Our flesh has no rights of its own - Cost of Discipleship Pt 83

Chapter 16 - The Hiddenness of the Devout Life

Mat 6:16  Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
Mat 6:17  But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;
Mat 6:18  That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.

Bonhoeffer- 'Jesus takes it for granted that his disciples will observe the pious custom of fasting. Strict exercise of self -control is an essential feature of the Christian's life.  Such customs have only one purpose-- to make the disciples more ready and cheerful to accomplish those things which God would have done.

Fasting helps to discipline the self-indulgent and slothful will which is so reluctant to serve the Lord, and it helps to humiliate and chasten the flesh. By practicing abstemiousness we show the world how different the Christian life is from its own. If there is no element of asceticism in our lives, if we give free rein to the desires of the flesh (taking care of course to keep within the limits of what seems permissible to the world), we shall find it hard to train for the service of Christ.

When the flesh is satisfied it is hard to pray with cheerfulness or to devote oneself to a life of service which calls for much self-renunciation.

So the Christian needs to observe a strict exterior discipline. But we are not to imagine that that alone will crush the will of the flesh, or that there is any way of mortifying our old man other than by faith in Jesus. The real difference in the believer who follows Christ and has mortified his will and died after the old man in Christ, is that he is more clearly aware than other men of the rebelliousness and perennial pride of the flesh, he is conscious of his sloth and self-indulgence and knows that his arrogance must be eradicated. Hence there is a need for daily self-discipline. It is always true of the disciple that the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak, and he must therefore "watch and pray." The spirit knows the right way, and desires to follow it, but the flesh lacks courage and finds it too hard, to hazardous and wearisome, and so it stifles the voice of the spirit.  The spirit assents when Jesus bids us love our enemies, but flesh and blood are too strong and prevent our carrying it out. Therefore we have to practice strictest daily discipline; only so can the flesh learn the painful lesson that it has no rights of its own. Regular daily prayer is a great help here, and so is daily meditation on the Word of God, and every kind of bodily discipline and asceticism.'

My thoughts--

'Moreover when ye fast'

When, not if.  It's moreover WHEN you fast, not moreover IF you fast.  WHEN you fast.  It's the same as this--

Mat_6:7  'But when ye pray'

WHEN you pray, not IF you pray.

We take it for granted that if someone tells us they are a follower of Jesus, that they'll be praying. Prayer goes hand in hand with the relationship we form with God, right? It's our mode of communicating with God. We talk to Him and we, through faith, believe He hears us and yes, answers us in His own way. Could you imagine someone telling you they're a disciple of Christ's but they never pray? It would seem awfully odd, wouldn't it? Yet we don't find it strange at all when someone tells us they don't fast as part of their discipleship. That sort of archaic behavior isn't necessary. We've regulated fasting to the past. 

Yet it is true when Bonhoeffer said this- 'Jesus takes it for granted that his disciples will observe the pious custom of fasting.'

Jesus takes it for granted and goes on to give instructions for fasting.  If we were NOT supposed to fast, or if fasting was something we were supposed to simply forget about, why would our Savior take time to give instructions on how to fast?  We don't doubt at all that we are supposed to pray and we welcome all the instruction our Savior has given us on prayer. Fasting is another story, and one that we quite frankly would rather didn't exist.

Fasting calls for a REAL self-denial of self indulgence.
Fasting truly does put us in mind of the place our own needs and desires really belong.

Fasting calls us to recognize that something else is MORE important than us. Something else is MORE important than our hunger pangs.

People fasting in the Bible fast for various reason. David fasted and prayed when His son was dying. Jesus told the apostles that some demons aren't easy to remove from people and they need to fast and pray to get them out. What purpose was the fasting part other than to DENY themselves? Discipline themselves?  Put self out of its place of primacy. 

We are told this--

Rom_8:13  For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

Col_3:5  Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
Col 3:6  For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience

Mortify the DEEDS of the body.
Mortify therefore your members.

Mat_16:24  Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

Mar_8:34  And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

Luk_9:23  And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

Tit_1:16  They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

What are these words of God telling us?

There is a CERTAIN way we are to behave as disciples of Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior, our God.

If we IGNORE all these words of Jesus, if we deny all these Holy Spirit inspired words, then we aren't true disciples of Christ, but rather disciples of our own FALSE teachings. We are LEADING OURSELVES astray. We have become LIARS and have fashioned up a religion of our own making NOT GOD'S!

We are expected to fast.
We are expected to bring our bodies in subjection.

1Co_9:27  But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

*******

When we fast.

Fasting isn't done to show OTHERS that we are denying ourselves, that we are putting our bodies into subjection.  Fasting should be between God and us, and that's all. We should draw NO attention to ourselves when we bring our bodies into subjection.

*******

Bonhoeffer said this-- 'The spirit knows the right way, and desires to follow it, but the flesh lacks courage and finds it too hard, to hazardous and wearisome, and so it stifles the voice of the spirit.  The spirit assents when Jesus bids us love our enemies, but flesh and blood are too strong and prevent our carrying it out. Therefore we have to practice strictest daily discipline; only so can the flesh learn the painful lesson that it has no rights of its own. Regular daily prayer is a great help here, and so is daily meditation on the Word of God, and every kind of bodily discipline and asceticism.'

My thoughts-

Our practicing STRICT DAILY DISCIPLINE is encouraged by scripture as we know from the above verses.  So to believe that we are not to think at all about how we live would be a HUGE mistake and one we, here in America at least, find very easy to make. Pleasing ourselves is something we grow up doing. Indulging ourselves is the norm, not the exception. When we have a desire we fulfill it if it's within our means.  We seldom consider not fulfilling it, it's just the way we live here and now.  To go without food, purposely going hungry when we truly do NOT desire to go hungry, is not often done. Who enjoys the feeling of hunger? No one I know.  So choosing to fast, something Jesus expect from His disciples, is something that truly would remind us that we HAVE to bring our bodies into subjection, by HIS GRACE.  It would remind us we need to DENY ourselves. It would make us truly think about how much we DO indulge ourselves.

What reasons do we have for fasting?  Should it be done just to learn self-denial? Would we be in danger of pride if we succeed in our fast, something that would negate the entire reason for fasting? I've talked about fasting before and more than likely I'll talk about it again. Part of me wants to fast because I know that Jesus expects us to fast, I know it's a good thing, but another part of me, MOST likely the self-indulgent part of me shuns the idea of purposely going hungry.

By God's grace may we seek HIS will in ALL things, in fasting, may we find our path and may it be one of HIS GRACE and MERCY, not one that points us to ourselves, but an opportunity to offer Him praise, glory, and honor!

Please Lord, by YOUR GRACE, help us to learn that our flesh truly does have NO rights of its own as Bonhoeffer writes. Help us to live in the SPIRIT, not the FLESH, as YOUR WORD TELLS US!

1Pe 4:1  Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;
1Pe 4:2  That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.

1Pe 4:7  But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.

By His Grace in His Love!

Deliver us from evil - Cost of Discipleship pt 82

Mat 6:13  ... but deliver us from evil

Bonhoeffer: 'The last petition is for deliverance from evil and for the inheritance of the kingdom of heaven. It is a prayer for a holy death and for the deliverance of the Church in the day of judgment.

Mat 6:13  ...For thine is the kingdom

Bonhoeffer: 'The disciples are renewed in their assurance that the kingdom is God's by their fellowship in Jesus Christ, on whom depends the fulfillment of all their prayers. In him God's name is hallowed, his kingdom comes and his will is done. For his sake the disciples are preserved in body and receive forgiveness of sin, in his strength they are preserved in all times of temptation, in his power they are delivered and brought to eternal life. His is the kingdom and the power and the glory for ever and ever in the unity of the Father. That is the assurance the disciples have.

As a summing up Jesus emphasizes once more that everything depends on forgiveness of sin of which the disciples may only partake within the fellowship of sinners.'

My thoughts-

Deliver us from evil.
The kingdom.

Gen_2:9  And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

Gen_2:17  But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

The tree of life was created right after man was created.  Man would have access to the tree of life- giving them the ability to live eternally, hence the name, Tree of Life. Life was found in the tree.

Read this--

Rev 22:2  In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

This is talking about the NEW JERUSALEM.

Rev 21:2  And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

'Was there the TREE OF LIFE'

THE TREE OF LIFE.

In the New Jerusalem  there will be THE TREE OF LIFE. The same TREE of LIFE that was in the garden alongside the TREE of KNOWLEDGE of GOOD and EVIL.

That ONE tree mankind was told NOT to eat of, planted next to the tree that offered them LIFE.

A tree containing the knowledge of GOOD and the knowledge of EVIL.  Don't eat it. Don't eat of that tree.  Why? Because GOD the CREATOR said NOT TO. God told them if they DID NOT listen they would DIE. 

When mankind ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil they sinned.  It didn't take EATING of the tree to be TEMPTED to eat of the tree. The temptation came before the sin as it always does.

Satan sinned, evil was found in Satan.  Mankind was protected from all the evil and the results of evil; they lived in a perfect world, yet they were allowed to be tempted. Why? Some people say they should never have been allowed to be tempted. Some people say that tree should never have been placed in the garden. Our God had created angels and in those angels sin was found.  Angels had been given freewill, and out of that came pride leading to a third of the angels falling.  God created man, making Him a little LOWER than the angels and He gave them free will.  He told them their life would change should they choose to disobey Him.  They had EVERYTHING but that ONE tree.  Would mankind sin? Would mankind choose to sin?  Yes and no.

I say yes and no because on their own they did NOT touch that tree.

It wasn't until they were put to a TEST that they touched the tree.

Their weakness was exposed.

And that could have been the end of it all, but sin would still remain if that were the end, if mankind were simply done away with.

Evil had to be done away with, and it had to be done away with in such a way that it would NEVER, EVER again exist!

More on all this tomorrow, by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.  When we pray- Deliver us from EVIL, we truly must mean, DELIVER us from evil.

All in HIS LOVE forever! His righteousness! By His grace and mercy!

Glory in Tribulation

Rom 4:24  But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;
Rom 4:25  Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
Rom 5:1  Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
Rom 5:2  By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Rom 5:3  And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
Rom 5:4  And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
Rom 5:5  And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
Rom 5:6  For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
Rom 5:7  For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
Rom 5:8  But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Rom 5:9  Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

Praise GOD!

'We glory in tribulations.'

Do we?

This week has been filled with tribulation, and I don't think I ever felt like 'glorying' in that tribulation.  It's not easy to glory when you feel so awful.  That tribulation is supposed to work patience, did it? Will it? What sort of patience? Patience that gives us experience, and that experience gives us hope. And hope- the love of God shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given to us.

In retrospect I can glory having had the tribulation, knowing that all tribulations brought about by Satan are geared to get us to fall away from the hope we have in Christ, and by God's grace, this tribulation can be used for patience, experience, and ultimately hope having the LOVE OF GOD in my heart.

From time to time it is so incredibly necessary to remind myself that love and faith in God are not FEELINGS, but facts.  That the love and faith are there even if I'm not feeling joyful.  We can't rely upon feelings, but we can rely upon facts, upon truths.

How else can someone have hope? If we go by feelings we will be on a constant rollercoaster of faith and hope.  We go on truth, not feelings. I might not feel happy at the moment, but by faith I know one day that's all I will feel. I live in a temporary world with all sorts of temporary things that will one day pass away and never be again. Sin has introduced so many horrors to our lives, daily horrors, horrors that will be wiped out never to rise again.  Right now those horrors lurk around every corner of our lives. Just when we are seeming to get to a place in our lives where we are comfortable, that we are trusting wholly in the Rock of our Salvation, Jesus Christ, a new horror will rise up to try and thrust us off our Rock. Sometimes those horrors will leave us barely clinging to the Rock, but we must CLING even if it's by a pinkie finger. And as we climb back up upon the ROCK and have a firm stance there, we truly have learned from that horror, that tribulation, we have gained patience- endurance- giving us experience for future events, leaving us filled with HOPE- the LOVE of GOD shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which has been given to us.  PRAISE GOD!

Help in time of need

Heb 4:14  Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
Heb 4:15  For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Heb 4:16  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

*******

We have to come BOLDLY to the throne of GRACE if we hope to obtain MERCY and find GRACE to HELP IN TIME OF NEED.

This is TRUTH!

Rev_22:21  The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

If we want HELP in our TIME of NEED, and we do want help when we are in need, don't we? If we want this we have to act, we can't expect it to come to us automatically. We can't expect that help to just magically appear. Satan is all about magical, mystical solutions that focus away from God. Satan wants us to believe that when we have a need that God is denying us the help we need, as if we truly comprehend our needs more than our Creator does.

We have to come BOLDLY to the THRONE of GRACE.  We have to come boldly to our SAVIOR, trusting in HIM.

How often has it been portrayed in movies and such where a person finds themselves in great need and they go to another person for help?  It happens all the time, right? We are told to come BOLDLY to the THRONE of GRACE when we are in need of help. Going to our SAVIOR, telling Him of our needs, knowing He knows all our needs, this is what we need to do. We need to seek our SAVIOR and the GRACE our LORD has for us.  When we seek HIM boldly, we are going to the source of our Salvation and that is our greatest need of all.

The grace of God helps us when we are in need, the mercy our Savior gives us allows us to find that grace.

Satan would have us shy away from God, feeling our worthlessness before Him. Satan would have us believe that we are too undeserving to find mercy and grace. Satan would have us get angry at God, rather than have us humble ourselves before Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

In all things we need to come BOLDLY to the THRONE of GRACE if we have any hope at all of mercy, of help.

Remember this--

Mat 7:9  Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
Mat 7:10  Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
Mat 7:11  If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

'Give good things'  and of all good things what is the ultimate 'good thing'?  Jesus Christ.

Nothing compares to our Savior, nothing!

Anything we are denied here upon earth, any earthly need, want, hope that is not given to us isn't God denying us- it isn't God giving us a snake when we want a fish, it isn't Him giving us a stone when we desire bread, it's our God KNOWING our greatest need of all and asking US to have faith that He will provide for that greatest of needs, the eternal need that supersedes all earthly, temporary needs.

We don't even need to keep this temporary life in order to gain eternal life. Many, many people will gain eternal life having died since Adam and Eve. So when we pray for our lives to be spared or the lives of loved ones to be spared we have to ultimately trust that if our life or the life of our loved one is taken that it was for our good in some way, for their good.  

It's the hardest thing ever to lived through a loved one's passing and accepting it as God's will. Life is extremely hard, comprehending any of the horrible things that happen us are nothing compared to eternity, isn't easy. Things HURT!  They hurt mentally, spiritually, physically, they HURT. Things confuse us, depress us, cause us anxiety, and through it all we have to TRUST! We have to believe in the Word of God, knowing that even though the things we are going through are grievous, painful, terrible in many ways that our LORD has our back, in fact He has all of us where it matters most- safe in eternity, our Salvation in Jesus Christ our LORD is assured through our belief in all that He tells us in Word. All that He has proven throughout history makes His Word, His promises, more sure than anything else in existence.

Heb_12:11  Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

All by HIS GRACE, HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, HIS LOVE!

Faith fail not- Cost of Discipleship Pt 81 continued

Mat 6:13  And lead us not into temptation

Bonhoeffer- 'Many and diverse are the temptations which beset the Christian. Satan attacks him on every side, if happily he might cause him to fall. Sometimes the attack takes the form of a false sense of security, and sometimes of ungodly doubt. But the disciple is conscious of his weakness, and does not expose himself unnecessarily to temptation in order to test the strength of his faith.  Christian's ask God not to put their puny faith to the test, but to preserve them in the hour of temptation.'

My thoughts-

'Satan attacks him on every side, if happily he might cause him to fall.'

Eph_6:16  Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked

Fiery darts of the wicked.

A shield of faith. A shield of  - the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. An invisible shield for invisible darts, because most certainly we do not have literal fiery darts being thrown at us.

And if we don't have literal darts being thrown at us we have figurative darks being thrown at us. We have spiritual darts that are fiery hurled in our direction and we need our spiritual shield to protect us from them.

The attacks are TEMPTATIONS.

And TEMPTATIONS are NOT all in the form of things we DESIRE but rather they can come in the form of things we despise, things that will cause us to put down our shield and leave ourselves open to the darts hitting us, wounding us….killing us, spiritually if not physically.

Satan truly does attack us on every side trying to get us to drop our shield, to throw it away.

When we pray- 'Lead us not into temptation' we are praying for our FAITH to remain strong, for our shield to remain upright, protecting us from the wicked one's evils.

Anything that tempts us to put our shield down- whether it's something we perceive as a 'pleasant' evil that will lure us into sinning against God, or perhaps something that is hurting us -mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally - is what we are asking God to lead us away from.

We need to be led away from all temptation, all sin, all evil.

'Lead us not into temptation'

Luk 22:32  But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

Leading us not into temptation and our faith failing not is truly the same thing. 

Keep us from temptation.

TEMPTATION is out there and will NEVER disappear. NONE of us live in a bubble of temptation free existence.  Satan will forever keep trying to TEMPT us.  By the grace of God we will NOT succumb to that temptation no matter what form it takes.  Let our FAITH forever be.

Let us ALWAYS have our shield of FAITH ready for action, never laying it down.

Let us ALWAYS believe no matter what happens in our lives that our GOD is.

Heb_11:6  But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Please LORD-

'Lead us not into temptation'  this is our DAILY prayer!

All in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, now and forever!

Lead us not into temptation -- Cost of Discipleship pt 81

Mat 6:13  And lead us not into temptation

Bonhoeffer- 'Many and diverse are the temptations which beset the Christian. Satan attacks him on every side, if happily he might cause him to fall. Sometimes the attack takes the form of a false sense of security, and sometimes of ungodly doubt. But the disciple is conscious of his weakness, and does not expose himself unnecessarily to temptation in order to test the strength of his faith.  Christian's ask God not to put their puny faith to the test, but to preserve them in the hour of temptation.'

Mat_26:41  Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak

Luk_22:40  And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation.

Luk_22:46  And said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.

1Co_10:13  There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

Gal_4:14  And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.

1Ti_6:9  But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.

Heb_3:8  Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness

Jas_1:12  Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

Rev_3:10  Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth


By God's grace.

Our lack of forgiving.... Cost of Discipleship Pt 80

Mat 6:12  And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

Bonhoeffer- 'Every day Christ's followers must acknowledge and bewail their guilt. Living as they do in fellowship with him, they ought to be sinless, but in practice their life is marred daily with all manner of unbelief, sloth in prayer, lack of bodily discipline, self-indulgence of every kind, envy, hatred and ambition. No wonder that they must pray daily for God's forgiveness. But God will only forgive them if they forgive one another with readiness and brotherly affection. Thus they bring all their guilt before God and pray as a body for forgiveness. God forgive not merely me MY DOUBTS, but US OURS.'

My thoughts--

Our Savior tells us to pray-

Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.

We NEED to be forgiven, without forgiveness we have NO hope at all whatsoever!

Yet we must forgive others.

We NEED our sins forgiven daily and that means we have to forgive others daily.

We need to forgive all the sins of others towards us. All the anger directed towards us, all the insults, all the irritations, all the ire that is expressed in the thousands of ways it is given to us, we must forgive. From the TINIEST annoyance, to the BIGGEST grievance. We MUST forgive.  We can't wait to only forgive the worst of sins committed against us. We have to forgive every single one! We MUST! To do otherwise   would mean that our sins tiny and huge will not be forgiven. It's IMPOSSIBLE to expect forgiveness that we in no way deserve, if we will not extend forgiveness to others who in NO WAY deserve it! That is the entire center of forgiveness- it is UNDESERVED!

All too often our first response to the trespass against us irritation, it's almost automatic. The moment we feel that irritation we've stopped loving our neighbor, our brother. And the forgiveness we need for THAT trespass in response to their trespass, is just as important if we'd been the one to commit the first trespass.

We need to be FORGIVING and yet we are so far from FORGIVING.

Did our Savior first get angry at the woman who was caught in adultery before forgiving her? Did He, in fury respond to those possessed by demons before forgiving them and casting out the demons? Did He first get irritated with any before the forgiveness He gave? On the cross, did He spit and howl at His murderers before asking His Father to forgive them? NO! He  forgave them NEVER sinning before doing so!

Our Savior is our example in all things.

We need to be FORGIVING of OTHERS! Truly FORGIVING of OTHERS and not begrudgingly forgiving but INSTANT in forgiving! If not instant we need to ask for forgiveness for our own lack of forgiving compassion.  That's what it really is. Recognizing the need of forgiveness. To forgive we must recognize our need to forgive and as soon as we are shown that need, we must forgive! To allow our responses to be instant in anger and retaliation rather than love and compassion resulting in forgiveness, is wrong of us and we truly need to ask our Savior to open our hearts, our spiritual eyes to the need of forgiving others- instantly, and if not instantly then as soon as we are convicted that we need to forgive them. And we may even need to ask forgiveness from them for our lack of forgiving them and our sinful response to their sin towards us. 

Remember this…

Mat 18:21  Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
Mat 18:22  Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

We NEED TO FORGIVE!

We need to learn to forgive and the first step is recognizing our need to forgive. Those who are HURTING us with their sinning against us do NOT deserve our response of sinning in return.  We NEED to FORGIVE them! 

Is this what our Savior means when we are turning the other cheek? When we are giving not only our cloak but our coat as well? When we are not only walking one mile but five, ten, fifteen? When we are reviled, and ridiculed, persecuted and in response we only …. LOVE?  

Please LORD, please help us to FORGIVE, because it's only THROUGH YOU we can FORGIVE.