Tag: Forgiveness

Bible Studies

“Forgiveness” – The Lord’s Prayer, Jesus’ teaching on Prayer

Loring Schultz

“and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.” Matthew 6:12 NLT

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Over the centuries the Bible has been translated from the original manuscripts into many different languages and it is still on-going. We also have several different versions of scripture available to us. According to the Wycliffe Global Alliance, Bible translation is currently happening in 2,846 languages in 157 countries, and there are yet 964 languages in which there are no translations, but the work has started. I open with this to remind us that whichever language text you may be reading, it may vary depending on the version it was translated from. One such example is the fifth petition in the Lord’s Prayer as taught to us by Jesus. Most versions say, ‘forgive us our debts,’ some say ‘forgive us our sins,’ and some traditional Church readings render ‘forgive us our trespasses.’ It is always most important to know the original meaning of certain words in order to apply them correctly to our lives.

The word translated ‘debt’ in the original Greek is ‘opheilēma’ and means that which is owed, legally due, or a debt. Its secondary meaning is an offence or sin. It is easy to see why ‘debt’ is used in most versions. But a closer look considering the context and how it relates to the whole of scripture, we take note that ‘sin’ is also an appropriate translation and more to the point.

Jesus instructs us to confess our sins to God our Father and ask forgiveness as we have also forgiven those who sinned against us. What Jesus is saying is forgiveness leads to forgiveness. It’s important to note Jesus doesn’t say we ‘should’ forgive others, but that we ‘will’ forgive others. We will forgive others in response to our Father’s forgiveness of our sin when we accepted His Son Jesus as our Savior. Jesus went to the cross and bore the guilt and punishment for our sins which we could never pay. It is a debt none of us could pay. God the Father forgave our debt, he forgave our sin.

In the fourth petition of the Lord’s Prayer Jesus teaches us to ask for our daily bread, food substances and our material needs. It is only logical Jesus now addresses our daily spiritual need of forgiveness. We have been forgiven an enormous debt and given salvation and eternal life through Jesus, however we are still fallen creatures in our sin nature who still sin daily. As we ask God daily to forgive us of our sin, we are reminded that we are pardoned sinners, and as pardoned sinners we should forgive as we have been forgiven.

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” (Eph. 4:32 niv)

Devotionals

The Recycled Finest Robe       

Loring Schultz

Read: Luke 15:11-22 NLT – Parable of the Lost Son – To illustrate – Bible Gateway

“But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet.’” Luke 15:22 NLT

Windows Recycle Bin window showing 23 deleted items including PDFs, images, and folders
A computer screen shows the Windows Recycle Bin open with various deleted files inside.

Recycling according to the Environmental Protection Agency is the reprocessing of discarded unless materials into new beneficial products. It helps the environment, the economy, and it makes our lives better. There is also another type of recycling. One of the definitions of ‘recycle’ as an intransitive verb is, ‘to return to an original condition so that operation can begin again as —used of an electronic device.’ Instead of using an electronic device or your computer’s recycle bin for my illustration I would like to use a garment, a fine garment, the finest robe in the story of the prodigal son.

The selfish son who only cared about himself finally came to his senses after he had gone through his inheritance rather quickly and found himself destitute. Realizing his sin, his plan was to go back to his father and asked for forgiveness and a job as one of his fathers workers. When the son arrived home and began addressing his father it was as if the father didn’t hear him but was only concerned that his son had returned. The father then instructed his servants to bring the finest robe in the house and put it on his son. He had returned home.

We do not know if there was another incident with this son doing the same thing. That is not the point of the story. The point is the father’s love for his son. It is an example of God’s continued love towards us. If it had happened again, we can be certain that the father’s love would not have changed. That finest robe the son may have thrown off was picked up by his father and held until the day his son returned home again. I guess we would say it was recycled, ‘to return to an original condition so that operation can begin.’

How many times have we had that recycled garment applied to us? Praise the Lord for His love towards us and that the garment will never get old no matter how many times it has been in the recycle bin.

Devotionals

Including Peter     

Loring Schultz

Read: Mark 16:1-7 NLT – The Resurrection – Saturday evening, – Bible Gateway

“Now go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died.” Mark 16:7 NLT

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Can you recall the feeling you had when you were left out of something? You volunteer for a good-will project, put in the effort to make it successful and when the day comes to begin the project you are not selected to participate. It made not have been anything you have done to be left off the project, but for some reason you were not chosen to participate. Hurt feelings are sure to arise.

But, what about if you had done something irresponsible to give your organization a bad name that precipitated in you not being included? You would still feel hurt, but also sad remorse for what could have been, but wasn’t. You no longer have any  control over the situation. The good-will project will go on without you.

Peter, one of Jesus’ most trusted disciples, had done something which he thought eliminated him from any future good-will project. He denied three times that he even knew his master, Jesus. Remembering what Jesus said that before the evening was over he would deny Him three times, Peter went out and wept bitterly after he did exactly what Jesus said he would do. For sure Peter gave Jesus a bad reputation by being associated with a liar. Any chance to work on His behalf would seem to be lost. But that was not the case.

On the morning of Jesus’ resurrection from the grave the three women came to the tomb of Jesus and found it empty except for an angel sitting on the right side. The women were frighten and did not know what to say so the angel encouraged them by saying, “Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body.” (Mk.16:6 nlt) Then the angel told them to go tell the disciples, ‘including Peter,’ to go meet Jesus in Galilee. Peter was not going to be left off the team. By God’s grace and forgiveness Peter was restored to do a great work for Christ.

Devotionals

Come to Jesus, He will never drive you away

Loring Schultz

“…………whoever comes to me I will never drive away.” John 6:37b NIV

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Is there any sin you can commit that is outside the reach of God’s forgiveness? Have you found yourself in a place where you cannot approach God due to your sin, and yet knowing that you need to? Is the light of your Christian life clouded by repeated sin and keeps you from going to God for forgiveness? Have you reached a point where you feel God will or has driven you away from Him due to your sin?

Just a couple more questions. Do you believe in God? Have you accepted Jesus as your personal savior? Do you believe the Bible is God’s Holy Word to us and every word is true? If you answered yes to these last three questions there is some very good news in the pages of God’s Word especially for you, the good news of God’s forgiveness and restoration for all believers saved by His grace. It is true God hates sin, but He loves you and me, the sinner.

In teaching the crowd that followed Him after feeding five thousand men plus women and children, Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” (Jn. 6:35 nlt) Jesus was telling them He was the way to salvation and eternal life. Those in need of repentance and forgiveness of sin leading to eternal life were to come to Him, He was the bread of life, eternal life. Jesus didn’t say to those with the most grievous sins to stay away, but ‘whoever comes to me I will never drive away.’

Jesus does not turn anyone away who comes to Him for salvation, nor He will not drive away any of those who accepted Him as savior when coming to Him in confession and asking for forgiveness. His words apply in granting salvation and in forgiving our sin after our salvation.  Jesus died for your sins past, present, and future no matter how deplorable. Jesus wants us to come to Him with our sin, whatever it is, and confess it to Him. He will not turn His back on us, in fact, Jesus promised, “………whoever comes to me I will never drive away.” (Jn.6:37b niv)

“He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.” (Ps.103:12 nlt)

“For a righteous man may fall seven times And rise again” (Prov.24:16 nkjv)

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 Jn.1:9 nkjv)

Devotionals

Perpetual Fire of Forgiveness

Loring Schultz

“The fire must be kept burning on the altar continuously; it must not go out.” Leviticus 6:13 NIV

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The third book of the Law of Moses is the Old Testament book of Leviticus. Its theme is God’s holiness, and God’s will for Israel’s holiness. God’s teaching to Israel in Leviticus is how to approach their holy God in worship and in the sacrifices required of them, especially those concerning their sin. Much emphasis is placed on the priests in establishing this reverent and holy approach to God. All animals sacrificed on the altar had to be perfect without defect. “In this way the priest will make atonement for them for the sin they have committed, and they will be forgiven.” (Lev.4:35niv)

The Lord gave Moses detailed instructions of all the sacrifices the priests were going to perform. The most significant command was that the fire on the altar was to be continuous. “The fire on the altar must be kept burning; it must not go out. Every morning the priest is to add firewood and arrange the burnt offering on the fire and burn the fat of the fellowship offerings on it.” (Lev. 6:12niv) The people of Israel were assured of God’s readiness to always forgive their sin at any time of the day or night.

The same assurance has been granted us today. God is always there waiting for us to come before Him with our confession. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 Jn.1:9niv) No need to bring a perfect animal to an altar for sacrifice every time we sin. A perfect lamb was sacrificed on the cross at Calvary to take away our sin. Jesus, the lamb of God paid the penalty for our sin ‘once for all.’ But we still sin and for that there is the perpetual fire of God’s readiness to forgive.

Devotionals

How to lose a guilty conscience

Loring Schultz

Read: Psalm 32:1-7 ESV – Blessed Are the Forgiven – A Maskil of – Bible Gateway

“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.” Psalm 32:5 ESV

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The three most common words used in the Old Testament for evil thoughts and actions are sin, iniquity, and transgressions. Although these words are not so common today, evil thoughts and actions are still quite popular. Perhaps a reason why these words are not used is because they are never considered applicable to us. They are words in the Bible that condemns and we want no part of them, for we are not like that. We may make mistakes and mess up, but evil thinking and evil acts, well, that’s not us.

 Well, if that is the case, have you ever had a guilty conscience? Has there ever been a feeling you just can’t shake off no matter how hard you try? You trace it back to something you said or did or both. You may not want to admit it, but it was wrong even in your eyes. Your feelings are feeding your conscience and vice versa. You are able to say with David in Psalm 32, “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.” (Ps.32:3-4 esv) Your words or actions were also wrong in the eyes of your creator, the Lord God. That’s why you feel the way you do.

But there is a sure way to lose that feeling, that guilty conscience. Admit your guilt (sin) before the Lord, and don’t try to hide your (iniquity). You are able to fool some people, but not God. Confess your (transgressions) to the Lord. These words do apply. They bring a realization to our fallen state, but we don’t need to live in it. When we confess our sin, the Lord forgives us. He cleanses us, restores us to a right relationship with Himself and gets rid of our guilty conscience.

Devotionals

Be careful not to pick up stones

Loring Schultz

Read: John 8:1-11 NLT – A Woman Caught in Adultery – Jesus – Bible Gateway

“They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, ‘All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!’” John 8:7 NLT

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The story of a woman caught in adultery recorded in John’s gospel is a very familiar one with Christians and non-Christians alike. It reveals the hypocrisy of certain religious leaders and those who assumed the role of being one up on everyone else on morality. The main point made by many is Jesus’s words, “let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” Admittedly there is not one of us who is able to throw that first stone, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” (Rom.3:23 nlt) That lesson should be applied to every Christian in our daily walk in the world in which we live. But there is also another point that lies underneath the surface of the immediate that reveals the foundation for that exchange with Jesus.

The law in which the accusers wanted evoked would have been the Old Testament law of adultery. But certain facts of the case were not presented in their entirety as only one of the participants was presented. This didn’t seem to bother those who brought the woman for their own interpretation of God’s law. The fact is they weren’t as pious towards the carrying out the law as they were about trying to set up a trap for Jesus. They cared nothing about the law, but only the response from the one who came as a fulfillment of the law.

The religious leaders brought to Jesus a woman, minus the man, caught in the act of adultery. Their intent was to corner Jesus into deciding on whether or not to stone her according to the Law. Jesus essentially ignored them knowing of their deception. If He agreed to stone her, Jesus would be looked upon as having no forgiveness or compassion. If He did not comply with the Law it would appear Jesus was not who He said He was, the Son of God. They did not give up but kept on asking Him. They wanted Jesus to answer them either way to discredit Him. Jesus was interfering with their authority and their way of life.

There are those today who view Jesus as interfering with their authority and their lives. They demand an answer to the laws they perceive as right and just in their own eyes. They view the commands of God found in scripture as irrelevant today. They have gathered stones in their hands and are willing to throw the first stone, believing they have no sin. But tragically their aim is at God and His Word for interfering with their way of life. Be careful not to pick up stones.

Devotionals

Hope for Restoration

Loring Schultz

“Even the wilderness and desert will be glad in those days. The wasteland will rejoice and blossom with spring crocuses. Yes, there will be an abundance of flowers and singing and joy! Say to those with fearful hearts, ‘Be strong, and do not fear, for your God is coming to destroy your enemies. He is coming to save you.’” Isaiah 35:1-2a, 4 NLT

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There is an abundant need for restoration in our world today. Relationships in broken families need to be restored. Broken marriages need healing returning to health, strength, and stability. Incarcerated individuals need restoration while in prison and when released back into society. Those who have fallen into addiction of drugs, alcohol, pornography, or gambling are in dire need of restoration. Most governments around the globe have fallen far from the original intent of the law. Societal ills are the major cause of broken relationships, crime, addictions, and corrupt governments. And sin is the cause of all our societal ills including each of us who are estranged from God. But there is hope, hope for restoration.

The prophet Isaiah writes about a future day of restoration for the nation of Israel and the world during the Millennium period when Christ will rule on the earth. There will be no societal ills to worry about, no addictions, broken families, or corrupt governments. “Say to those with fearful hearts, ‘Be strong, and do not fear, for your God is coming to destroy your enemies. He is coming to save you.’” (Is. 35:4 NLT) It is a comfort to know all will be restored in the future, but what about now you may say, where is my hope for restoration?

Our hope for restoration in the here and now begins with the forgiveness of sins as we confessed them to God. “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” (1 Jn. 1:9 NLT) Paul writes in 2 Corinthians, “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (5:17 NLT) As a new person in Christ the Holy Spirit comes upon you to assist in your struggles within your family, your temptations, and your addictions. (1 Cor. 6:19)

God is in the business of restoration, so there is your hope for restoration. “Even the wilderness and desert will be glad in those days. The wasteland will rejoice and blossom with spring crocuses. Yes, there will be an abundance of flowers and singing and joy!” (Is. 35:1-2a NLT)

Devotionals

Time to Get Rid of Recurring Sin

Loring Schultz

Read: Exodus 14 NLT – Then the LORD gave these instructions – Bible Gateway

“Moses answered the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again.’” Exodus 14:13 NIV

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Is there a sin in your life that you just can’t seem to get rid of? It keeps recurring as if you have never dealt with it before. Could it be that you don’t want to be free from it? As  R. C. Sproul use to say, “We sin because it’s pleasurable.” But deep down it our souls, if we are honest with ourselves and truly love God, we know that God hates sin and it is not exactly pleasurable with Him. So we need to get rid of it and the sooner the better.

The children of Israel were in slavery for four hundred years by the Egyptians. They were forced to comply with all the demands made on them. Physical hard work to the point of torture in satisfying their task masters was the bulk of the demands. Israel longed to be freed from the never ending struggle of the helplessness they felt in being enslaved by the Egyptians. The Lord did not forget about His children in Egypt and miraculously delivered them as recorded in the Old Testament book of Exodus.  As they were on their way to the Promised Land, once again they were being pursued by the subjects of their past struggles, the Egyptians have returned.

Similar to Israel being chased by their slave masters and now backed into a corner, or the Red Sea as we know it, Christians at times find themselves in the same place. Recurring sin is as if we never left the bondage of sin we were in before coming to know the Lord. The truth is, we have a sin nature and will continue to sin until we have our glorified bodies in eternity. But to allow the recurring sin to have its hold on us by not letting go completely is giving the green light for all kinds of temptation to creep in and take us captive once again. Give it to the Lord and He will make a path for you and see you through to the other side with your sins buried in the deepest sea. It’s time to get rid of it.

Devotionals

Sorrow of Unrepentant Sin      

Loring Schultz

Read: Lamentations 1:1-9 NLT – Sorrow in Jerusalem – Jerusalem, once – Bible Gateway

“Jerusalem, once so full of people, is now deserted. She who was once great among the nations now sits alone like a widow. Once the queen of all the earth, she is now a slave.” Lamentations 1:1 NLT

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Repeated warnings that are not observed will end in disaster. In fact, failure to obey any warning could result in some type of misfortune. However, failing to heed multiple warnings you’re heard many times will lead you down a path in which there is no return. If you are able to return, life may never be the same. That is why we have warning signs and guardrails in life to keep us safe by obeying those‘ danger ahead’ signs.

The Bible is not just a rule book with an endless list of do’s and don’ts. It is God’s Word communicated to us. Within its pages are examples on how to live and how not to live; what pleases God and what displeases Him, the punishment for sin and the forgiveness of sin, the repentant sinner and the unrepentant sinner. The Bible may also be referred to as God’s love story to us. His wonderful plan of salvation for all who believe in Christ is what His story is all about, but the Bible also gives it to us straight concerning our unrepentant sin ignoring His warning signs and going our own way.

The people of Judah found out the hard way what happens when you ignore repeated warnings from the Lord. Over the centuries warnings were issued to the Jewish people, some in which the people repented but they always went back to their old ways. A point was reached in their continual sin that no words of warnings from prophets the Lord sent were ever acknowledged. They reached a point of no return. The Lord had the city of Jerusalem destroyed and the people taken captive to Babylon. The prophet Jeremiah witnessed all this in real time and lamented over their sin and the destruction of Jerusalem.

The Lord is gracious and full of mercy. He will give us warning signs on what to avoid in this life and how we should live. The Lord gives plenty of opportunities to repent and turn back to Him, but there will a point where continual defiance and being disobedient will result in severe consequences and sorrow of unrepented sin to bring us back to Him. When you begin to see repeated warning signs, it’s time to pay attention before you go over the cliff.