AMAZING FORGIVENESS
Forgiveness is the redeeming power of grace. Without mercy there would be no forgiveness; mercy precedes grace. The compassion of mercy opens the door for the forgiveness of grace. Hallelujah!
(29) Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
(30) And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
(31) Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
(32) And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. Ephesians 4:29-32 KJV
Aristotle defined bitterness as “the resentful spirit that refuses reconciliation.”
Many have a bitter frame of mind and have not allowed the new man who is created after the image of Christ to put the old man away! In other words; to subdue that mindset with the emotions which it produces! Bitterness produces unrighteous indignation; which produces a violent passion for vengeance; which produces loud insulting language; which produces blasphemous railing; which produces a heart filled with malice.
(14) Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
(15) Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; Hebrews 12:14-15 KJV
Almost all bitterness is caused by un-forgiveness toward God or Mankind. There are times; situations or circumstance which cause bitterness. Misunderstanding God and the dynamics of a fallen world cause bitterness; how many times have you heard the phrase “how can a loving God let such things happen”? This is a person that doesn’t understand how the fall of man (Adam’s Sin) effected creation and allowed Satan to become the temporary god is this world. Misunderstanding is often the culprit which is at the root of bitterness. Hebrews exhorts the Christian to “follow peace with all men”! This means the saints and the unsaved.
It is imperative that we take due diligence when it comes to dealing with all men. The Lord declares “lest a root of bitterness springing up trouble you”. Brethren; roots are hidden from the surface yet have the ability to produce fruit above the surface. Hence; if sin is in the heart given the occasion it will manifest for all to see. Sin when given the opportunity stirs up trouble and contaminates and taints us and others through our actions. It is definitely possible for seeds of bitterness to be sown into a community and sooner or later the effects of those seeds will begin to manifest; corrupting the whole community. Bitterness has an agenda and words are the arbiter of its cause; bitterness once manifested knows how to precisely propagandize a community in order to corrupt it. Bitterness isn’t a demon; it is an attribute of the flesh.
(9) A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. Galatians 5:9 KJV
Leaven or yeast is used in this verse as an evil element; it denotes the fact that just a little amount of leaven has the power to expand the whole loaf and puff it up and out. Leaven always takes everything to the limit of its influence. A little bitterness is destined to increase if it is not removed altogether! We must remember as Christians we have been liberated from the bondages of the flesh and called to love, accept, and forgive one another.
(13) For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
(14) For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
(15) But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. Galatians 5:13-15 KJV
Love is empowering; as Christ loved and forgave us we are also empowered by that same grace which set the captives free. Sarcasm is the product of bitterness and is aimed at an individual or even a group to cut or give pain. When bitterness is given free range and rancor it genders strife and word cannibalism to cut and devour the object of its un-forgiveness. The liberty allotted us is for the purpose of developing holiness and spiritual fruit that glorifies God and to crucify the flesh and its attributes!
(14) For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
(15) But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Matthew 6:14-15 KJV
Brethren; forgiveness is imperative it is not by any means optional; the reality of spiritual life is that we are not given the luxury of holding on to our bitterness towards other people, when we’ve been forgiveness of our sins and trespasses toward God and Man! Let us pray:
(9b.) Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
(10) Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
(11) Give us this day our daily bread.
(12) And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
(13) And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen. Matthew 6:9-13 KJV
Brethren let us keep the faith today through setting a watch over our hearts and tongues. Let us cultivate our hearts with the word of God and prayer; cleansing ourselves through thanksgiving and the washing of water of the word; regenerating the fruit of Spirit daily to the glory of God. Keep the faith and the faith will keep you!
Ray or Dana Ray Ritchie (Proclaimer of the Gospel of Jesus Christ)
Forgiveness is the redeeming power of grace. Without mercy there would be no forgiveness; mercy precedes grace. The compassion of mercy opens the door for the forgiveness of grace. Hallelujah!
(29) Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
(30) And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
(31) Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
(32) And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. Ephesians 4:29-32 KJV
Aristotle defined bitterness as “the resentful spirit that refuses reconciliation.”
Many have a bitter frame of mind and have not allowed the new man who is created after the image of Christ to put the old man away! In other words; to subdue that mindset with the emotions which it produces! Bitterness produces unrighteous indignation; which produces a violent passion for vengeance; which produces loud insulting language; which produces blasphemous railing; which produces a heart filled with malice.
(14) Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
(15) Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; Hebrews 12:14-15 KJV
Almost all bitterness is caused by un-forgiveness toward God or Mankind. There are times; situations or circumstance which cause bitterness. Misunderstanding God and the dynamics of a fallen world cause bitterness; how many times have you heard the phrase “how can a loving God let such things happen”? This is a person that doesn’t understand how the fall of man (Adam’s Sin) effected creation and allowed Satan to become the temporary god is this world. Misunderstanding is often the culprit which is at the root of bitterness. Hebrews exhorts the Christian to “follow peace with all men”! This means the saints and the unsaved.
It is imperative that we take due diligence when it comes to dealing with all men. The Lord declares “lest a root of bitterness springing up trouble you”. Brethren; roots are hidden from the surface yet have the ability to produce fruit above the surface. Hence; if sin is in the heart given the occasion it will manifest for all to see. Sin when given the opportunity stirs up trouble and contaminates and taints us and others through our actions. It is definitely possible for seeds of bitterness to be sown into a community and sooner or later the effects of those seeds will begin to manifest; corrupting the whole community. Bitterness has an agenda and words are the arbiter of its cause; bitterness once manifested knows how to precisely propagandize a community in order to corrupt it. Bitterness isn’t a demon; it is an attribute of the flesh.
(9) A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. Galatians 5:9 KJV
Leaven or yeast is used in this verse as an evil element; it denotes the fact that just a little amount of leaven has the power to expand the whole loaf and puff it up and out. Leaven always takes everything to the limit of its influence. A little bitterness is destined to increase if it is not removed altogether! We must remember as Christians we have been liberated from the bondages of the flesh and called to love, accept, and forgive one another.
(13) For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
(14) For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
(15) But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. Galatians 5:13-15 KJV
Love is empowering; as Christ loved and forgave us we are also empowered by that same grace which set the captives free. Sarcasm is the product of bitterness and is aimed at an individual or even a group to cut or give pain. When bitterness is given free range and rancor it genders strife and word cannibalism to cut and devour the object of its un-forgiveness. The liberty allotted us is for the purpose of developing holiness and spiritual fruit that glorifies God and to crucify the flesh and its attributes!
(14) For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
(15) But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Matthew 6:14-15 KJV
Brethren; forgiveness is imperative it is not by any means optional; the reality of spiritual life is that we are not given the luxury of holding on to our bitterness towards other people, when we’ve been forgiveness of our sins and trespasses toward God and Man! Let us pray:
(9b.) Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
(10) Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
(11) Give us this day our daily bread.
(12) And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
(13) And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen. Matthew 6:9-13 KJV
Brethren let us keep the faith today through setting a watch over our hearts and tongues. Let us cultivate our hearts with the word of God and prayer; cleansing ourselves through thanksgiving and the washing of water of the word; regenerating the fruit of Spirit daily to the glory of God. Keep the faith and the faith will keep you!
Ray or Dana Ray Ritchie (Proclaimer of the Gospel of Jesus Christ)
