But God shows His great love for us in this way: Christ died for us while we were still sinners. ~Romans 5:8 (NCV)
While we were still sinners, scripture tells us. That’s when Jesus laid down His life and picked up His cross. He gave up His rights and died for us when we did not deserve His forgiveness, when we refused to even ask for His forgiveness, while we were still ignoring our own faults and sitting in judgment over others. By our actions we insisted He take the first step, so He did, and the example was set. Now it’s our turn. Ephesians 4:32 tells us “Be kind and loving to each other. Forgive each other just as God forgave you in Christ.” (NCV) Forgiveness is not a feeling. Like love, forgiveness is a choice and if we are smart, we will do it in the minute because the longer unforgiveness festers the bigger mess we are going to have on our hands. God made the choice to forgive us before we ever knew we needed to be forgiven. Just like He chose to love us before we ever even thought about loving Him. We were so entrenched in selfishness and pride that we couldn’t even believe we might be the one with the problem. Know anyone like that? You and I used to act like that! It would do us all good to understand what Jesus understood and that is the darkness that those around us are walking in is a spiritual darkness. No amount of reasoning sheds light on spiritual darkness. It’s only by revelation and the quickening of the Holy Spirit that any of us are changed. Those of us who have been quickened have been mandated to extend the same forgiveness Jesus did to us while we were spiritually blind.
God forgave us and poured out His love and acceptance on us, despite our actions. He laid down His life to make that happen. So, when you have to lay down your pride and accept and love someone despite the fact that they don’t want or care about your sacrifice, remember you are acting like Jesus. We also need to remember that every illuminated heart is initiated and overseen by the supernatural, just as all darkness of heart is initiated and overseen by the supernatural. We are told in Ephesians 6:12 “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this [present] darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) places.” (AMP) Our problem is not with other people. Stop fighting with them and start engaging with your unseen enemy. The battle is in our mind, just as others have a battle going on for their mind! We in Christ have been given the ability to cast down thoughts contrary to what God has said in His word, but do we know the word well enough to see the lie? That is the hundred-dollar question. You can love the unlovely. Ask the Lord to help you see things from His perspective any time you feel hurt or offended. Stay humble and don't forget what you have been told in Ephesians 2:1-2, 5 “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient….it is by grace you have been saved.” (NIV) Pray for God's grace to flood into the lives of those whom the enemy is working through. We love God with our hearts, and we serve God with our arms, our legs, our lips, our finances, we serve Him with our lives. Every single act of obedience to the guidance of the Holy Spirit will bring you into closer fellowship with Jesus and through that fellowship you are able to do all things!
Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me.” ~Matthew 16:24 (NLT)
What has God forgiven you for this week?
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