Evidence of Forgiveness

CONSIDER
Ultimately all sin is an offense against God. Without forgiveness there is no redemption. Forgiveness is the evidence of a redeemed soul.

Against you, and you alone, have I sinned;
      I have done what is evil in your sight. (Ps. 51:4 NLT)

BIBLE TRUTH

My soul waits in silence for God only;
From Him is my salvation.
He only is my rock and my salvation,
My stronghold; I shall not be greatly shaken. (Ps. 62:1–2 NASB)

HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO ME?
The debt that is owed as the result of an injustice is ultimately owed to Him. As we lead desperately dependent lives we will allow all debts to be His responsibility. Only God is capable of resolving our crisis.

PRAYER
God, let all that I am wait quietly before You, for my hope is in You. You alone are my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken. My victory and honor come from You alone. You are my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me. So I will only fear You, LORD, and serve You in truth with all my heart; for I consider what great things You have done for me. . . . (Ps. 62:5–7, 1 Sam. 12:24)


(excerpts from Desperate Dependency by J. Kirk & Melanie D. Lewis)

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Terms of Forgiveness

CONSIDER
Millions of people have repeated the Lord’s Prayer, which states, “and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” (Matt. 6:12 NLT). Since we only mechanically quote the passage, we neglect to recognize the conditions and terms of forgiveness. Do we really want God to forgive us in the same way we are forgiving others? In the verses immediately following the Lord’s Prayer Jesus elaborates further.

BIBLE TRUTH
“If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins” (Matt. 6:14–15 NLT).

HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO ME?
In the same way you have been forgiven of your outstanding debts that cannot be satisfied except through Christ’s death, He also stands ready to forgive all who come to Him for forgiveness. We are much more eager to accept this forgiveness for ourselves than we are to allow the same justice to be meted out on those who have offended us.

PRAYER
Our Father in heaven, may Your name be kept holy. May Your Kingdom come soon. May Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one. . . . (Matt. 6:9–13 NLT)


(excerpts from Desperate Dependency by J. Kirk & Melanie D. Lewis)

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The Divine Collection Agency

CONSIDER
Often when Jesus taught about forgiveness He used a financial illustration to convey the concept. As with businesses, complications arise when bad debts remain in our lives, so accounts must be settled appropriately. There are occasions when there is no way a debt can be satisfied because the offense is so great. In those times it is essential to turn the account over to our divine collection agency. We must determine that we will no longer exert any energy in the collection of the debt, but allow God to be responsible for the account. With open hands we can release the strongholds that have bound us to our anger and bitterness. The only One who is truly capable of collecting the debt will see to it that justice is served.

BIBLE TRUTH
“But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness” (1 John 1:9 NLT).

“He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross” (Col. 2:14 NLT).

HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO ME?
Often we are reluctant to allow God to handle our accounts because we are not convinced we will be satisfied with the outcome. How will God settle the account? There are two methods God will use to reconcile outstanding debts. Either the offender will pay in hell for all eternity, or Christ’s death will cover the penalty.

PRAYER
Lord, I need Your help to stop being angry! Please help me turn from my rage! I do not want to lose my temper— it only leads to harm. I know that day by day You take care of the innocent, and we will receive an inheritance that lasts forever. I trust that You will destroy the wicked, and I trust in You, Lord, to possess the land. . . . (Ps. 37:8–9, 18)


(excerpts from Desperate Dependency by J. Kirk & Melanie D. Lewis)

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True Forgiveness

CONSIDER
True forgiveness evidences a relationship that is desperately dependent on God as we let go of our desires to control and give up our rights to seek satisfaction by our own means. As we forgive, we are demonstrating that Christ is trustworthy and that we can rely on Him to resolve our crisis as we relinquish to Him those who have wronged us. When others do not measure up to our expectations, we must realize that it is not our expectations they must live up to, but God’s. As a result, we venture to release our expectations to God’s guidance, allowing Him to be responsible for our lives and to be evident as our Savior, sustainer, and benefactor.

It is vitally important to realize that only God can forgive sins. The forgiveness we are commanded to give is for our benefit, that we may depend upon Him and walk rightly with Him.


BIBLE TRUTH
“And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Eph. 4:32 KJV).


HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO ME?
We are releasing the offending party from our condemnation, and we are removing ourselves from the burden of seeking satisfaction. In actuality, the forgiveness we are to offer should assert, “You don’t owe me anything.” Our job is to take ourselves out of the role of playing God, and allow God to be responsible to see that justice is administered. The all-powerful God will lift the weight of our anger and bitterness when we forgive in a manner that passes the responsibility for retribution to the only One who is capable of righteously administering justice.


PRAYER
I pray to you, O LORD. You are my place of refuge. You are all I really want in life. Hear my cry, for I am very low. Rescue me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me. Bring me out of prison so I can thank You. . . . (Ps. 142:5–7)



(excerpts from Desperate Dependency by J. Kirk & Melanie D. Lewis)

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Am I An Idol?

CONSIDER
We perceive that our job description includes the responsibilities of savior, sustainer, and benefactor—but this is God’s job description and we are not capable of handling His job. When others do not fall in line and follow our leadership so we can be their savior, sustainer, and benefactor, we become angry and bitter. With a long list of debts, we attempt to collect on what we believe is owed to us because we have done such an excellent job at ordering our world.

BIBLE TRUTH
Idolatry is not just an Old Testament sin. Idolatry is evident in modern times, even in America, when we assert control and expect others to acknowledge our authority. Usurping God’s authority results in the violation of the first commandment, which states,
“You must not have any other god but me” (Deut. 5:7 NLT).

HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO ME?
We insist on being idolized when we put ourselves in the place of authority as we attempt to control others and ourselves. Even when we demand that someone “owes” us, we are placing ourselves in the position of gods who maintain that justice is our responsibility.

PRAYER
Lord, I commit everything I do to You. I trust You. Please help me. I don’t want to worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes. So I will be still in Your presence, Lord, and wait patiently for You to act. . . . (Ps. 37:5, 7)



(excerpts from Desperate Dependency by J. Kirk & Melanie D. Lewis)

If you would like to receive our blog posts via email, simply submit your email address in the box on the left. They will make you verify your request by jumping through a few hoops, but that is for your safety!

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