Posted by Steven Benjamin (by Proxy) on September 18, 2009, 10:22 pm, in reply to "Re: Proxy: SABBATH STUDY 1 Sivan"
Forgiveness, forgiveness must be sought before it can be given.
Forgiveness can be denied, but it cannot be BESTOWED upon those unwilling to partake it’s grace.
Christ Yehoshua prayed “FATHER FORGIVE THEM, FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO.”
Sure, forgiveness can be projected beyond ones life to a time one perceives others will come their senses and seek such, but Christ already knew ALL SOULS were his, all but one, and he prayed “FATHER FORGIVE THEM” not “FATHER FORGIVE HIM”…he knew, maybe not in his life, maybe in many of theirs, but one day, all would know him for what he was, and in their ignorance, he asked God to extend forgiveness to such time they would know what they had done, to such time they would seek the same of him.
But to a person who will not seek forgiveness, you cannot bestow it upon them, in a “FORGIVING SPIRIT” you can lay grace up for them, in hopes they will one day seek the forgiveness that “AWAITS THEM” to such time, but until it is sought, it cannot be granted. Still, such conditions often lay hardness in our own hearts, and while we are not responsible to forgive those whom have not sought it of us, as God requires if of us, to be willing to Forgive, until such relations are repaired, we must find forgiveness of God for the hardness in our own hearts to those who would or have wronged us and do not seek such forgiveness. Not taking joy at the judgement that awaits THEM, but showing fear of the Judgement we face for our own hardness towards those who have harmed us emotionally or otherwise.
Should such person seek us out, as the Hebrews do of one another this time of year, to make amends to seek forgiveness, it is our duty to offer such as much as it is theirs to repent. It is here one sees a different reason for the mandate for all to make the trip to Jerusalem for this season. Oh, if you had wronged someone, if they refused your phone calls, your letters, changed their name, moved away to flee from the sight of you, to free them from the disgust that is you, would you go to the ends of the earth to find them to make amends? Hmmm…would you go…”TO JERUSALEM FOR THE DAYS OF AWE AND THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES?”
It is here we see deeper meaning to the counsel of Christ, to offer Forgiveness SEVENTY TIMES SEVEN.
What if someone committed the same wrong act against you time and again? How many time times do you forgive them? At what point are you no longer obligated to offer forgiveness in the face of what seems to only be continual confession without sign of true repentance?
Christ said Seventy times Seven, and I say unto you, Seventy times more.
You see it would be awfully tempting to avoid such a one at this time of year, knowing they would come to seek pardon that they not face judgement of God in the coming year, tempting to in denying them finding opportunity to be in your presence, likewise opportunity to find grace with God. But if you know people are given to such weakness, the time to deny them your presence is not when they would seek forgiveness, but after they have attained it, and before they should have opportunity to find themselves in your debt of conscious yet again, to avoid the situation arising again for the sake of all involved.
Often we require more of others, of mankind than we would perceive God to require of ourselves.
How many times have we failed at the same task with God? How many times have we confessed in earnest to the same sin, and in same earnest made a sincere commitment of repentance not to repeat the act, only to do it again? Yet when we deal with man, we show less grace that we harbor hopes of upon God when dealing with him, and Christ points that the measure we extend, is the measure we are given, you want forgiveness, you better be willing to give it. You hide your face from those who would seek it of you, sure, they may face God in judgement of such matters, but to whom will you confess when God hides his face from you when you embark on your quest for forgiveness?
You don’t have to run out and paint a sign for your neighbors…”FORGIVENESS HERE, TUESDAY 4pm to 7PM,” and if they don’t seek it, you aren’t required to give it, but you are required to be ready to should they do so, and in such, even though they are the source of our hard feelings, we are required for our own hearts with God.
This does not mean being dishonest with yourself and God, just the opposite, sometimes, you just have to tell God, “Look, I am really angry with so and so, And I feel I have a right to be, and this is their fault, but if they came to me right now, I don’t know if I could forgive them if they asked…” and go from there.
Often times I have started out with such a prayer, only to be shown sins I had committed against God, sins I had overlooked, sins he had not, and the extension of grace towards others, found it for myself, that I may make matters right with my Lord.
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