Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries |
When you lay down your life, it includes your grievances.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
God in His sovereignty chooses to love freely without any strings attached or ulterior motives.
Divine love cannot be compromised by man’s sins, human good, evil or any other function of the sin nature, including Christian degeneracy.
If you operate in God’s love, your system of thinking concerning love will be one with no boundaries or limitations towards those you are loving.
Love leads to giving leads to forgiving.
Having been forgiven leads to loving leads to forgiving.
Sometimes the best way you can lay down your life...
is to lay down your grievances.
Jesus Christ is the flashing forth of the essence of God.
Jesus showed us how God loves, how God gives, and how God forgives.
Point 1. Definition of Forgiveness.
Forgiveness means to give up resentment, excuse a guilty party, to release from payment, to forget an offense, never bringing it up again not even to discuss it.
The principle of legal pardon is no different from the principle of personal pardon and forgiveness.
Point 2. The ultimate expression of forgiveness was the cross of Christ.
Point 3. Scripture Passages on Forgiveness.
He is tender-hearted and forgives others on the basis of the fact that God has forgiven him.
MAR 11:25 “And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your transgressions.”
1JO 2:12 “I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake.”
Point 4. One of the greatest illustrations of forgiveness is found in the story of Joseph.
Joseph was a victim of great injustice, but it became a part of God’s perfect plan for his life!
1. Joseph was thrown into the pit by his brothers which was a part of God’s plan for his life, which he failed to recognize, GEN 37:1-24.
2. Joseph was sold to a caravan, which just so happened to be coming by, and the caravan took Joseph to Egypt, God’s geographical will for Joseph, GEN 37:25-36!
3. Joseph then became a servant to Potiphar, who was an officer of Pharaoh, and Joseph learned that God can provide prosperity in any situation, GEN 39:2-6.