Going Deeper with the Message:

You Also Must Forgive
by: Ben Biles

On Sunday, Tim made the point that “forgiveness is not weakness. Forgiveness is looking squarely at what the person did to you, recognizing the severity of what they did to you and choosing to release them of the debt that they owe you. It takes a lot of strength and courage to do that.” In other words, forgiveness is hard work. It takes a good amount of grit. It takes a strong person to be able to forgive. Yet, as people forgiven by God, we are called to forgive people when they wrong us. Not just once or twice, but always. God doesn’t make this optional. 

Consider one of my favorite verses in all of Scripture, Colossians 3:12-13, “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” Paul doesn’t make any exception to the rule. In all situations, we are required to forgive.  As much as we’d like to hold on to our grudges, that kind of mindset simply isn’t compatible with faith in Christ. Why? Because it is out of alignment with God’s own character and His own action. He showed the greatest commitment to forgiveness when He forgave the entire world of their sins through the sacrifice of His Son. In the same way, as God’s forgiven people, we must strive to exemplify God’s character in our lives to the world around us and part of that means forgiving people in all situations.

Jesus tells the parable in the Gospel of a man who was forgiven his enormous debt, but then went and wrongly treated those who owed him. This hypocrisy rightly disgusted his audience, but then Jesus flipped the script on them. If God has forgiven you all of your sins, then why are you not doing the same for those that have wronged you? The point is: when believers refuse to forgive, we display hypocrisy. If we are to spread the Gospel message with conviction and clarity, then we must first extend the same forgiveness that we have received in Jesus Christ to all people.

Going Deeper with the Message:

Fullness of Forgiveness
by: Ben Biles

One of the most devastating things that can happen to a believer, or really anyone seeking to know God, is misunderstanding God’s forgiveness. I’ve heard countless stories of nonbelievers and believers alike who think that the mistakes they’ve made in their lives have placed them outside of God’s ability to forgive. In their minds, God must be willing to forgive minor mistakes, but not major ones. Our concept of God’s forgiveness is often too small. For a more complete understanding, I’m offering three aspects of Forgiveness: Fullness, Finality, and Family. 

God’s forgiveness is full in the sense that it covers all sins across all times. This was Kevin’s main takeaway on Sunday: “God’s love is so big that through Jesus all our sins—past, present, and future are forgiven.” His death covered over every sin that has ever been done or will be done. Hebrews 10:12 says, “But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God.” For you, that means that there is no sin that is left unforgiven. Even the mistakes you’ll make in the future are already forgiven in Christ. 

God’s forgiveness is also final. There is nothing that can alter or change the forgiveness He offers. Once we believe in Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins, that forgiveness cannot be removed or taken away. There was nothing we could do to earn God’s forgiveness and, in the same way, there is nothing we can do to lose that forgiveness. It is final and forever.

God’s forgiveness brings us into His family. Kevin mentioned our positional forgiveness in Christ. That is, though we were once sinners who were alienated from God, He has forgiven us and we now live in relationship with God. We are transformed from enemies of God into children of God. John 1:12 says, “But to all who did receive Him, He gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in His name.” As children of God, we experience the fullness of His grace and love now and into eternal life. Our forgiveness allows us to live in freedom as His children, enjoying His presence, power, and provision in our own lives.

Our responsibility now is to live out of this forgiveness and let go of past mistakes and related feelings of shame and guilt. In any and every situation, God is welcoming you into a greater and deeper relationship with Himself. No sin should hold you back, for you are forgiven. So, live free in Christ.

Going Deeper with the Message:

Right Person, Right Position, Right Time
by: Ben Biles

On Sunday, Pastor Tim took us through the story of Esther found in the Old Testament. Though God is not mentioned in the book of Esther, it is clear that He is moving to orchestrate circumstances to the benefit of His people as He places Esther in position as queen of Persia. When the Jewish people are threatened with extinction, Esther is in place to be used by God for the salvation of her people. Yet, this required that she risk her own life to go before the king and she hesitates. Her father-figure Mordecai advises her, “If you keep silent at this time, liberation and deliverance will come to the Jewish people from another place, but you and your father’s house will be destroyed. Who knows, perhaps you have come to your royal position for such a time as this.” (Esther 4:14) 

What the story shows us is that God is sovereign over all circumstances and often places believers in the right position at the right time to make incredible impacts on others. The story challenges us to look at our own lives and think about what influence we can have in the positions we are in at work, at home, online, or in our various relationships and whether or not we are rising to the challenge. God has made you to be the right person in the right position at the right time. He has set everything up for you, but you have to act. We are faced with the question, “Are you willing to sacrifice your comfort and security in order to affect big change for God’s purposes?” If so, trust that God is in control, pray that He would accomplish His purposes through you, and move to act.

Too often we are caught up in our mundane, daily routine to imagine that God has a purpose for us this very day. The Apostle Paul writes, “For we are His creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10) When we change our mindsets to view everyday as an opportunity to serve God and love others in the positions we are in, we begin to see where we can take action and daily walk in these good works.