Brotherly Affection Extends Forgiveness - 10/17/2021
This week we continue in our discussion of Brotherly Affection/Mutual Affection and how it helps as we move forward on our journey toward Spiritual Maturity. As we learned last week, Brotherly Affection is an action outward. It seeks to display unity and, as we learned this week, extend forgiveness.
I am sure that each of us has one or more stories about forgiveness. Some are good. Some not so good.
We talked this week about the parable in Matthew of the man who was forgiven an enormous debt (one he could never in many lifetimes repay) and went on to withhold forgiveness from someone who owed him a small debt.
With Jesus, we have been forgiven of a debt that we can never repay. His sacrifice gifts us forgiveness of our sins. A gift, given by His Grace and His Mercy. A gift we must receive. We receive this gift when we replace the pain and hurt that we are holding on to with forgiveness from our Savior. We can't truly receive His forgiveness until we let go, with repentance, of the guilt and shame from the sin we are holding on to. God has the power to release us and forgive us of our sin. This means that we no longer owe for our sin, our debt has been paid. Further it means that our sins are not held against us. All that we give to Him, he returns to us in forgiveness, a gift, full of grace and mercy.
In thanks for this amazing gift that is truly beyond our human understanding, we are commanded, by the power of The Holy Spirit to extend this gift to others. We are to show Brotherly Affection and acknowledge that we all fall short of His Glory and that only in Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit, will we live lives that will bring honor and glory to God.
We don't need forgiveness from others, we receive forgiveness from God. We just have to spend time in relationship with Him and let Him take that which we are burdened with and replace it with His Love. Extending forgiveness, extends God's Love.
Have you received God's Love today? Will you share God's Love with someone else today?
Here is this week's message:
Have a blessed week.
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