Forgiveness — a vital reality

 

A younger person once said to me, “It must be a lot easier to be a Christian as you get older.” I nearly laughed out loud. MacArthur has a good answer to that comment:  “As you mature in Christ, the frequency of your sinning decreases, but your sensitivity to it increases. That doesn’t mean you are more easily tempted, but that you are more aware of the subtleties of sin and how it dishonors God.”

More aware, more concerned, more feeling helpless partly because of age, but mostly because I feel helpless without total dependence on the Lord. Saying no to sin is only part of it; saying yes to God adds another challenge.

No, it is not easier, but my relationship with Jesus is deeper with more knowledge of Him, richer understanding of His ways and His love for me, greater consistency in prayer and a deeper desire to drop all worldly things to serve Him, even in the helplessness that I feel. There is also a richer understanding of forgiveness; I stand in need of it more often, not because I sin more often, but am more deeply aware of it when I do.

Jesus teaches us to ask Him: “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” (Matthew 6:12) Forgiveness goes to me and from me. Because Jesus died for me, I am forgiven. Because Jesus died for all, I can forgive as He does.

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (1 John 1:8–10)

This is not about salvation but an identifier: it tells how to distinguish believers from unbelievers: believers confess their sins; unbelievers don’t. No rationalization. No excuses. No fudging, hedging, or blame-shifting. The sense of grieving the Spirit of God is too great. I want to please Him, not make Him sad. I want my joy back too, for it flies away when I’m aware of my sin. Jesus calls it a debt because I’ve violated God’s holiness and said no to Him in some way. I own Him better than that. This isn’t about losing my salvation, but if I do not repent, God will chasten me.

My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives. It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. (Hebrews 12:5–8)

Here I must repeat what I consider the most important verse in the NT for continued joy in the Lord, growth to be like Jesus, and the key to a powerful Christian life: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

Lord Jesus, You live inside me. When I sin, I could hide that reality and my focus then changes from You to ‘poor me’ — so the need to confess sin is vital. It is a matter of letting You be seen, of glorifying You. Besides that, I can do nothing of value unless I’m abiding in You. That is impossible if I’m harboring sin. All that said, forgiveness is incredible. It makes deep relationships possible, with You and also with others. Convict me quickly for sinful attitudes, words and actions. May I always be quick to confess them to You.

CONSIDER: Psalm 38 describes David’s physical and emotional ramifications because of his sin. Do I feel like that? If not, that lack is also something to confess as it indicates a lax attitude toward the holiness of God.

 

 

The principle of discipline

I am a quilt maker. Most of them are art quilts rather than bed quilts, a freedom of expression but like any art, it is not without rules. For instance, they cannot be called quilts unless they are made of layers stitched or tied together. Like any piece of art, these quilts also must follow fundamental rules of design.

When I make a piece that turns out badly, the rules of designing and sewing a quilt are helpful in either fixing it or starting over with a new one. This principle is the same with baking cakes, decorating a room, building a bird house, or holding down a job.

The ‘laws’ of design and of life are to guide us, not make us give up, or moan about unfairness. Without them, we would have no idea about cause and effect, truth and consequences, or why one thing works and another action results in failure.

Principles are real and helpful in living for Jesus Christ. God’s Word is filled with spiritual principles. If I go against them, my spirituality begins to stink rather than reflect the goodness of God. Not only that, the more I go against God’s guidance, the less I think about what He says and how He wants me to live. Because He is my Savior, when (not if) that happens, He steps in and corrects me . . .

“And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? ‘My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.’ It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.” (Hebrews 12:5–8)

Yesterday’s devotions alerted me to how easily I can quench the Spirit. Today, the Lord adds to the list one more way: I do it by despising the chastening of the Lord and giving up when He rebukes me.

That is, when God shows me error in my walk with Him, sometimes I wonder what took Him so long. I feel ashamed that I’d been guilty of that particular thing and never realized it, or if I did realize it, my understanding was too vague — or whatever excuse I came up with. But as Chambers says, if God is revealing something, no matter how long it took, I’m to yield, to let Him have His way. The goal is being in right relationship to God, not sending me into a sulk, or making me give up. If I did that in other areas of life, I’d soon stop making quilts, baking cakes, and doing anything else.

Chambers also points out that “sanctification is not my idea of what I want God to do for me; sanctification is God’s idea of what He wants to do for me.” Because that is true, His rebuke, correction, and discipline are to put me in the mindset where I am willing, no matter the cost, to let Him have His way in my life. This is why the writer of Hebrews says I’m not to regard His discipline lightly — it is evidence that I am His child and that He loves me!

Disciplined children

In public places, I sometimes see a child behaving badly but receiving no correction. I suppose these days, young parents fear repercussions or are of the mindset that discipline is not politically correct. Many of them are more worried about “what will people think?” than they are about what lack of discipline does to their children. In my opinion, correcting bad behavior is a sign of love.

I’ve often told the story of the most popular girl in high school telling me that she envied me and my sister because “your parents love you enough to discipline you.” If she figured that out, could it be that the wild antics of some children are attempts to gain a show of love? For some, a spanking is better than being ignored.

That said, I’m not a great fan of being disciplined, at least when people do it. Their motivations vary, but most are prompted to correct me out of their own desire to feel superior, or a desire to get me out of their space. On the other hand, God is not like that.

And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. (Hebrews 12:5–8)

The Lord disciplines me because He loves me too much to leave me the way that I am. Selfishness and sinful behavior does not make me a better person. He cares that I grow in character and goodness, that I become more like Jesus. His discipline is actually a sign or mark that I belong to Him. 

God disciplines several ways. The one I prefer is a rebuke from His Word. This is much easier than a slap on the side of the head. However, He rarely gives me a boot (figuratively) without hugging me at the same time. 

He can also discipline through the consequences of bad behavior. If I will not learn one way, He will persist using some other way to teach me the folly of whatever I might be doing. He follows up with correction so that I will learn how to behave in better ways.

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the (child) of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16–17)

I’ve thought many times that if God didn’t care about what I do, I would not worship Him. Like my classmate in high school, I know that discipline is an indication that I am loved and a pathway to becoming complete.