Thursday, August 11, 2016

If you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Matthew 6:14-15

Jesus gave us a grave warning concerning unforgiveness. If we choose not to forgive others, God will not forgive us. We all know how very difficult it is sometimes to forgive others who have hurt us deeply. I've heard people say, "But you don't know what they did to me or my family. They don't deserve forgiveness."

You are absolutely right. They don't deserve to be forgiven. And neither to we! Yet Father God chose to forgive us our sins and shortcomings. By denying others their forgiveness, we are telling God we are a better sinner than them. God's forgiveness toward us is not the result of our forgiving others, but it's based on our realizing what forgiveness means.

Ephesians 4:31-32 tells us to, "Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."

In God's mercy, He chose to send His only Son, Jesus, to pay the ultimate price for our sins. We were forgiven the moment He gave His life on the cross, carrying our sin and shame with Him to the grave. Then He rose from the dead, presenting His innocent blood before the Father. The work was complete. Now it's up to you and me to accept His payment for our sins.

Unforgiveness is just as deadly as murder, rape, incest, or any other horrible act toward others. King David was a man after God's own heart, yet he committed adultery, got the woman pregnant, then murdered her husband. Saul had many Christian put to death for their faith before Jesus got a hold of his life and changed him dramatically. He became Paul a great apostle for the Lord, suffered much for the Kingdom, and wrote the majority of the New Covenant.

We, as sinners, are all on the same playing field so to speak. We all fall short of His righteousness. Ask God to help you recognize any unforgiveness in your life. Make a choice today to have mercy on others as Father God had mercy on us. Don't allow Satan to trick you into holding a grudge or unforgiveness in your heart. Choose to forgive. Only then will we be truly free of our own sins.

Thursday, August 4, 2016

Offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God.
This is your spiritual act of worship.
Romans 12:1

There is a big difference between a Savior and a Lord. A Savior is someone who saves you from something, someone who delivers you or rescues you from a dire situation. As a born again Christian, you have asked Jesus to forgive you of your sins and come to live in your heart. Jesus rescued you from a sinful life and the resulting punishment.

A Lord is a person who rules over people or situations. If Jesus is your Lord, He takes first place in your life. He requires your allegiance,your respect, your worship. Your body now belongs to Him if He is your Lord.

Romans 12:1-2 declares, I urge you brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - His good, pleasing and perfect will.

Under the Old Covenant, the people would bring their sacrifice to the priests who would kill the animal and place it on the alter to be burned. The spotless lamb represented their sins and became an act of worship to the Living God. This symbolized the Sacrificed Lamb of God, Jesus Christ the only begotten Son of God, which would fulfill the old law and bring us into a New Covenant. God required obedience from the imperfect mankind, and the daily sacrifice bridged the gap, or paid the price for man's sin and unworthiness. But, Praise God, His love reached throughout the ages as He sent His Son, Jesus, to pay the final price for all men from the beginning to the end of time.

Father God gave His best for us, shouldn't we give our best for Him? Because of His mercy and love toward us, shouldn't we be willing to give our best for Him? 

We are to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice to Him, to work through, to live through, to accomplish His will through. The life of God in us is transforming our minds to His will. He is changing us from the inside out. He is becoming our Lord.

So many times people say they gave their heart to the Jesus, but there is no change. There's no evidence on the outside. Jesus might be their Savior, but not their Lord.

I ask you today brothers and sisters, because Father God gave His best for us, shouldn't we give our best for Him? Today, choose to give your all to the One who loved from the beginning of time. Offer your body a living sacrifice that is holy and pleasing to Daddy God. Declare to everyone Jesus is your Lord and your Savior. This is your spiritual act or worship for all to see.