Christian Living

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I don’t know about you but this is a passage I could easily avoid reading. It seems to be a pretty harsh truth. Defiantly not the kind that causes images of warm fuzzy bunnies to prance through my head as I think about my relationship with God. I read all sorts of passages in the Bible about how God loves us, cares for us, protects us, and desires a relationship with us. But then I come across this one and it seems to grate on me.

At first glance this does not appear to be the loving God that I know. In fact it seems as if Jesus is revealing a God to us that is petty and selfish. Like a little kid who says “If you don’t share your toy with me I am not going to share my toy with you!” Or a parent that says “if your not going to behave then I then you’re grounded!”

I’m not the only one! I have heard several people make the same claim. “Just another mean God who is going to strike me with lighting if I step out of line!”

I don’t believe that this is the message that Jesus intended to portray. Everything you read in the Bible needs to be read in the context of the surrounding verses. If you just pick and choose scripture and don’t look at the context you can make the Bible say just about anything.

So lets look at the context of these verses:
Jesus has just finished telling people how to basically talk to God in prayer. The context of the entire chapter is about Relationship. Jesus shows the people listening that it is possible to have a real relationship with God. So as we read on we need to keep that in mind!

So what does this harsh statement say about forgiveness in the context of a relationship?: “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
When we look at forgiveness we need to view it as essential to a relationship with God. Without God’s forgiveness of our sins through the death of Jesus Christ we would not be able to experience a relationship with Him. Sin separates us from God, forgiveness (that free and awesome gift) brings us back into His presence.

Holding a grudge or not forgiving is a sin. It causes a rift in our relationship with others and because not forgiving is a sin it separates us from God. In a real relationship with God you can’t hold anything back. He wants all of you. If you ask Him to forgive your sins and hold back something, lock it away in your heart, you are not giving God access to it. Your holding Him back from cleansing you and using you beyond your wildest dreams!

by Josh Carroll
[email protected] [email protected]

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