This has been placed on the heart for
a couple days and today GOD put the last piece into view.
Some are going to be offended and that
is not the purpose, the purpose is to edify, to build up and to clear
the path for believers and non believers alike. To often we as
Christians get caught up in pointing out sin in others and with that
we forget that as we point with one finger three more are pointing
back at us, we are less than perfect. We need to stop condemning and
bringing shame to people for mistakes. What we need to do is show
love, forgiveness, humility and remember that all sin is sin in GOD's
eyes yet HE (GOD) does not want to condemn us, if HE did it would
have been done in the beginning, HIS son JESUS would not have been
sent to light the way to a renewed relationship … yes relationship
one not unlike any parent would want with a child who was continually
going down the wrong path and when we discover that we were so wrong
we swallow that pride go back home and what happens? Does mom and dad
kick you back out or do they welcome you with open arms and loving
hearts?
Forgiveness, when we judge we are
holding that sin to a person, it makes it so they can not let go and
it eats at them through guilt and makes it easier for them to fall
back into it. We must forgive so we can be forgiven (Matthew 6:14-15)
14 "If you forgive those who sin
against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. 15 But if you
refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.
When we sit back and point out those
sins rather than showing the love CHRIST showed us, we are holding
those sins to a person rather than forgiving, with the woman caught
in adultery JESUS did not point out her sins, no he showed her
compassion, love and forgiveness and she walked away from the sin …
forgiveness is more powerful than shame, while shame has power to
hold you in the bondage of sin, forgiveness can wipe it away in a
blink and lift them from darkness into light.
1 John 1:5-10
5 This is the message he has given us
to announce to you: God is light and there is no darkness in him at
all. 6 So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go
on living in spiritual darkness. We are not living in the truth. 7
But if we are living in the light of God's presence, just as Christ
is, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus,
his Son, cleanses us from every sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we
are only fooling ourselves and refusing to accept the truth. 9 But if
we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and
to cleanse us from every wrong. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we
are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our
hearts.
Pay attention to verse 10 a moment, if
we point out another's sin instead of allowing GOD to do so through
our compassion, humility and forgiveness we are basically saying we
are sinless. Are we sinless? Of course not, so how can we ever feel
it is alright to make others feel like they are condemned . We need
to watch how we approach not only each other but how we approach the
world and people around us, we can not 'act' better because we are
actually no better than any around us.
I am flawed, you are flawed and I
forgive you of the flaws you have, can you forgive me?
