Quote from Forum Archives on April 29, 2003, 4:18 pm

Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Dear friends,

Today's message comes from the Neil Anderson's Daily in Christ
devotional series, and it contains a message that I'd like every
single person to read carefully, pray about, and act upon every
day. You see, rarely does a day go by where there isn't someone
or something that doesn't offend us in some way. People bother
one another all the time, especially in a family, in a job
situation, on the road, in the store... you get the idea. If
your initial thought is that you haven't offended anyone and
nobody has offended you recently, think again. Either you're not
getting out much, you're nearly perfect, or your heart has not
yet been pierced by God's Holy Spirit.

We all offend one another in one way or another. It's possible
that I even offend some of you with my messages.

Well, this message is about forgiveness. Neil says it and gets
it right in his devotional message today. I encourage you to
check out his entire series of messages online at his Web site.
The references are included below.

Dear Lord,

I know that I offend others from time to time, and I've also
offended You. Please forgive me for my offenses against You and
against others, and please also grant me a forgiving heart, that
I may not hold the offenses of others against them. Instead,
restore to each of us the full joy of Your salvation, which comes
to us through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Your Brother in Christ,
Brian

____________________________________________________________

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NEIL ANDERSON'S DAILY IN CHRIST
from Freedom in Christ Ministries

April 29

THE CHOICE OF FORGIVENESS

Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other,
just as God in Christ has also forgiven you (Ephesians 4:32).

Most of the ground that Satan gains in the lives of Christians
is due to unforgiveness. We are warned to forgive others so that
Satan cannot take advantage of us (2 Corinthians 2:10, 11). God
requires us to forgive others from our hearts or He will turn us
over to the tormenters (Matthew 18:34, 35). Why is forgiveness
so critical to our freedom? Because of the cross. God didn't
give us what we deserve; He gave us what we needed according to
His mercy. We are to be merciful just as our heavenly Father is
merciful (Luke 6:36). We are to forgive as we have been forgiven
(Ephesians 4:31, 32).

Forgiveness is not forgetting. People who try to forget find
that they cannot. God says He will "remember no more" our sins
(Hebrews 10:17), but God, being omniscient, cannot forget.
"Remember no more" means that God will never use the past
against us (Psalm 103:12). Forgetting may be a result of
forgiveness, but it is never the means of forgiveness. When we
bring up the past and use it against others, we haven't forgiven
them.

Forgiveness is a choice, a crisis of the will. We choose to face
and acknowledge the hurt and the hate in order to forgive from
the heart. Since God requires us to forgive, it is something we
can do. (He would never require us to do something we cannot
do.) But forgiveness is difficult for us because it pulls
against our concept of justice. We want revenge for offenses
suffered. But we are told never to take our own revenge (Romans
12:19). "Why should I let them off the hook?" we protest. You
let them off your hook, but they are never off God's hook. He
will deal with them fairly--something we cannot do.

If you don't let offenders off your hook, you are hooked to them
and the past, and that just means continued pain for you. Stop
the pain; let it go. You don't forgive someone merely for their
sake; you do it for your sake so you can be free. Your need to
forgive isn't an issue between you and the offender; it's
between you and God.

Lord, I stand amazed at the example of Your forgiveness. I
desire to grow in my willingness to forgive those who have hurt
me.

-----------
This daily devotional is published and distributed by
Crosswalk.com. It is written by Neil Anderson at
link.crosswalk.com/UM/T.asp?A1.14.11537.1.293748.

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=====
--
Brian Masinick, mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: www.geocities.com/masinick/

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