for I am
married unto you. Thou shalt call Me, My Father; and
shalt not turn away from Me. Return, ye backsliding
children, and I will heal your backslidings. Jeremiah
3:12-14, 19, 22. PK 409:3-410:2.
cccPeter had come to Christ with the question,
How oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?
till seven times? The rabbis limited the exercise of
forgiveness to three offenses. Peter, carrying out, as he
supposed, the teaching of Christ, thought to extend it to seven,
the number signifying perfection. But Christ taught that we are
never to become weary of forgiving. Not Until seven
times, He said, but, Until seventy times
seven. COL 243:1.
cccGod is waiting to bestow the blessing of
forgiveness, of pardon for iniquity, of the gifts of
righteousness, upon all who will believe in His love and accept
the salvation He offers. Christ is ready to say to the repenting
sinner, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from
thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment. The
blood of Jesus Christ is the eloquent plea that speaks in behalf
of sinners. This blood cleanseth us from all sin.
cccIt is your privilege to trust in the love of Jesus
for salvation, in the fullest, surest, noblest manner; to say, He
loves me, He receives me; I will trust Him, for He gave His life
for me. Nothing so dispels doubt as coming in contact with the
character of Christ. He declares, Him that cometh to Me I
will in no wise cast out; that is, there is no possibility
of My casting him out, for I have pledged My word to receive him.
Take Christ at His word, and let your lips declare that you have
gained the victory.
cccIs Jesus true? Does He mean what He says? Answer
decidedly, Yes, every word. Then if you have settled this, by
faith claim every promise that He has made, and receive the
blessing; for this acceptance by faith gives life to the soul.
You may believe that Jesus is true to you, even though you feel
yourself to be the weakest and most unworthy of His children. And
as you believe, all your dark, brooding doubts are thrown back
upon the archdeceiver who originated them. You can be a great
blessing if you will take God at His word. By living faith you
are to trust Him, even though the impulse is strong within you to
speak words of distrust.
Peace comes with dependence on divine power. As fast as the soul
resolves to act in accordance with the light given, the Holy
Spirit gives more light and strength. The grace of the Spirit is
supplied to cooperate with the soul's resolve, but it is not a
substitute for the individual exercise of faith. Success in the
Christian life depends upon the appropriation of the light that
God has given. It is not an abundance of light and evidence that
makes the soul free in Christ; it is the rising of the powers and
the will and the energies of the soul to cry out sincerely,
Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief.
TM 517:2-518:1.
cccBlessed are the merciful: for they shall
obtain mercy. Matthew 5:7. The heart of man is by nature
cold and dark and unloving; whenever one manifests a spirit of
mercy and forgiveness, he does it not of himself, but through the
influence of the divine Spirit moving upon his heart. We
love, because He first loved us. 1 John 4:19, R.V.
MB 21-22
cccRepentance, as well as forgiveness, is the
gift of God through Christ. It is through the influence of the
Holy Spirit that we are convicted of sin, and feel our need of
pardon. None but the contrite are forgiven; but it is the grace
of God that makes the heart penitent. He is acquainted with our
weaknesses and infirmities, and He will help you.
cccSome who come to God by repentance and confession,
and believe that their sins are forgiven, still fail of claiming,
as they should, the promises of God. 2TT 94:2-3.
cccIt is not enough even that we believe on
Christ for the forgiveness of sin; we must by faith be constantly
receiving spiritual strength and nourishment from Him through His
word. Said Christ, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of
man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth My
flesh, and drinketh My blood, hath eternal life. John 6:53,
54. And to explain His meaning He said, The words that I
speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. Verse
63. Jesus accepted His Father's law, wrought out its principles
in His life, manifested its spirit, and showed its beneficent
power in the heart. PP 277:5-278:1.
cccTo this unspoken thought the Saviour answered:
Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. . . . There was a
certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred
pence, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing to pay, he
frankly forgave them both. Tell Me therefore, which of them will
love him most? Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to
whom he forgave most. And He said unto him, Thou hast rightly
judged. DA 566:5.
cccMen may freely extend to us forgiveness for
all injuries done them; but that will not blot out one sin from
the great record book. But the voice sounding from Calvary-
My son, my daughter, thy sins be forgiven thee--is
all efficacious. That word alone has power, and awakens gratitude
in the grateful heart. There is but one channel of forgiveness,
and that is ever open; and through it comes pouring a rich flood
of divine mercy and forgiveness.
cccThe cleansing stream I see, I see,--and
the greatest sinner may find pardon.
cccMany have expressed wonder that God demanded so many
slain victims in the sacrificial offerings of the Jewish people;
but it was to rivet in their minds the great truth that without
shedding of blood there is no remission of sins. A lesson was
embodied in every sacrifice, impressed in every ceremony,
solemnly preached by the priest in his holy office, and
inculcated by God himself,--that through the blood of Christ
alone is there forgiveness of sins. How little we as a people
feel the force of this great truth! How seldom, by living, acting
faith, do we bring into our lives this great truth, that there is
forgiveness for the least sin, forgiveness for the greatest
sin! RH September 21, 1886; or 2RH 77.
cccArriving at the place of execution, the
prisoners were bound to the instruments of torture. The two
thieves wrestled in the hands of those who placed them on the
cross; but Jesus made no resistance. The mother of Jesus,
supported by John the beloved disciple, had followed the steps of
her Son to Calvary. She had seen Him fainting under the burden of
the cross, and had longed to place a supporting hand beneath His
wounded head, and to bathe that brow which had once been pillowed
upon her bosom. But she was not permitted this mournful
privilege. With the disciples she still cherished the hope that
Jesus would manifest His power, and deliver Himself from His
enemies. Again her heart would sink as she recalled the words in
which He had foretold the very scenes that were then taking
place. As the thieves were bound to the cross, she looked on with
agonizing suspense. Would He who had given life to the dead
suffer Himself to be crucified? Would the Son of God suffer
Himself to be thus cruelly slain? Must she give up her faith that
Jesus was the Messiah? Must she witness His shame and sorrow,
without even the privilege of ministering to Him in His distress?
She saw His hands stretched upon the cross; the hammer and the
nails were brought, and as the spikes were driven through the
tender flesh, the heart-stricken disciples bore away from the
cruel scene the fainting form of the mother of Jesus.
cccThe Saviour made no murmur of complaint. His face
remained calm and serene, but great drops of sweat stood upon His
brow. There was no pitying hand to wipe the death dew from His
face, nor words of sympathy and unchanging fidelity to stay His
human heart. While the soldiers were doing their fearful work,
Jesus prayed for His enemies, Father, forgive them; for
they know not what they do. His mind passed from His own
suffering to the sin of His persecutors, and the terrible
retribution that would be theirs. No curses were called down upon
the soldiers who were handling Him so roughly. No vengeance was
invoked upon the priests and rulers, who were gloating over the
accomplishment of their purpose. Christ pitied them in their
ignorance and guilt. He breathed only a plea for their
forgiveness,--for they know not what they do.
cccHad they known that they were putting to torture One
who had come to save the sinful race from eternal ruin, they
would have been seized with remorse and horror. But their
ignorance did not remove their guilt; for it was their privilege
to know and accept Jesus as their Saviour. Some of them would yet
see their sin, and repent, and be converted. Some by their
impenitence would make it an impossibility for the prayer of
Christ to be answered for them. Yet, just the same, God's purpose
was reaching its fulfillment. Jesus was earning the right to
become the advocate of men in the Father's presence.
cccThat prayer of Christ for His enemies embraced the
world. It took in every sinner that had lived or should live,
from the beginning of the world to the end of time. Upon all
rests the guilt of crucifying the Son of God. To all, forgiveness
is freely offered. Whosoever will may have peace with
God, and inherit eternal life. DA 744:1-745:2.
Your brother in Christ,
Pastor Michael O. Hodges
FORERUNNER, self-supporting ministries
Home church (since 1983)
Copyright 2003.
Permission is hereby given to reprint any
of these studies and articles provided that they are duplicated
in their entirety without any change or comment.