Introduction : The law condemns sinners. It brings them under the control of the devil, the king of all sins, making them slaves to all kinds of greed, lust, and avarice. However, the grace of Jesus makes sinners become righteous through forgiveness and lets them gain a new life by accepting Him. Today is not an age of the law in the Old Testament but an age of grace in the New Testament. Since we are living in an age of grace, God wants us to practice forgiveness, to forget, and to love by following Jesus' example.
1. Always live a life of forgiveness (Eph 4:32; Pr 19:11). 1) Jesus forgave twice. (1) A woman who was caught in the act of adultery (Jn 8:11). (2) A prayer of forgiveness on the Cross (Lk 23:34). 2) Forgiveness and the Cross (Archibald D. Hart). (1) Forgiveness means giving up your right to revenge yourself to the person who harmed you (Mt 5:44,45). (2) Crucify hatred in order to forgive. 3) A debtor of forgiveness - a servant who owed ten thousand talents and one of his fellow servants who owed one hundred denarii (Mt 6:12-15; 18:21,22).
2. Forget what you have forgiven. Humankind is prone to forget about grace quickly and take a long time to forget about grudges. 1) God will forgive and forget (Heb 8:12, 10:17). The devil makes you remember the sin which has already been forgiven. The devil´s work is totally different from the work of the Holy Spirit (1 Jn 1:9). 2) Parents have a poor memory about their children´s faults. (1) Take compassion on their children. The story of an old lady living in an asylum for the aged. (2) God is our spiritual parent and takes compassion on us (Ps 103:10-14). 3) We can forget about dirt when we wear clean clothes. (1) Forgive and forget your own sin (Mic 7:19). (2) Forgive and forget other´s sin (Isa 43:25).
3. Love each other. 1) God is love (1 Jn 4:7,8). (1) God´s love created heaven and earth. Not just for the animals and plants but also such a mineral as a stone will shine if it is loved. (2) Humankind was created to love each other. Corruption and depravity brought hatred. God is love and the devil is hatred. 2) A place where God showed His love (Eph 3:17-19). (1) Find the width, length, height, and depth of God´s love through the Cross. (2) Faith will take root in the ground of love. You believe, because you love and you believe, because you are loved (1 Co 13:7). (3) My love for God (Ro 8:38,39). 3) A godly person (Eph 3:19). (1) An ideologist of the law is not a godly person. (2) A person who keeps rituals is not a godly person. (3) A person who practices God´s love and is filled with His love is a godly person (1 Jn 4:12,16; Jn 13:34).
Conclusion : Forgive your neighbor´s faults and try not to remember them, love your God with your whole heart, encourage and help your neighbor, and treat your neighbor in the affirmative. That is the way to live in this world and delight our God.
|