FORGIVENESS and LOVE:part 1

 There is one thing God’s love cannot do. It can not forgive the unrepentant sinner. ~ Billy Graham

Hello friends! Let me begin today by sharing something that I wrote during my quiet time with God this morning:

   I am learning patience with this calling HE has put upon me. To wait until I am clear about what HE would have me write about. Sure, I could come up with plenty of stuff to blog about on my own..but that would not be what God wants! So, I wait…and then God blesses me by filling my mind and heart with HIS words…and then, I write.

   There are ideas constantly running through my mind about what to share with you all. However, I choose to wait until I am led by Christ to share what He would want me to share with you. Waiting isn’t always easy for me.. 🙂

   2 Corinthians 2: 5-11 (NKJV) ~ But if anyone has caused grief, he has not grieved me, but all of you to some extent-not to be too severe. This punishment which was inflicted by the majority is sufficient for such a man, so that, on the contrary, you ought to forgive and comfort him, lest a one be swallowed up with too much sorrow. Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love to him. For to this end I also wrote, that I may put you to the test, whether you are obedient in all things. Now whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven the one for your sakes in the presence of Christ, lest Satan take advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

   Don’t stop reading now if I have hit a nerve…please! See, I have been the “unforgiving” one and I have been the “forgiving” one as well. I have “been there and done that”. I believe this is part of my testimony. No, I am not going into my entire testimony..I just want to share a little about forgiveness.

   Plain and simple…life hurts sometimes, people hurt you, you hurt others, we all make mistakes. It boils down to this though…none of us are perfect.Is it hard to forgive when you hurt so bad? Yes, that is why we must rely on God to help us. If we claim to be Christians though, we must love like Christ loves us. If HE can forgive me..then I must forgive others.

   1 John 4:20-21~ If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God who he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him:that he who loves God must love his brother also.

   There is a freedom that comes with forgiving.. It releases you and it humbles you. So many times we choose to hold onto unforgiveness because we are prideful. Or, we choose to listen to others opinions instead of consulting with God. Pride and listening to others judgements(opinions) can really cause you heartache. Listening to God will never lead you astray.

   Proverbs 16:18 (NKJV)~ Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.

   God forgives everyone and anyone who comes to Him with honest and pure repentance. Therefore, I (you) must also. When we start deciding who is worthy of forgiveness and who is not, we are then making ourselves “GOD”. There is only one GOD…and it isn’t you or me. 🙂 God is love…(1 John 4:7-8)

   I could write forever and a day on this subject..instead I am going to make this into a series on Forgiveness and Love. (too much to put into one post on my blog) So look for part 2 on the issue of forgiveness and love. Sign up on top right corner of my blog to recieve one email when I publish a new post.

   I pray you are all blessed and that you know my Lord and Savior. If you don’t have a personal relationship with Him..now is the time. He loves you and wants to offer you the free gift of salvation. He is a loving and forgiving Savior! 🙂

UNTIL NEXT TIME!