August 31, 2017 – Devotions – Your G-d Is Too Small — What is the Forgiveness of Sin?

“When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. “Pray then in this way:
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one.

For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Matthew 6:7-15

We so often hear people say “I just cannot forgive what so and so did to me”. Forgiveness is a difficult topic to fully appreciate in our lives – at least that is what I think. The Greek word for forgiveness is “Aphiemi” – it is the word used when Jesus says “And forgive us our debts”. Like many words, it has several derivations including to send away, release, and remit. A good image I have used for the idea of forgiving someone is the image of releasing something you have in your hand. You must open your hand to release it. It requires us to do something purposefully to finally, once and for all, release the “thing” or the “someone” from our grip. What it means, ultimately, is that something someone has done to us has gripped us – or we have gripped it – the hurt, the pain, the sorrow, the grief of that hurt is held tight. And it will not let go – or we refuse to let it go. And so because we like to keep control in our lives, we believe that we want to hold that person accountable – they must “repay” us for what they have done. There is a debt to be paid. My concern is this: though we think we control it, the reality is, it now controls us.

Jesus tells us to pray asking that G-d forgive us of our debts, “…as we also have forgiven our debtors”. Notice what Jesus is saying. We are praying for G-d’s forgiveness, but only after we have been living a life of continually forgiving the others in our lives. All of a sudden we realize that before we should approach G-d seeking forgiveness, we should already have been actively and continually forgiving others. We forgive others when we let go of resentment and give up any claim to be compensated for the hurt or loss we have suffered. The Bible teaches that unselfish love is the basis for true forgiveness, since love “does not keep account of the injury.” (1 Cor. 13:4,5) And now we suddenly realize that forgiving others has less to do with our relationship with them, and more about our relationship with G-d. If we refuse to forgive, then it lessens our posture of seeking G-d’s forgiveness. Refusing to forgive others “constipates” our relationship with G-d. When we continually hold in our hearts the hate, resentment, pride and hurts, then we cannot come to G-d with the open hands and hearts that we should.

What is it in your hearts or minds that you need to let go and give to G-d? Letting go of the hate and the hurt will be very freeing – freeing and opening us to the love, mercy, unconditional forgiveness and unconditional Grace of Jesus. (Themes come from the book “Your God Is Too Small” by J. B. Phillips)

Pastor Dave

August 30, 2017 – Devotions – Your G-d Is Too Small — What is the “Conviction” of Sin?

What does it mean to understand ourselves as people who are “by nature sinful and unclean”? Must we be “convicted” of sin before we can understand how sin impacts and infects our lives? And what does “convicted of sin” even mean? We know that to be convicted of a crime, we have to have been accused of breaking a law, tried in a timely fashion and found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. To be convicted of sin, we have to be accused of breaking one of G-d’s laws, tried in a time G-d sees as appropriate, and found to bear the guilt of that sin in the court of G-d’s kingdom.

Now this all sounds a bit intimidating, and it should. After all, to be found guilty in a county, state or federal crime, we face punishment for a determined amount of time, and often have the hope of being pardoned or released early for good behavior. But, to found guilty of one of G-d’s laws, we could face a punishment that could go on, possibly, for eternity. There are biblical examples of people who felt their sinfulness in situations: Isaiah experienced G-d in the temple for he said, “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” (Isaiah 6:5) Peter witnessed the miracle of fish jumping into his nets and said “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord”. (Luke 5:8) And after the jailer realized that Paul and Silas were still in their jail cells after the earthquake “the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?'” (Acts 16:29-30) Each seems to indicate some “conviction” of a person’s need for G-d – and a clearer understanding of their position with G-d – that of being a sinful person in need of G-d and G-d’s help. Perhaps that is the best definition of this idea of being “convicted of sin” – a person’s understanding of our relationship with G-d. That first, we need G-d and the teachings of G-d; and second that without G-d’s help, we will never be worthy of G-d’s love, mercy and Grace. Nothing we can “do” will be able to put us into the position of being found “not guilty”. Without an advocate, we are “lost and unclean people”.

My friends, our advocate is the Holy Spirit who helps us understand our need for G-d through the teachings of Jesus Christ. The Spirit is not only our Advocate before G-d, but the Spirit calls us through the Gospel (the scriptures), gathers us among other “convicted, seekers of Grace”, and enlightens us to our need for Grace, and helps us when we do not know what to say before G-d. It is the Holy Spirit who opens our eyes to the ways in which we have lived selfish and myopic lives. We believe that the Holy Spirit first begins to work in our lives through our Baptisms. From then on it is up to the Holy Spirit to work when and where the Holy Spirit decides to work. But we are exposed to the Holy Spirit through the Word, through preaching, through the sacraments, and when we are living in a community of faith who continually console and converse with other followers of Jesus. (Themes come from the book “Your God Is Too Small” by J. B. Phillips)

Pastor Dave