I have to forgive WHO seventy times WHAT?

Matthew 18:21-22

King James Version (KJV)

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

I was talking today with a guy I work with about how it's a shame that many times the folks that really hurt and use you are those that you love. Kin folks and close friends, because we have allowed them into our heart, have the ability to cause us emotional pain that the rest of the world cannot cause. 

A husband leaves his wife and kids for a younger woman.

A sibling is nice to your face, but lies on you and eats your lunch to the rest of the family.

A child has a drug problem and sells family heirlooms to get their fix.

A fellow church member you really respect gets in your face because of a misunderstanding or a doctrinal disagreement.

Life happens. 

John 10:10

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

The false "prosperity preachers" love to use this verse to say that "when you're right with Gawd you can have the ABUNDANT LIFE! Just send me-ah (x) dollars and Gawd will bless you-ah!"

But, Mark Lowery, actually made a good point during one of his comedy routines. He said something like: "Life is the whole thing. Good AND bad. Happy AND sad. Healthy times AND sickness. Since we have an ABUNDANT life, we just have MORE of all of it: Good and bad."

Turns out he was right. In the Greek the word for life means....wait for it.... "life." And the word Abundantly means, "exceeding some number or measure or rank or need." 

So, not only will we have MORE good times, but we will have MORE bad times. And part of those bad times means that somebody, somewhere, will offend us. Jesus put it this way: Matthew 18:7

Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!

The question becomes, how do we handle it? Many times we may actually have a right to be angry. After all, they stole from us, or lied about us, etc. So, we ask Jesus, as Peter did, "How many times do I have to keep forgiving this idiot before I can dot their eyes?" (MSV (Mike's Street Version)

And Jesus says, "seventy times seven." 

"What," we ask? "Four hundred and ninety times? Is there somebody else up there I can speak to?"

Truth is, I've been alive forty eight years, and there have been some folks that have hurt me badly. But, no one has ever hurt me that many times- ever. Some theologians say that Jesus meant four hundred and ninety times PER DAY. 

I'm not sure if that's what Jesus was saying, but that's a lot of hurt in a lifetime to forgive, much less per day. And we argue with him, "But Lord, they deserve my wrath. My indignation is righteous here."

And Jesus tells us, "You deserved my wrath and righteous indignation, and what did I do?"

We hang our heads and say, "You forgave me, Lord." 

"Can you not do the same," he asks?

"I'm not capable, Lord." 

He gently lifts our face and looks us in our tear filled eyes and says, "With me, you can do all things- even this."

So, we should forgive because we are forgiven. We should remember how we used to be and all he's forgiven us for and pass that forgiveness on.  

Jesus showed us how. 

How many people that were yelling for his crucifixion that day at Pilate's palace were people that he had healed, fed, and touched? 

Even his closest people mostly abandoned him in his hour of need. Of the twelve disciples, one directly betrayed him, one denied him three times, and ten scattered when the pressure came. As he hung on the cross that day, only three folks close to him were there: the disciple that betrayed him, his mom, and a former unclean woman. 

More than this, the people he came to save mocked him, spit on him, gambled for his clothes, and crucified him. His response? "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."

With him, we can do it, too.

But, he also gave us a warning: 

Matthew 18:23-35

King James Version (KJV)

23 Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.
24 And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.
25 But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.
26 The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
27 Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.
28 But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.
29 And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
30 And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.
31 So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.
32 Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:
33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?
34 And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.

35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

Follow the progression. The servant owed a debt he could never pay (as we did in sin). He begged forgiveness (as we did). He was forgiven (as we were). Then, when someone owed him, he refused to forgive them. The result? He lost the forgiveness he had gained. 

Do we realize that our unforgiveness can pull our sins back out from under the blood of Jesus and cause us to lose out with God? Want further proof? 

Matthew 6:12-15

King James Version (KJV)

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, for ever. Amen.
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.

If we refuse to forgive those that have wronged us, we will lose out with God. It's that simple. 

So, Lord, please help us to forgive when we have been wronged- even when they don't repent. Because we love you and you forgave us. Cause being right with you is all that matters. 

A true memorial

Philippians 3

King James Version (KJV)

3 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe.

2 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.
3 For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
4 Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:
5 Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;
6 Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.
16 Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.
17 Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.
18 (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)
20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

I realize that this is a strange scripture to use for a memorial day post, but there's a reason for that. 

I see many posts on Facebook that say, "if you enjoy your freedom, thank a veteran." In principle, I find myself somewhat in agreement with these postings. It is true that we enjoy our freedoms in this country due to the sacrifices of those who were willing to fight and die to gain and keep our God-given rights.

However, freedom won does not equate to freedom lived well. Do we use our freedoms wisely? Do we make godly choices that glorify God, aid our families, and help our fellow man? Or, do we use our freedoms to sew to the flesh and it's every ungodly desire?

Has our national freedom been used to make us better? or worse?

Many veterans shake their heads when they see the way our freedoms have been abused and misused to make society worse, not better. Many will tell you that what our nation has become is NOT what they fought to preserve, but rather it has become something they no longer recognize. Something far less than our founding fathers aspired to.

The best way to honor our veterans (living and dead) is to return to and lift up the ideals of our founders. We should stand firmly on the Constitution and stand against those that would destroy and change it.

Some 2000 years ago, Paul reminds us in the above passage that- due to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ- we have a high calling to attain to. We are not to allow God's grace to become a do as you want, it's covered thing. We are, in light of the battle fought and won on Calvary, to live our lives in such a way as to glorify and honor the one who died to give us the chance for salvation.

Pithy, religious sounding slogans, don't cut it. Going through the motions of religion doesn't cut it. We are to live our lives in the light of the one who called us into his marvelous light. We should honor him daily in everything we do and say. We should strive to let him live through us to touch a lost and dying world- who have no hope except through him.

He didn't call us to build grand cathedrals. He called us to be his hands and feet. He called us to build into the lives of the hurting, the broken, the poor, the widow, the orphan, the unwanted of society. He called us to shine his light of truth into the dark places of humanity- even when those places are occupied by the rich and powerful- in order that they might see themselves as HE sees them and repent before it is too late.

Yes, we must be biblically born again (Acts 2:38), but real Christianity is so much more than that. Paul said that in spite of his well educated and high standing social status of his past, he counted it all as DUNG that he might attain Christ!

We need to stop holding onto yesterdays anointing, yesterdays blessings, and yesterdays revivals. God has promised us revival in these last days, but we won't be a part of it unless we live our lives immersed in him. We must immerse ourselves in his word and spirit and allow him to change us. We must let his holy fire burn away the chaff that we've allowed into our souls so that the world can see him in all we do.

So, on this memorial day, lets rededicate our lives to the cause of the one who truly should be lifted up- Jesus Christ. Let us seek first his righteousness and watch him work. He's not interested in our abilities and education. He's interested in our availability and submission to him as Lord (supreme controller). This truly is the best memorial we can give him.

In closing, let's pray:

Lord Jesus, we repent of our shortsightedness. We repent of being caught up in the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. We repent of getting caught up in the "me generation." We ask that you move deep inside us and cleanse us of all unrighteousness. We ask that you strengthen us to walk in your word and ways- whatever the cost. We ask that you help us to be your hands, feet, heart, and mouths in this backward and broken generation. Lead us to such as would be saved, and save them. Let us look past the pride and see the pain. Give us the wisdom to know when to speak and what to do. Use us to spread you word and your love to this lost and dying world. In Jesus name!