GREAT PROBLEM, GREATER HELP, 7

[A summary statement about why things happen the way they did to the northern kingdom of Israel]  Then the king of Assyria invaded all the land and came to Samaria, and for three years he besieged it. In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria, and he carried the Israelites away to Assyria and placed them in Halah, and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes. And this occurred because the people of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods and walked in the customs of the nations whom the LORD drove out before the people of Israel, and in the customs that the kings of Israel had practiced. And the people of Israel did secretly against the LORD their God things that were not right. They built for themselves high places in all their towns, from watchtower to fortified city. They set up for themselves pillars and Asherim on every high hill and under every green tree, and there they made offerings on all the high places, as the nations did whom the LORD carried away before them. And they did wicked things, provoking the LORD to anger, and they served idols, of which the LORD had said to them, “You shall not do this.” Yet the LORD warned Israel and Judah by every prophet and every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways and keep my commandments and my statutes, in accordance with all the Law that I commanded your fathers, and that I sent to you by my servants the prophets.” But they would not listen, but were stubborn, as their fathers had been, who did not believe in the LORD their God. They despised his statutes and his covenant that he made with their fathers and the warnings that he gave them. They went after false idols and became false, and they followed the nations that were around them, concerning whom the LORD had commanded them that they should not do like them. And they abandoned all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made for themselves metal images of two calves; and they made an Asherah and worshiped all the host of heaven and served Baal. And they burned their sons and their daughters as offerings and used divination and omens and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger. Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel and removed them out of his sight. None was left but the tribe of Judah only. (2 Kings 17:5-18 ESV)

            Scripture states a believer can drift away from God. Floating along the currents of natural desires and social trends is a very devious tactic of the enemy. Drifting is undetectable and destruction comes upon a person surreptitiously.

            Is another kind of demise possible?  Can people willfully move from faithful to unfaithful?  Can a believer decide to diminish in or walk away from faith? If so, what happens should a follower of Jesus choose to do an about-face, become faithless?

            Everyone must live with the decisions they make. When someone elects to follow Jesus, it is called conversion. Yet while abiding in Christ a person can select reversion.

            Various Bible passages show progressions, a domino effect. An unwholesome activity leads to another. A poor decision is followed by another. An evil event is a springboard of another.

            When providing leadership at a college I would occasionally speak in ministry conferences. At least one church group or pastor in attendance would be facing a momentary struggle. I often heard, “I don’t know how it happened. I don’t know what caused the fallout. I don’t know what created the mess.” Yet with careful reflection a person soon notices a poor assessment and selection brought the issue to an unpleasant yet predictable outcome.

            Scripture declares God jealously does not share His own with another. He tenderly watches over His flock like a Shepherd. He desires the best, but only as He defines best. He hopes the best and creates the best. But He has pre-determined to take into consideration your choices. He accepts the decisions you make.

            The parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15 shows someone choosing a path contrary to the wishes of the father and is allowed to do so. Yet the foolish young man also had to live with the consequences. The father did not want the filthy surroundings for his son but the son was bent on going that direction and the father lovingly refused to interfere.

            Anyone selecting a pathway of unfaithfulness is allowed to finish, but warnings and indicators are given along the way. If they alter course the tragedy is prevented, if they ignore the alarm bells ringing in their head than welcome to a slop-bucket existence. Hogs are waiting to dine with them. The pigpen will come. The only thing unknown is when.

            The summation comment recorded in Scripture about the northern kingdom of Israel shows a domino effect and the tragic conclusion of reversion.

Following the practices of the nations (Vs. 7-9)

            Faith is in jeopardy when social trends become religious standards. Israel’s standard moved from the word of God to the ways of society. Were they thinking, “If God hasn’t destroyed them, we should be able to do it as well!”?

            Many prefer to embrace a philosophy of popular opinion. However, majorities can be and are often mistaken. What a foolish notion: “Everyone is doing it so it must be okay. Surely not everyone can be wrong.”

            People have a natural aversion to being considered different. The human mind frequently interprets different as something odd or strange. As social standards diminish, which they are, followers of Jesus are bound to be conspicuous. Genuine believers are going to appear distinctly different.

            The United States, initially rooted in a Judeo-Christian worldview, is no longer a nation giving homage to the one True God. The new base for actions is humanism. The individual is exalted, not God. The general public considers people capable of solving problems through social reform and education.

            Many preferred practices today are in direct contradiction to Scripture, such as men and women living together out of wedlock, same-sex marriages, deception and dishonesty in politics and marketplace, vulgar and violent amusement, mind-bending chemical addictions, the selfish destruction of the unborn. Some good people write these things off as the new normal.

            “And the people of Israel did secretly against the LORD their God things that were not right.” (V. 9) The northern kingdom of Israel kept up the appearance of being divinely special while secretly living by the preferred standards of the day.

            Do you embrace the idea you can do whatever you want as long as it does not hurt anybody? If it harms you, aren’t you somebody?

            Do you advocate whatever is done in the privacy of the home is okay? Sounds more like the opinion of an advice columnist instead of counsel from the Bible.

            Technology makes it easier to sin privately, to bring all kinds of junk into the home. Does this end personal responsibility or accountability before God?

            G. Raymond Carlson rightfully said, “True character is tested by what a person thinks when alone, what a person reads when alone, and what a person does when alone.” The Lord observes 24/7.

The practices of the nations lead to idolatry (Vs. 10-12)

            Idolatry comes in three forms: Tangible idolatry, connected to wealth and assets; intangible idolatry, connected to influence and power; and, self idolatry, connected to fame and prestige.

            Reversion moves on a straight path to idolatry. When enamored with errant activities, a person ends up consumed with corrupt ambitions.

            Recall Israel conquering Canaan: From slaves in Egypt and nomads in Sinai to landowners in Canaan, unfamiliar with how to cultivate a good yield from the ground.

            Did they seek advice from their domestic slaves and field workers about the best way to gain a great harvest? A Canaanite would likely counsel, “Producing a good crop includes honoring the idol Baal, the local fertility god.” As long as God’s people want what others have, they must take on their ways to achieve those ends.

            Walking in the Spirit contradicts fulfilling the desire of the sinful nature. Godly ways always resist unrighteous, dishonest, and egocentric practices. To be consumed with possessions, power and prestige easily jeopardize becoming like Jesus.

            Society’s activities lead to society’s ambitions.

God will send a warning (Vs. 13-14)

            When acting like the unchurched and being motivated like them, God sends a message, Beware! In His infinite wisdom and mercy, He sees the direction people are heading and warns, “Abandon the present course of action and get back on the true path.” In this day and age getting messed up does not take much.

            Surrounded by unwholesomeness, believers easily find themselves becoming very much a part of the environment. Instead of showing people the way to live, they can end up participating in ego-indulgent activities.

            How should followers of Jesus respond when God sends warning? Israel responded by taking on an unteachable spirit – they “would not listen,” they were “stiff-necked,” they “did not trust in the Lord.” (V. 14)

            If a friend confronted you with genuine love and said, “What you’re doing is dangerous to your eternal wellbeing,” how would you respond? Here are a few replies I heard:

            “I have the Holy Spirit and I know what I can and cannot do.”

            “That is the way you interpret the Bible – I see it differently.”

            [My favorite] “The Holy Spirit told me it is okay for me to do it!” a sort of spiritual 007 license to walk waywardly.

            The reversion process continues from taking on their activities, to becoming motivated by their ambitions, to gaining their attitude – idiosyncratic independence, measuring appropriate behavior using personal preference. In other words, unteachable!

            Scripture teaches believers are brothers and sisters in Christ. He has placed them in a divine network called the church. He instructs them to have joy with the joyful and sorrow with the sorrowful, accurate empathy.

            Followers of Jesus are not detached from God or one another. They are to remain sensitive to God and accountable to each other. Failing to listen, becoming stiff-necked, is a diminishing in belief that leads to a diminishing of faith, to becoming unfaithful.

Rejecting warnings is an act of vanity. (Vs. 15-17)

            A person can become puffed-up by modern day influences and feel invincible. Look carefully at current conditions:

            Activities are generally humanistic.

            Ambitions focus mostly on self-gratification.

            Attitudes primarily elevate careless ease.

            Arrogance is leading people to reject honorable ways and disobey heavenly directives.

            Sad but true, pride always precedes a fall. If pride comes before the fall, what comes before pride? Following the crowd!

            Scripture instructs every believer: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind…. (Romans 12:2 ESV) People with genuine faith in God are clearly identifiable. If a follower of Jesus becomes unwilling to be recognized as belonging to God, the alternative is reversion.

Freewill

            I have heard said, “I am free to do as I choose.” That is true! But then be willing to live with the consequences!

            If you prefer ignoble activities and take on inferior ambitions and acquire raunchy attitudes and adopt flagrant arrogance, then the sweet fragrance of salvation dissipates and reversion quickly follows. What comes next? Get ready for horrid consequences, separation from God. (V. 18)

            Things that often appear and start out seemingly harmless can eventually bring devastating results. As people of faith, choose faithfulness every day. (Revelation 2:10)

GREAT PROBLEM, GREATER HELP, 6

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high…. (Hebrews 1:1-3 ESV)

Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. (Hebrews 2:1 ESV)

            One of the more prominent writers of the past century was the English scholar C.S. Lewis. His thoughts have left an indelible mark upon many followers of Jesus. His books Mere Christianity, Miracles, The Abolition of Man, The Great Divorce, The Problem of Pain, the series The Chronicles of Narnia, and his space trilogy have forced people to think. Much of his writings occurred when the world was in conflict, WWII.

            One of his most popular books was The Screwtape Letters, an allegory of a demon named Uncle Screwtape who wrote a nephew demon about effective ways to discourage Christians.

            If you were the devil and wanted to crush someone’s faith in God, what would be your most effective tactic?

            Provide persecution? Faith is built through perseverance and struggle.

            Rob possessions? Inflict bodily harm? Job reveals misery may not lead to denial but greater blessing.

            To slip-up someone’s faith, one action produces great results: Do nothing! Do everything possible to not awaken suspicion that something is wrong. Make people forget they have an enemy. Make life as easy as can be and then let them drift.  Before long they will glide so far off course they will not know the way back.

            Drifting is one of the most deceptive influences affecting believers. Followers of Jesus often arm themselves against the obvious but never the undetectable.

            Years ago a young man flew his small aircraft from Norway and landed at Red Square in Moscow to the embarrassment of the Soviet government. The country had radar set to look for missiles in the sky, not a plane over a hill.

            In the northern Black Hills is a beautiful body of water called Iron Creek Lake. From Spearfish take a gravel road leading to the old ghost town of Tinton, about fourteen miles away. Go over a small ridge and you come upon a quiet lake full of rainbow trout. A friend had access to a row boat stored nearby. When my sons were young we went there several times and they learned how to fish.

            The lake would often be glassy clear, without a breeze and a ripple. We would row to a part of the lake where we wanted to cast our lines. Yet the boat was never still. Without paying attention we were unknowingly, slowly, and ever so calmly drifting.

            If drifting was disturbing, if it jarred and jolted, if it drew attention, people would go to work to counteract the force. They would be on guard and resist the current. But drifting comes without warning. No alarm bell rings. It happens without detection. Gradually, silently, people move further and further off course. This is the great deception.

            Believers today are floating on great currents. They have the current of natural desires – love of ease, cravings for comfort, physical appetites. They also have the various currents of social trends. Many attempt to run close to but not be a part of the spirit of the age, accommodating damaging customs and unwholesome habits.

            All these currents are moving believers, they are never motionless. Christ followers are impacted by them all, they continually influence. Scripture warns against them.

Drifting is the path of least resistance

            A great number of people pride themselves in not making waves, not causing any problems, no matter if situations warrant them.

            People prefer an easy course. Then no energy is required. You just relax, let go, and cease struggling. This often translates into submitting to unwholesome influences and sinful desires. Never forget that by having a nature out of sync with God you are more prone toward the unwholesome than the wholesome.

            Faith in God differs with pop-psychology. Social reform works from a core value that if people were in a perfect environment they would naturally do what is right. Yet Adam and Eve had a perfect environment in the Garden of Eden and still chose a different course. Given an option, people will more readily choose selfishness and end up doing wrong.

            Going with the flow and moving effortlessly is more natural but goes toward destruction. “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.” (Matthew 7:13 ESV)

            The narrow way is restricted, not by design, but by lack of use. The concept is of a path grown over with brush because very few people are using the road. The trail was made narrow by lack of travelers.

            No one ever by chance drifts toward God. Coming to the Lord involves energy. Coming to Jesus involves resisting harmful cravings. Drifting away requires neither. Just surrender to the currents, the natural forces, and faith will automatically diminish.

Drifting slowly paralyzes

            Drifting numbs a person’s sense of danger. Even when believers are conscious of drifting they get a false idea that God understands. They live with a fake hope that with a little energy and effort they can reverse the course, they can turn things around. Many underestimate the paralyzing influence of a life set adrift.

            A bird was seen on a piece of wood one winter floating down the river towards Niagara Falls. The creature was enjoying the movement of the swiftly gliding stream, having no sense of danger. With its wings the creature could just fly off when it reached the point of danger. Yet when it got to the edge of the falls it tried to soar but could not. The river’s mist had frozen the wings and the bird died as the water plunged over.

            Your habits can dangerously fix you so immovable to deadly drifts that you cannot free yourself, even when you want to. To neglect daily prayers and Bible reading is deceptive. To think you can avoid church and not be affected is false. To shun the Pentecostal experience and the gifts of the Holy Spirit and expect to have His supernatural presence is flawed.

            While stationed in Okinawa a local Pentecostal church was not located near Kadena Air Force Base. I started attending the base chapel services but eventually lost interest. I decided I could live without worship gatherings. Part of the problem was me. The services were not what I was used to or expected. No excuse!

            My attendance faltered but I thought, “I’m doing okay.” Yet along with church attendance Scripture reading and prayer also declined.

            After returning to the States I received orders for Ellsworth AFB in South Dakota. I started attending a local Assemblies of God church. At the altar one Sunday evening I became deeply aware of the damage that occurred in my relationship with God through my drifting patterns overseas.

            Neglecting spiritual habits can become a habit in itself. Before long a person starts drifting with others who are dormant, powerless, and carnal in their spiritual pursuits.

            Someone who went through a period of disillusionment and spent a season church hopping told me, “It’s easy to float. Nothing is expected.”  He then concluded, “I also ended up lacking spiritual depth.”

Loving God means going against the tide

            Holy Spirit initiative and personal determination is required to follow Jesus. You are to equip yourselves to not be “…tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.” (Ephesians 4:14 ESV)

            Why did the worldwide flood destroy Noah’s generation? What were they indicted for? Genesis 6 states they were a generation of violence, of corruption and of thinking evil continually. Many other generations could easily be charged with similar condemnations.

            Yet Jesus revealed the ultimate cause of their destruction: “For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.” (Matthew 24:38-39 ESV)

            They were condemned for living unexamined lives – drifting, yielding to earthly desires and social trends, going with the flow. They were unprepared for God’s visitation. He gave warning but their drifting patterns made them unable to comprehend.

            In contrast notice the commendation of Jesus toward John the baptizer. He was not a “reed shaken by the wind.” He held the line and stayed the course.

            What about you?  Do you better identify with Noah’s generation or John the baptizer? Living for God requires effort, determination and self-control, all characteristics associated with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Becoming spiritually indifferent has no such demands. All that is required is to go with the flow and nothing can be easier.

How to avoid the consequences of drifting

            “We must pay much closer attention to what we have heard.” (Hebrews 2:1) People drift when they become apathetic to what God has declared.

            Does Scripture still have an impact on your life? His word gives the ability to recognize dangerous currents. The Bible warns of the deceptiveness of just getting by. You must anchor your life to the Lord Jesus, and avoid the danger of spiritually unhealthy attachments.

            Jesus never fails. Heaven and earth will pass away, along with all fame and prominence, but Jesus never neglects your need. Like a ship securely anchored, when a storm comes your boat will rest safely.

            Growing up in Seattle the month of August was spent during my elementary school years on our family boat exploring the San Juan Islands of Puget Sound. Whenever there was warning of a storm, my dad would pull out the navigational charts and look for an inlet to wait it out.

            In just a few critical moments a clear distinction could be seen between the veteran sailors and the amateurs. The amateur would lay anchor while the veteran would drag anchor.

            Outwardly the results appeared the same. The anchors had been cast to the ocean floor. Yet the outcome was seen during the storm. Those who lay anchor were displaced by the storm while those who drag anchor remained put.

            A life anchored to Jesus, an act consciously made and diligently upheld, is continually tested by storms but never drifts.

            “We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain….” (Hebrews 6:19 ESV)

Backsliding

            Have you been drifting? Similar to a boat drifting on a calm lake, the motion is often undetected until a person looks up and takes notice.

            Take notice of your spiritual condition. Is your love for Jesus as great as it was when you first put your faith in God? Drifting was the leading problem in the Ephesians church recorded in the final book of the Bible. They left their first love by neglect.

            Stop drifting! Pay closer attention to what you have heard. Stay anchored to Jesus.

GREAT PROBLEM, GREATER HELP, 5

For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (Matthew 6:14-15 ESV)

            The focus of the present series addresses your greatest problem, the problem of sin. People used to want a relationship with God to avoid a literal hell, divine judgment and eternal damnation. Yet today they need a relationship with God to overcome a present-day hell – anguish, unrest, fear, stress, anxiety, depression, mental and emotional turmoil.

            Thinking positive will not anesthetize the guilt and shame that frequents the human soul. Convincing yourself you have an ounce of good will not remove the tension created by the seed of sin. You have a problem but God has a solution.

            When people are confronted with their rebellion and pride they usually respond in one of three ways: justify themselves, blame others, or confess. Peace is only found in confession. In confession there is forgiveness, and in forgiveness comes the opportunity to be different.

            Many attending church live with a shallow love for God because they think they have not done anything really bad. In reality, believers do what is forbidden, leave undone what is required, pervert what is right, and project what is false every day. Attitude sins are just as hideous as action sins.

            Some think the problem only exists with those who do not attend church. The problem will never be addressed with the unchurched until followers of Jesus face the problem themselves and reveal to them a better way to live.

            Consider 2 Chronicles 7:14: “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14 ESV)

            The healing of nations is contingent on God’s people turning from their wicked ways. And the future of every people group is contingent on the spiritual vitality of Christ followers.

            Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount gave an additional truth about experiencing divine forgiveness. Your relationship with God is impacted when you refuse to forgive others. The Lord’s Prayer includes the phrase, “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.”  (Matthew 6:12)

             All sins are moral debts to God. Believers are debtors to God and cannot in themselves meet the obligation. They are forgiven out of divine grace and should be able to understand the heart of every person overextended with any form of debt. They too are overextended in an eternal debt to God. Jesus challenges His followers to forgive others because they are in a similar precarious condition.

Forgive

            The Bible provides a real life story expressing immeasurable forgiveness. (Genesis 37-50)

            Joseph was one of twelve sons born to Jacob. He was his father’s favorite child. To some degree this had nothing to do with him. He was the firstborn of Jacob’s true love. Whoever that child was, was going to have a special standing with dad.

            Joseph could and should have handled himself better. He unwarrantedly capitalized on his favorable position. When the brothers could no longer take his behavior they considered killing him but opted to sell him into slavery.

            Joseph ended up in a foreign country, a stranger and a slave on account of envious family members. The enslavement turned to imprisonment.

            The tragedy was not some brief momentary experience. He spent thirteen years as a slave, three of them in jail.

            After his imprisonment, nine more years would pass before he would see his brothers, a total of approximately 22 years. Hatred should have ruled his heart after such a prolonged episode.

            He finally sees his family while serving in a place of authority, a position of absolute control. He could enslave, incarcerate, or worse yet, execute. There was no limit to what he could do in revenge.

            He revealed himself to his brothers not with a sword but with a kiss, not with revenge but with reconciliation. The relationship with his family was re-established through forgiveness.

            After their father Jacob died, the brothers considered the roadblock to their execution as removed. Yet Joseph demonstrated an accurate portrayal of forgiveness. He said to them, “Don’t be afraid, I will provide for you and your children.” (Genesis 50:21)

            Not only did he continue having a relationship with his extended family but he took care of them. This is the essence of forgiveness. Regardless of the sin, the transgression, the iniquity, or the deception, unforgiveness should never be allowed to destroy relationships.

            Paul wrote to the Romans these sentiments: “Love must be sincere…. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love…. Live in harmony with one another…. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone…. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.” (12:9, 10, 16-18; 15:7)

            Peter wrote, “Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.” (1 Peter 3:8-9)

            In this lifetime you will be ill-treated by every type of person and in numerous ways – a relative, a parent, a spouse, a child, a boss, a co-worker, a church member, a friend, an acquaintance, and even strangers. The abuse normally happens by someone close to you or someone you greatly admire, they are the ones truly able to hurt you because you care about their opinions.

            When you refuse to forgive, the transgressor rules your life. Angry thoughts control your every move and jeopardize your relationship with God. The offender’s position with God is not necessarily jeopardized by your refusal to forgive, but your relationship with God is in trouble by your feelings towards them. You have a heavenly mandate to forgive.

Forgiven

            The measurement you use to forgive is the same one applied to you. Your relationship with others affects your relationship with God. A person cannot be right with the Lord while having wrong attitudes toward others.

            John wrote, “Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble…. Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him…. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love…. If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.”  (1 John 2:9-10, 3:15, 4:8, 20-21)

            The continued cleansing of salvation is connected to no longer retaining malice, or harboring resentment and grudges. A refusal to forgive uncouples the link with God.

            Amy Carmichael wrote, “If I say, ‘Yes, I forgive, but I cannot forget as though God who twice a day washed all the sands on all the shores of all the world could not wash such memories from my mind, then I know nothing of Calvary love. If the living God who made the tide and washes the shores daily cannot wash away from my mind the caustic remarks, the ugliness, the wrongs in someone else, then I have not even entered into Calvary love.”

            When Leonardo da Vinci was painting the Last Supper, he had an intense and bitter argument with a fellow painter. He was so enraged that he decided to paint the face of his enemy into the face of Judas. The hated face would be preserved for ages in the face of the betraying disciple. When he finished painting Judas everyone recognized the face of the one Leonardo quarreled with.

            Shortly afterwards it became time to paint the face of Jesus, but something was holding him back. He realized his hatred was the problem. He worked through the hatred by repainting Judas’ face with the face of a stranger. Only then was he able to paint Jesus’ face and complete the masterpiece.

            You will not be able to see the Savior’s face and there will be no ability for God to complete His masterpiece in you as long as unforgiveness resides in your heart.

            Does anyone actually know how the offender feels about their actions? Could they be feeling rotten inside? Could the Holy Spirit be bombarding them with conviction? Most people live with various measures of regret for inappropriate behavior or scathing remarks. Many people would love an occasional do over – “I wish I could do it over again.”

            I gave oversight to a church in Spearfish, South Dakota for a few years. They were absolutely wonderful people. The assistant pastor was leading the congregational sing but the people were not engaging in song. He was literally working up a sweat and trying his best to gain participation yet they were not responding to his leadership. For some unknown reason an old joke came to my mind while observing what was happening:

            A father restricted his family from any type of playful activity on Sundays. On one occasion a son just could not sit still. The dad said he could go outside for a walk but no running, jumping, skipping, or playing – just walk.

            While walking around the farm yard he saw a little kitten bouncing around, playing with a piece of string and said with a fright, “Oh, no! The cute little kitty is not going to make it to heaven.”

            He saw a baby calf in the corral running and jumping and cried out, “Oh, no! The sweet little calf is not going to make it either!”

            He looked in a stall and saw an old droopy-eyed jackass and thought, “Now that’s a good Christian.”

            When the song service concluded, I came to the pulpit and said without thinking, “My, my, you look like a bunch of droopy-eyed jackasses.” The congregation looked shocked, the assistant nearly fell out of his chair, and my wife had daggers in her eyes. I wished like everything I could have caught those words and put them back in my mouth but it was too late. As a side note, however, the members did become livelier.

            Yet the damage was done. All I could do was ask for forgiveness. The matter was completely out of my hands. I had no control over how the offended felt or what they would do. The only thing I could hope for was mercy. The incident eventually went down in the annals of time as the day the pastor told the truth, causing several laughing moments by everyone.

            A poem by Chip Heim captures the essence of regret:

They laugh and smile and talk and embrace and I do too.

But sometimes my smile covers a tear.

And no one knows.

Right now my tear is from an it.

I’m sorry, so very sorry I did it.

What would they think if they knew my it?

Would the laughs vanish? The smiles disappear?

Would the talk be hurled at me?

The embrace taken back?

Do they have an it?

What do they do with it?

Why do we act for each other when there is no play?

There is only life,

And that life includes a lot of it.

The point is not to celebrate it but only to admit to it.

I am told Jesus knows everything, which means he knows about it.

And yet He whispers in words too good to be true,

“I died for you – don’t worry about it.”

            Let Jesus cover the occasional it in your life and the it in the lives of others.

Forgiven

            The Greek word translated forgive is rich in meaning – to let go, disregard, dismiss, pardon, cancel. Have you taken steps to discard the ills that others have done to you? 

            A person said to John Wesley, “I never forgive and I never forget.”  Wesley responded, “Then I hope you never sin.”

            Found in a Hallmark card are these words: We have to let go of the past in order to enjoy the present and be able to dream of the future.

Forgive and be forgiven.

GREAT PROBLEM, GREATER HELP, 4

Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah (Psalm 32:1-5 ESV)

            Your greatest problem is sin. The Apollo 13 spacecraft’s problem was caused years before the flight but circumstances eventually surfaced the issue, nearly costing them their lives. Similarly your problem was caused millenniums ago and current personal circumstances often reveal the dilemma, which can negatively impact your eternal life.

            Why do so many people no longer recognize the Good News?  They have lost an awareness of the bad news. Most cultures today prefer to emphasize everybody has an ounce of good instead of addressing the seed of sin. People no longer see the need for God’s solution because they have deceived themselves about their true condition. When someone refuses to realize the bad news they cannot recognize the Good News.

            Depression easily occurs when a person finally senses and fully comprehends the problem. By embracing the Good News, coming to Jesus, they are rewarded with divine joy.

            How should someone respond when confronted with the reality of their problem?  Justifying yourself does not bring peace of mind and creates a greater element of lost. Blaming others does not bring peace of mind and causes rejection. Only confession brings peace of mind, triggering forgiveness and cleansing.

            The book of Psalms is filled with human feelings. People naturally face multiple issues, make numerous decisions, and experience various sentiments every day. Many thoughts are pleasant, some are not. David was a person in tune with his emotions. He had good and bad moments. Sometimes he wrote a somber bit of prose, other times he put his exuberance to music and sang to his heart’s delight.

            Psalms 32 is a song of joy, beginning with “Blessed is the one” and ending with “be glad in the Lord and rejoice.” What made David joyful enough to create this song? He did wrong, accepted responsibility, fully repented, and experienced divine forgiveness. Forgiveness makes the heart sing.

            Augustine, the ancient theologian, loved this psalm. His personal story involves a wicked lifestyle prior to following Jesus. He discovered the greatness of God’s forgiveness and entered a life of heavenly joy.

            The gospels record the story of a woman demonstrating her gratitude by washing Jesus’ feet with tears and pouring expensive perfume on them. Leaders were upset but Jesus responded, “I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” (Luke 7:47 ESV)

            Those who know forgiveness know love. When forgiven much love is expressed lavishly. Those witnessing the woman’s devotion to Jesus were embarrassed by the demonstration of love she gave. They would not have been uncomfortable if they had a greater sense of forgiveness.

The need for forgiveness

            The unchurched and churched often disagree on the shape and design of morality, yet common ground exists in a few areas. Both groups consider murdering, stealing and cheating as wrong. Church people also add pride, jealousy, and greed to the list, although maybe not as critical as the really big sins. Truthfully pride, jealousy and greed are the roots of murdering, stealing and cheating, and the roots are equal to the fruits.

            Like the ancient Pharisees, many think they have not done anything really bad and God only needs to forgive the obviously big. The outcome? The depth of love for God and expressions of love are impacted.

            Everyone is regularly guilty of pride, envy, jealousy and greed. These attitudes must be overcome. They produce wrongful acts.

            The psalmist mentions four wrongs people commit.

            Transgression means “to trespass.” Stuart Briscoe went for a walk in the country with his father and came upon a sign that stated “Trespassers will be prosecuted.” He asked his dad what it meant and his father said with a grin, “It means that if you go where you shouldn’t you’ll be propped up and shot.” Stuart wrote, “I heard the words but didn’t understand the grin.”

            Trespassing is going someplace where you should not go and bearing the consequences. You are to operate within certain limits for the good of yourself and others. Some call these limitations outmoded, repressive or Victorian, yet the Bible calls actions outside the limits as transgressions. Every time you step over the line you are committing a rebellious act. How many times have you stepped into the territory of selfishness and covetousness?  Forgiveness is needed.

            Sin means “missing the mark.” or failing to do what you should. Transgression is doing what you should not and sin is not doing what you should.

            The Holy Spirit brings an injustice to your attention yet the mind calculates, “If I speak out an opportunity for advancement could be spoiled.” Silence reigns and sin is committed.

            The newspaper constantly reports defenseless people being attacked in public places yet bystander often think, “I better not get involved. I should protect myself. I may get hurt.”

            God’s commandments are not always negative; “Thou shalt not….” Many are positive; “Thou shalt…” and are areas where wrong often flourishes. What are you failing to do that ought to be done?  Forgiveness is needed.

            Iniquity means “to pervert what is right,” making right actions wrong, doing something with wrong intents and motives.

            Praying is right, financially giving to the local church is right, and attending church is right. What if praying is for the purpose of dictating to God something you want done your way? What if giving is for the purpose of achieving special status and recognition? What if attending church is for the purpose of gaining business clients?

            Every time intent and motive are not in line with right purposes, wrong is committed and forgiveness is needed.

            Deceit means “to project that which is false.” Hypocrisy is a word describing this wrong, meaning play acting or performing behind a mask.

            Several biographies and autobiographies of standup comedians and class clowns disclose a good number of these people are hiding behind the mask of secret pain, covering hurt by making others laugh. Yet these types of actions can be far more serious, such as telling God things you do not mean, making promises you have no intention of doing.

            In earlier years church members sang, “I’ll go where you want me to go, dear Lord!” Really? Many actually cannot imagine living away from family members or their hometown.

            Parents often dedicate children to the Lord. What would you tell your child if they came to you and said, “I sense God is calling me to serve in a hostile foreign land?” The act of dedication is not just some kind of pious religious ceremony but has life-changing ramifications.

            Some attending church think they have not done anything really bad. In reality everyone has committed various wrongs in a big way. Believers do what is forbidden, leave undone what is required, pervert what is right, and project what is false every day.

            Yet the Good News is that the greatness of wrongfulness qualifies you for the vastness of forgiveness.

The divine response to forgiveness

            Martin Luther was asked what his favorite psalms were. He replied, “The psalms of Paul.” The Apostle Paul did not write any of the Old Testament Psalms but he used them quite often in his correspondence, including Psalms 32.

            Luther enjoyed Paul’s psalms because Luther had problems finding peace with God and sensing forgiveness. He tried to do what religious leaders told him but still felt guilty. When he finally realized forgiveness was possible by God’s grace instead of by personal effort, Luther found profound joy.

            Three aspects of grace are mentioned in this psalm.

            Forgiven! Are you familiar with the term scapegoat? The scapegoat was originally part of worshiping God. An unblemished animal was selected and the High Priest would lay his hands on its head, confessing the sins of the people. He would put the weight of sin on the goat and send the creature into the wilderness. The action is the basic meaning of the word forgiven in this psalm, demonstrating the way God addresses your sins and removes them from His sight.

            Another football season is about to begin. When it is over many NFL teams will have done poorly and the scapegoat practice will be carried out. The failure of teams will include injuries of crucial athletes and players not skillfully executing to their fullest potential. In order to restore fan confidence franchise owners will be looking to blame someone. They cannot sack an entire team so the coach usually becomes the scapegoat. He is blamed for the shortcomings of players and becomes the sacrifice.  

            Covered! God is committed to forgiving sins and transgressions so thoroughly that they are out of sight. Rebellion and pride are sheltered from His view. The covering

places wrongness out of mind and out of remembrance. Iniquities and deceptions are forgotten. Psalmists describe the experience as buried in the depths of the sea and removed as far as the east is from the west.

            Imputed! “Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity.” (V. 2) He will not put on your account your debts. They were placed on Jesus’ ledger. The Lord accepts full responsibility for your faults. You can never repay the huge obligation you owe. Christ has made it possible to live a life accumulating heavenly assets.

            When you realize the greatness of your blunders and the depth of God’s forgiveness, a foundation is laid for a new experience.

The right response to forgiveness

            Some mistakenly think that once confession is made and forgiveness received, they are free to behave as before. Forgiveness gives an opportunity to be different.

            When Jesus forgave the woman caught in adultery His response was not, “Ah, just forget it!” He insisted that since she was forgiven she should, “Go and sin no more.” (John 8:11)

            What demonstrates a person has received mercy? Becoming more merciful to others! The forgiven become great forgivers. Harshness does not show forgiveness. Your response to grace is forgiving the boss who abuses, the church member who disappoints, the spouse who upsets, and the child who dishonors.

Time to respond

            A story was told of some siblings who had a vigorous brotherly and sisterly disagreement. The three children went to bed mad at each other. In the middle of the night terrible thunderstorms shook the house.

            Hearing an unusual noise upstairs the mother asked what was happening. A voice answered, “We’re all in the closet forgiving each other.”

            Because you have been forgiven much, love God and forgive others much.