How Many Times Am I Expected To Forgive Someone - Matthew ‬ 18:21-35

Matthew‬ ‭18:21-35‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

"Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, 'Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.' Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. "But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, 'Pay me what you owe!' So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.' And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?' And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. "So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.""
‭‭
------------------

Another week another parable...and today's parable is a tough one for many of us.  This passage in Matthew is often called The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant.  Jesus tells the story of a certain king who wanted to settle the outstanding debts that were owed him.  This king had great compassion on a debtor of his though and forgave him all his debts.  But then this debtor then turned around and had no compassion on someone who owed him a much smaller sum!

Jesus tells us that this parable is representative of the Kingdom of Heaven.  The king, Our Heavenly King, has forgiven all the debt we have built up throughout our lives.  I don't know about you, but I have a huge pile of sin debt that has accumulated over the last 50 years and there is no human way that I could ever pay it off.  Fortunately for you and I, our eternal all-knowing God has structured the perfect debt repayment plan for us.  God in his wisdom and providence provisioned for the repayment of our debts through the ultimate sacrifice of his one and only son on the cross at Calvary.  Praise God for this undeserved act of grace and mercy!

Now given the tremendous debt that we have been forgiven by our heavenly father, how small in comparison are the debts and grievances that we stubbornly hold against our brothers and sisters?  How can we hold these petty debts, when our massive debts have been erased by a loving God? And God in His wisdom cares not only about our eternal well-being but he also cares about our temporal lives on earth.  Many studies (eg Mayo Clinic) have shown that unforgiveness or carrying a grudge causes stress, anxiety and depression.  We need to heed God's call for forgiveness so that we improve the health of our lives now and for eternity.  Add if we are truly repentant believers, we will naturally have that spirit of forgiveness in our hearts that God has planted there. 

So think about anyone you may be holding a grudge against or anyone who you have not fully forgiven.  If we are honest, I am sure each of us is holding back forgiveness from someone in our lives.  Get on your knees now and ask God for his forgiveness for your unforgiveness for your brother or sister. Then pray and ask God to grant you now the ability to have that spirit of forgiveness.  And if a relationship still needs to be healed, reach out to that person and offer genuine forgiveness and express your desire for real healing.

...and don't forget to love God with all your heart, love others as He does, and use every minute for His will and to His glory!

Let Your Light Shine so Your Good Works Glorify God - Matthew‬ ‭5:14-16‬

Matthew‬ ‭5:14-16‬ ‭NKJV‬

"You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."

------------------

As I mentioned in my last devotion, God revealed the power of story to me on our trip to Punjab. So as God leads, I am going to periodically share some more devotions based on the stories and parables of Jesus.

Today's message is based on Matthew 5:14-16 where believers are called the light of the world and that we should let our lights shine before men.  The parable here is that the purpose of lighting a lamp is to provide light.  You would never light a lamp and then hide it under a basket, as you want to give light to all in the house!

As Christ-followers, we are called to do the same.  We need to fellowship with and encourage other believers.  And even more importantly, we need to witness to those who have not heard about Christ or who do not have that personal relationship yet.  So, what is stopping you from being a bold witness for Christ?  What is the root of the fear that is holding you back?  I suggest you meditate and pray about that and ask God to help you overcome this obstacle.

And finally, we are called to do good works.  Good works will not save us but good works are the natural outgrowth of a saving faith.  So, do good works and let your light shine through these good works.  But when people recognize these good works, make sure you point them to Christ and give God all the glory!  Yes, it is important for us to meet the physical needs of our brethren, but it is even more important to point people to Christ for their eternal salvation.  Don't get in the way of God's desire to have all men turn to him and be saved.

And for you President Reagan fans, this passage also reminds me of President Reagan's references to a "Shining City Upon a Hill".  This "city upon a hill" originally came from a sermon by Puritan John Winthrop titled "A Model of Christian Charity".  The message is the same that we should be a model of good works for the world, but always giving God the glory.  Here is a short 2 minute clip to hear President Reagan's reference to this city in his farewell speech in 1989.  You gotta love Ronnie...  Enjoy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c32G868tor0

...and don't forget to love God with all your heart, love others as He does, and use every minute for His will and to His glory!

You Don't Need To Run To God - Luke‬ 15:11- 24‬

Luke‬ ‭15:11-24‬ ‭ESV‬‬

"And he said, "There was a man who had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.' And he divided his property between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything. "But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants."' And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' But the father said to his servants, 'Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.' And they began to celebrate."

‭‭

--------

In my previous devotion about my mission trip to Punjab with Faith, I listed a few things that God taught and retaught me through this experience. One of the things he showed me was the power of story. We shared Bible stories in our revival meetings, as well as in the dozens of homes we visited, and these stories were such an effective method of reaching these people with the gospel.

Now I am sure many of us reading this devotion have heard these stories since our childhood and I think we take for granted their message and what it tells us about our God. But we have to remember 2 Tim 3:16 that "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness."  We cannot ignore any of scripture, as God has a message for us in every single word.

Well one of the stories that I shared in several homes in Punjab was the Parable of the Prodigal Son. The story is well-known to all of us and clearly displays God's infinite forgiveness.  No matter what we do in this life that may be counter to God's plan, He will always forgive us if we just turn, repent, and ask Him.  But one thing I find so powerful about this parable is that it demonstrates that we do not need to run and chase after God pleading for this forgiveness.  In the parable, when the father first saw the son far off in the distance, he immediately ran and embraced and kissed the son.  The son did not need to crawl back to the father and grovel at his feet for forgiveness.  In fact, the father treated the son like royalty by putting a robe, ring, and shoes on him and killing the fattened calf and throwing a party for him.  This son had just wasted away half of the father's wealth and now he was treating him like a King!  How much greater will the Lord's love for us be, when we repent and turn toward him!

So no matter what you have done, or no matter how far you have drifted away from God, know that if you just turn he will be right there next to you with open arms.  James 4:8 says "Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you".  This is a promise with a very simple condition - just turn toward Him.  The price has already been paid - while we were yet sinners, God sent his son to die for us (Romans 5:8).  I pray today that you would meditate on this scripture and that you would feel and truly know this amazing love that God has for us.

...and don't forget to love God with all your heart, love others as He does, and use every minute for His will and to His glory!