Forgive Now, Don't Die in Church
Forgive Now, Don’t Die in Church
I report the very sad and tragic incident that is all over the news in America. An ex-military walks into the church, First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, Texas; shot and killed 26 people and with many still in the hospital. This happened this past Sunday November 5, 2017 during a church service. The News people report that he is a very disturbed man with past history of domestic violence and had come looking for the mother in-law for an unsettled family issue. He had recently posted pictures of assault riffles on his Facebook page and in the same he often wrote and identified himself as atheist, though he has been to that church many times in the past.
He has killed himself and killed 26 people including some children. The assistant pastor with seven members of his family were killed and the senior pastor’s daughter was one of them. Among the dead is also the mother in-law's mother, the church secretary. The church is in a small town where everyone knows almost everyone. It is a family church and the town is grieving. The nation is grieving with them. We pray for comfort for all that are affected and for healing for those still in the hospital.
Can this happen anywhere else? Yes. Can it happen to anyone including any of us? We don’t know and neither did all the people in that church know on this fateful Sunday. Can you imagine anyone in that church on that Sunday morning still “playing church”; meaning the person does not have a relationship with Christ? Can you imagine any of the 26 dead people not having a relationship with God and still died in a church building during service? Can you imagine any of them still debating whether to forgive someone who had offended them?
How can you be so close and in the house of bread and still die of hunger? People are dying daily all over the world who had been in church and do not have a relationship with God that is evidenced by total surrender and trust and faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross. Many may never experience the tragic end like the one in the Texas church but the death is happening and people are leaving earth without Christ into hell even while in church. This is a reality and not an imagination. Worst is that many outside the church have not been presented with the message of the gospel for them to be awakened to a new life in Christ.
When did Christ forgive us our sins or even specifically, forgave you your sins? We may be tempted to say when I got my acts together and “gave” my life to Jesus. First you cannot give what you don’t own, so none of us gave our lives to Christ. God owns all life and He is the creator and originator of our faith in Him. Back to the question at hand, Christ forgave us the moment when we collectively nailed Him to the cross. “33 And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. 34 Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” Luke 23:33-34.
Jesus will never require from us what He has not done before and suffered even as the Son of God, being in human form. So, Jesus says, forgive now, not after they have apologized to you and after they are acting right. If you wait for those, you will never forgive anyone and God will not reciprocate His forgiveness to you. Forgiveness is a gift that God gave us that keeps on giving.
In our study today, we learn of one who was forgiven an equivalent debt of $1 million and refuses to forgive his fellow servant of a ridiculous 8 cents he owed. That is what we do sometimes compared to how much God forgave us. When we refuse to forgive, we lock up ourselves in a prison and yet we have the keys of that prison in our hands. Nobody can open that door not even God but only us. We condemn ourselves by not forgiving someone else who has hurt us. Who do you have to forgive today?
Jesus says, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. That is the number of times which we must forgive; and translated always forgive.
Now forgiveness is different from reconciliation and Jesus also speaks to it. First tell the person how you have been wronged; if he doesn’t get it take at least two people to tell him. If still he doesn’t get, tell the church, and if he still doesn’t get, let him alone and consider him, a “heathen and tax collector” and not a believer in Christ. Guess what? You have already forgiven him before the reconciliation efforts. As such, just rest in Christ and be at peace. Let’s make all efforts to reconcile but after that we must live people in God’s hand who can transform any heart.
Remember God loved us and died for us while we were yet sinners. He already forgave us. We received His forgiveness and are reconciled to God when we accept the great effort on the Cross and allow Jesus to be our Lord and Savior.
Forgive now. Make all efforts to reconcile as much as it depends on you; and then rest in Jesus. Let’s tell people that God has forgiven them on the Cross, and now to come to Jesus to accept this forgiveness and be reconciled to God. That is the gospel of Christ. Amen.
Matthew 18: Dealing with a Sinning Brother
15 “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’[b] 17 And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.
18 “Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
19 “Again I say[c] to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”
The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant
21 Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”
22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.23 Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. 26 The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ 27 Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.
28 “But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down at his feet[d] and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’[e] 30 And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. 31 So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. 32 Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. 33 Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ 34 And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.
35 “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”[f]
I report the very sad and tragic incident that is all over the news in America. An ex-military walks into the church, First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, Texas; shot and killed 26 people and with many still in the hospital. This happened this past Sunday November 5, 2017 during a church service. The News people report that he is a very disturbed man with past history of domestic violence and had come looking for the mother in-law for an unsettled family issue. He had recently posted pictures of assault riffles on his Facebook page and in the same he often wrote and identified himself as atheist, though he has been to that church many times in the past.
He has killed himself and killed 26 people including some children. The assistant pastor with seven members of his family were killed and the senior pastor’s daughter was one of them. Among the dead is also the mother in-law's mother, the church secretary. The church is in a small town where everyone knows almost everyone. It is a family church and the town is grieving. The nation is grieving with them. We pray for comfort for all that are affected and for healing for those still in the hospital.
Can this happen anywhere else? Yes. Can it happen to anyone including any of us? We don’t know and neither did all the people in that church know on this fateful Sunday. Can you imagine anyone in that church on that Sunday morning still “playing church”; meaning the person does not have a relationship with Christ? Can you imagine any of the 26 dead people not having a relationship with God and still died in a church building during service? Can you imagine any of them still debating whether to forgive someone who had offended them?
How can you be so close and in the house of bread and still die of hunger? People are dying daily all over the world who had been in church and do not have a relationship with God that is evidenced by total surrender and trust and faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross. Many may never experience the tragic end like the one in the Texas church but the death is happening and people are leaving earth without Christ into hell even while in church. This is a reality and not an imagination. Worst is that many outside the church have not been presented with the message of the gospel for them to be awakened to a new life in Christ.
When did Christ forgive us our sins or even specifically, forgave you your sins? We may be tempted to say when I got my acts together and “gave” my life to Jesus. First you cannot give what you don’t own, so none of us gave our lives to Christ. God owns all life and He is the creator and originator of our faith in Him. Back to the question at hand, Christ forgave us the moment when we collectively nailed Him to the cross. “33 And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. 34 Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” Luke 23:33-34.
Jesus will never require from us what He has not done before and suffered even as the Son of God, being in human form. So, Jesus says, forgive now, not after they have apologized to you and after they are acting right. If you wait for those, you will never forgive anyone and God will not reciprocate His forgiveness to you. Forgiveness is a gift that God gave us that keeps on giving.
In our study today, we learn of one who was forgiven an equivalent debt of $1 million and refuses to forgive his fellow servant of a ridiculous 8 cents he owed. That is what we do sometimes compared to how much God forgave us. When we refuse to forgive, we lock up ourselves in a prison and yet we have the keys of that prison in our hands. Nobody can open that door not even God but only us. We condemn ourselves by not forgiving someone else who has hurt us. Who do you have to forgive today?
Jesus says, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. That is the number of times which we must forgive; and translated always forgive.
Now forgiveness is different from reconciliation and Jesus also speaks to it. First tell the person how you have been wronged; if he doesn’t get it take at least two people to tell him. If still he doesn’t get, tell the church, and if he still doesn’t get, let him alone and consider him, a “heathen and tax collector” and not a believer in Christ. Guess what? You have already forgiven him before the reconciliation efforts. As such, just rest in Christ and be at peace. Let’s make all efforts to reconcile but after that we must live people in God’s hand who can transform any heart.
Remember God loved us and died for us while we were yet sinners. He already forgave us. We received His forgiveness and are reconciled to God when we accept the great effort on the Cross and allow Jesus to be our Lord and Savior.
Forgive now. Make all efforts to reconcile as much as it depends on you; and then rest in Jesus. Let’s tell people that God has forgiven them on the Cross, and now to come to Jesus to accept this forgiveness and be reconciled to God. That is the gospel of Christ. Amen.
Matthew 18: Dealing with a Sinning Brother
15 “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’[b] 17 And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.
18 “Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
19 “Again I say[c] to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”
The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant
21 Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”
22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.23 Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. 26 The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ 27 Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.
28 “But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down at his feet[d] and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’[e] 30 And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. 31 So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. 32 Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. 33 Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ 34 And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.
35 “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”[f]
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