FORGIVENESS: HOW COMPASSIONATE?
December 8, 2009
Bible in One Year:
Monday, December 7, 2009
(Jer 41 - Jer 44)
Memorise: "But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?" (1 Jn 3:17)
Read: 1 John 3:16-18
16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
17 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
In the story of the unmerciful servant recorded in Matthew 18: 23-35, we learn that refusing to forgive changes your name from saint (believer) to sinner (wicked). Also, that until we ask God for forgiveness, we cannot be forgiven - whether as believers or unbelievers. We are forgiven so that we too can forgive others and therefore be like our Father. There is a user of this Devotional who has been struggling with unforgiveness for some time because your loved one wronged you. You have wept several times when you remember what was done to you. The Lord is releasing grace to you now to forgive and release the fellow from your heart. As you receive this grace, go and tell your offender you have forgiven him or her. And God will correct what went wrong in your life during the period of bitterness.
Another lesson from this story is that compassion is necessary for effective forgiveness. Compassion is the active form of mercy while mercy is pity ; sorry feelings without any action. One reason some believers who have told their offender that they have been forgiven, yet have continued to nurse occasional bitterness and hurts, is that their forgiveness lacked compassion. If you study the life of the Lord Jesus Christ, you will discover that He hardly did anything without compassion. Compassion should be involved in anything you do for the Lord or for others. If you forgive with compassion, there would be no trace of bitterness or resentment. Your heart will not miss a beat anytime you see the one who offended you. To forgive without compassion is rife among Christians. No wonder the change that should accompany forgiveness is barely seen. When you forgive with compassion, it can be likened to giving something to someone in dire need. It is done with lots of concern and with all your heart. When you forgive with compassion, your wrongs against the fellow are automatically erased. Even when the devil reminds you of that wrong, it does not have any negative impact upon you. Many believers say, 'I will forgive you but I will not forget'. When you forgive with compassion, it is easy to forget. Ask God to help you forgive all your offenders with compassion.
ACTION POINT:
Any time you feel you cannot forgive someone, you indirectly limit the limitless God in your life. He becomes unable to forgive you.
Posted by Pastor E. A. Adeboye. Posted In : DECEMBER 2009
Fondly known as G.O or Daddy G.O, Pastor Adeboye became the General Overseer (G.O) of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) in 1981. Sheer curiosity and the search for a solution to a personal problem led Pastor Adeboye to worship at RCCG – Ebute-Metta in 1973. It was a most unlikely place of worship for a professor of Mathematics as the church had very few educated people and it lacked the comfort and grandeur of the Orthodox churches.
His desire to reach the ends of the earth is captured in this statement, “I would love to have a breakthrough to such a height that I can lend to nations and preach on every television and radio station at least one hour per day.”
