Stewardship (Pt. 2)

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:19-21

Once we know that all the wealth we “possess” actually belongs to God, and that we are merely stewards (managers), what should we do with what He has placed in our hands? The simple answer is to use what belongs to God in the way He wants it used. Why? Because we will give an account to Him for what we do with what is His. The parable of the talents in Matthew 25 is particularly instructive.

Everything the stewards had belonged to the master who entrusted his wealth to the them (v.14). The lesson is obvious.

Each steward was given a different amount to manage, as determined (a) by the master’s will, and (b) by the master’s knowledge of each servant’s ability (v.15). From this, learn that (a) it is not God’s will that everyone have the same amount entrusted to them, and (b) not all are equally proficient as managers.

The first two stewards invested their master’s wealth and gained more (v.16-17). The third steward put his master’s wealth in a hole in the ground and earned nothing (v.18).

When the master returned, he demanded an accounting (v.19).

The master rewarded the two stewards who invested their master’s wealth proportionally with more wealth, and commended them (v.20-23).

The master scolded the third steward for not investing his master’s wealth (v.24). He chided the third steward for not at least putting the money in the bank and getting at least a minimal interest (v.27). And in v.28, the master took everything the man had and gave it to the first steward. This instructs us that we need to invest what God has given us, and it is obviously important to the master, instead of doing what we think is best.

Don’t miss that the parable deals with money but the lessons go beyond money, teaching us that everything we have belongs to God and we are responsible to invest ourselves and all that we possess in the Lord’s kingdom, by which we will please the Lord, receiving His commendation and reward.

As a hypothetical footnote: What if there were a fourth steward who thought what he was given was his to spend on himself and his pleasure? If the third steward was in trouble, how much more would this hypothetical fourth steward have been in? And how many of us would be like the fourth steward?

Next time: A few thoughts about the relationship between the heart and treasure.

Doing Justly: equality or equity?

He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8

The godless in our world have always twist truth to suit themselves and their wicked agendas. This is grossly true regarding the concept of justice in our day. Consider the following words about God and justice from Deuteronomy 32:4:

“He is the Rock, His work is perfect; For all His ways are justice, A God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He.”

And as God instructs in Micah 6:8, if we would please Him we are to do justly. What does that mean? Simply stated, equality means judging all people by the same standard. Judging everyone’s outcomes by the same standard does not guarantee that everyone will achieve the same outcome. Why? Because in this world, not all have equal abilities, nor do all work with equal diligence to achieve their best, much less the same results.

In our day, equality (as defined in the previous paragraph), has been hijacked by the term equity, which is supposed to guarantee everyone the same outcome. To guarantee everyone the same results (irrespective of ability and/or effort) is patently unjust.

First, some have superior mental and/or physical abilities that those lacking such abilities will never match. Second, some work harder than those who do not. Justice judges everyone by the same standard, acknowledging that all will not be Olympians, scholars, or millionaires. Modern “equity” says everyone must achieve the same results, regardless of ability and diligence.

Those who insist on “equity” break the 8th Commandment (you shall not steal), and the 10th Commandment (you shall not covet). How? Stealing is taking from another who has what you do not have—which ideally no one would do if everyone had the same. Coveting is longing to have what someone else has—which ideally no one would do if everyone had the same.

Modern “equity” is at the root of “class warfare” which insists that stealing and coveting are okay if someone has more of anything than you have (or want and do not have).

What brings this up today? Today is Martin Luther King Day in the United States. Read Dr. King’s, “I Have a Dream” speech. He was rightly calling for justice and equality, not “equity.”

May God have mercy on our mixed up, sinful nation.

Stewardship (Pt. 1)

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:19-21

It is telling that on the heels of His teaching about spiritual things (charity, prayer, and fasting), without skipping a beat, Jesus continues by teaching about money. Most fail to understand that money, and what we do with it, is spiritual as well! In fact, it has been said what we do with our money is the truest indicator of our spiritual understanding, maturity, and priorities. Why is that? Jesus’ words in (v.21) reveal why. What we do with our money both indicates and steers our true priorities in life.

The foundation of understanding and using money biblically is that: (a) Nothing we have is ours. (b) It all belongs to God. (c) We are merely stewards (managers) of what belongs to God. (d) We are accountable to Him to manage what belongs to Him according to His will and priorities (not merely our own). You might want to reread this paragraph.

Many believers understand that we are to give back to God (*) a portion of His money that He entrusts to us. Some follow the biblical pattern of tithing (giving 10%). A few give more than 10%. Most give less.

But what we give is only the tip of the iceberg regarding stewardship. Yes, giving reveals our hearts regarding stewardship, but so does what we do with the larger portion that we keep. Remember, it all belongs to God. And when we give an account to God regarding money, we will not only have to account for the small percent that we gave, but also (possibly even more so) for the greater percent that we kept.

Next time: Spending vs. investing—and where?

(*) Christian giving is not merely to charity in general. Though it is not bad to contribute to secular charities, Jesus commended giving in Jesus’ name (Mark 9:41). That generally means giving first to one’s church, and then to other biblical ministries.

Fasting (what it is, more)

"Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
Matthew 6:16-18

In this last post about fasting (from the Sermon on the Mount [SotM]), we’ll consider Jesus’ words of warning about fasting to be seen. Jesus sounded this same warning with regard to giving (v.2-4), praying (v.5-6), and now fasting (v.16-18). And it may be safely applied to any and all acts of charity and spiritual devotion. Clearly, in the SotM, Jesus was reminding us that any act of religious devotion undertaken for the sake of the applause from other people is misguided at best, and downright hypocritically sinful at worst.

Boasting about how religious one is not uncommon, especially among those who are not spiritually minded, but merely religious. When ministers wear special clothing (especially ornate vestments and oddly shaped headdresses) it is an example. Those who love to tell others how much they serve is another very common example. In the case of fasting, Jesus pointed His holy finger at those who, whether with words or long sad faces, want others to “ooh and aah” at their devotion.

If there are exceptions, one would be when one is teaching about fasting, and shares from personal experience what they do and why. Another exception would be when a group of people agree together to partake in a particular fast. But even then, be careful that the heart is right, not looking for applause, but merely to encourage others.

Jesus says to give, pray, and fast to be seen by God who will reward appropriately based on the person’s heart, which only He can see. This serves as a good reminder that what is more at stake than what one does is the heart motivation with which one does it.

When we do what we do to be seen (and admired) by people, that hollow and fleeting admiration is the extent of the reward one can expect to receive. The spiritual reward that comes from God to those whose hearts are right, is better, and everlasting.

Fasting (what it is, continued)

"Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
Matthew 6:16-18

We began by considering what fasting is not. Last time we began our consideration of what fasting is. This time I’d like to share some thoughts on fasting that I learned from John Piper in his book, “A Hunger For God.” The big ticket idea that struck me most is the concept that fasting is a means by which we cultivate a greater hunger for God. The thinking goes like this: "Did your mother ever warn you not to eat snacks (especially sweets) before dinner because the sweets would cause you to lose your appetite for dinner? Mine did.

Based on that analogy, Piper contends that our appetites for the things of the Spirit are adversely affected by the fact that we nibble too much at the world’s buffet table of the flesh. One remedy is fasting. By saying “No” to the fleshly delights that we are so often allured by, and instead training our tastes for the things of the Spirit, our appetite for the things of the Spirit will increase.

Piper brings up a companion thought on fasting found in Isaiah 58. The Lord scolds His people for their disciplined commitment to fasting (not eating), while not investing their time and effort in doing what is good and right. In other words, fasting is not merely “not doing this or that” (e.g., eating). It is also about doing good. So to make the most out of fasting, substitute prayer, Bible reading, or some charitable activity for what you are abstaining from. The result will almost surely be growth of our appetite for the things of the Spirit—an increased hunger for God. Reading Piper’s, “A Hunger for God,” will be rewarding.

Next time: A warning about fasting to be seen.

Fasting (what it is)

"Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
Matthew 6:16-18

Last time we considered what fasting is not. This time, let’s begin considering what fasting is.

Fasting is a means of denying oneself.

Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. Matthew 16:24

Fasting is a means of denying the flesh to concentrate one’s attention toward the Spirit. By “denying the flesh,” I am not referring denying the sinful desires of the flesh. As Christians we ought to be doing that all the time! Saying no to sin is not fasting, it is repentance and walking in the Spirit!

Spiritual fasting is denying oneself the lawful (i.e., not sinful) aspects of the flesh. I trust that we all understand that eating and enjoying food is not sinful, though gluttony is sinful. So fasting is not halting gluttonous behavior (which is a sin to be repented of), it is temporarily denying oneself lawful (and necessary) eating. Note the word, “temporarily.” Fasting from food cannot be permanent for obvious reasons.

Why would we do this? A couple of practical reasons come to mind. As already stated, fasting from food, for example, is a matter of denying oneself a bodily necessity (and pleasure) for the sake of giving special attention to prayer (or any other spiritual discipline). If we merely skip a meal (or eating for a day), what has been accomplished? But if during that mealtime we devote ourselves to special prayer, or scripture reading, or charitable acts, much may be accomplished.

If fasting for an entire day, we can be reminded to pray every time our stomach growls.

Lastly, thoughts about fasting are usually about food, but spiritual fasting can be temporarily abstaining from from any lawful (i.e., not sinful) activity. Examples include, but are not limited to, certain foods or beverages, certain entertainments, hobbies, or according to Paul in 1 Corinthians 7:1-6, intimate marital relations.

This covers some of the simple facets of fasting. A deeper aspect of fasting is revealed in John Piper’s most excellent book, “A Hunger for God.” I’ll share a little about that, next time.

Fasting (what it is not)

"Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
Matthew 6:16-18

After speaking about prayer, Jesus proceeds to speak about fasting. I have to admit, spiritual fasting is not a regular component of my spiritual disciplines. Yet Jesus begins His comments on the subject with the words, “when you fast…” Jesus said, “when you fast,’ not “if you fast.” What is the obvious inference? That His disciples do fast. Lesson number one: Fasting is a spiritual discipline many of us virtually neglect altogether. Maybe we need to learn from that and make the necessary adjustments in our thinking and practice.

Here is a second lesson: Spiritual fasting is not the same as fasting for health or weight loss purposes. Let us not make the mistake of thinking that if we fast for physical reasons we can check the box for spiritual fasting. Unless…

If we are fasting for physical reasons, and we are mindful to devote our fasts for prayer and spiritual reasons, we might be killing two birds with one stone, so to speak.

Here is a third lesson: Fasting is not a way to turbo-charge our prayers. It is not a means to obligate God to answer our prayers because we bribe Him by skipping a meal.

What then is the purpose of fasting? Next time…

Recap: Forgiveness

"For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Matthew 6:14-15

This post will take us back to the post from December 7, when we explained what is meant by these words at the end of the Lord’s prayer. Unless one knows the primary teaching about God’s forgiveness of sinners, these words could be understood to teach that God’s forgiveness of us is dependent (earned) on our forgiveness of others. That is contrary to the Christian faith! Our forgiveness by God is by God’s grace alone, received through faith alone, in Christ alone (referring to His death and resurrection). It is not based on anything we do, but rather on what Christ has done for us.

Paul’s words in Ephesians 4 also sorts out the problem many have with the following verses immediately after the Lord’s Prayer.

"For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.’” Matthew 6:14-15

I trust you can see the inherent question: “Does Matthew 6:14-15 teach that God forgives us on the basis of how we forgive others?” Or stated a little differently: “Is my forgiveness by God (salvation) determined by my forgiveness of others?” The obvious answer is NO! If it were so, no one would be forgiven or saved because no one forgives as we need to be forgiven.

Instead, as is the case with other required works of righteousness, they cannot earn or merit God’s grace, but they do validate that one has been changed as a result of having received God’s grace. In other words, God does not forgive us because we forgive others, rather, we are to forgive others because God has already forgiven us.

We pray to God. He will answer according to His will.

For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Matthew 6:13b

My favorite commentary on the New Testament (Baker’s New Testament Commentary, by Hendriksen & Kistemaker) begins its remarks on this concluding sentence of the Lord’s Prayer with these words:

It is commonly held that, since these words are absent from the leading manuscripts, the rules of textual evidence do not favor their inclusion in the Lord's Prayer. Without disputing the correctness of this view it is but fair to point out, however, that, in one form or another, the doxology is found in some rather ancient versions.

So we will offer some devotional thoughts on the last line of the Lord’s Prayer, acknowledging that some believe this was not in the original, but added.

First, when a passage is of questionable origin, we must ask if it says anything that is as odds with the rest of the Bible. The answer regarding this passage is a definite No. This sentence, whether in the original or not, is perfectly consistent with the rest of scripture.

That said, this concluding doxology—or expression of praise to God—is biblical in nature. It reminds us to whom the prayer is addressed at the beginning (v.9). It is addressed to God. When a prayer is addressed to anyone or anything other than God, it is not a biblical prayer. Period!

That we are speaking to God reminds us that God alone has the authority (as King), the power (as Almighty God), and the glory (that belongs to God alone), to hear and answer our prayers. In other words, let us never think of prayer as “self-talk! We are addressing and petitioning GOD! We can rest, therefore, that God will only answer our prayers according to His perfect will. Prayer does not change God’s mind or will. Rather, prayer is a means of us asking Him to do His will, even if our prayers are not perfectly aligned with His will. In that sense, prayer changes us, not Him!

The last word, “Amen,” does not mean we are done praying, although in public or group prayer, it does usually signify that the one praying is finished. Literally, the word Amen means “truly,” or “so be it.” When we say “Amen” at the end of our prayers, we are not only praying according to the pattern giving at the conclusion of the Lord’s Prayer, we can be confident that God will hear and answer our prayers according to His will.

Six on Entering the New Year

See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord…
Ephesians 5:15-19

Here are six pointers for walking (living) with the Lord in 2024. Though none are new, they are worth reviewing.

Walk (live) in wisdom. Jesus is the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24), so let us walk closely with Jesus. And when we lack wisdom in a particular area, let us remember to “ask God” (James 1:5). Just be sure that whatever “impressions” and or “counsel” you receive that may be from the Lord are square with His Word. Too many follow such impressions and counsel assuming it is from the Lord is unbiblical, and therefore not of the Lord!

Know the Lord’s will. The clearest statement in the New Testament about God’s will is found in 1 Thessalonians 4:3. “This is the will of God, your sanctification” (continued growth in holiness). And since we must do God’s will when we know it, let us renew our commitment to holiness above all else.

Be circumspect with anything that alters our minds. If you have liberty to consume alcohol, prudence demands restraint because while drinking alcohol is not sinful, drunkenness most certainly is sinful! And I would presume that we all know that any drug use to alter our minds is also sinful—even though the godless government has made it legal.

Be filled with the Holy Spirit. Every believer is indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God. Sadly, we do not always follow His leading. Let us be reminded that He is in is, and be intentional about following His lead in the strength of His power.

Encourage each other. Since we live in a world filled with negative and discouraging news, let us look for ways to speak words of encouragement whenever possible. In so doing, we will help others, as well as ourselves, be a bit more able to do number 5.

Praise the Lord. Praising God is the opposite of complaining, dissatisfaction, and covetousness. That cannot help but be good for all of us. Oh, and by the way, were we not created to praise God?

May God bless us and our church in 2024!

Temptation (Pt. 3)

And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. Matthew 6:13a

As stated last time, part of the answer to our prayers regarding temptation is us developing discernment so we can steer clear of temptation as soon as we feel the tug of temptation’s tractor beam. Paul wrote to the Thessalonians:

Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22

What are we to test all things against? God’s revealed will in His written Word, of course. And because we cannot realistically look up pertinent Bible verses when in the midst of temptation, we need to have stored God’s Word in our hearts and minds already—while continuing to add to that scriptural storehouse for the remainder of our lives.

This is why we need to be people of the Book, reading God’s Word, from cover to cover over and over again throughout our days. Besides knowing specific verses and passages, we get accustomed to the sound and content of God’s voice. As we do this we can live out the following well-loved verse containing Jesus’ words to His disciples:

John 10:27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.

When we know the Lord’s voice, we follow Him by “holding fast to what is good,” and “abstaining from every form of evil.” Isn’t that what Jesus taught us to pray in Matthew 6:13a? It is our responsibility and His grace and power that give us victory over temptation and deliverance from the evil one.

Temptation (Pt. 2)

And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. Matthew 6:13a

I think of this as a wise and humble prayer. We are all weak (to varying degrees) to temptations (of various kinds). If we are wise enough to know our weaknesses, may we be humble enough to regularly ask the Lord for His mercy to protect us from temptation. Of course, the primary way He will answer this request is that we must do our part (in the strength of His Spirit) to avoid temptation—beginning with what we already know we are particularly weak to.

As stated in an earlier post, we need not fear that God is tempting us to sin (He never does that, James 1:13), but we do know that He has us living in a sinful world filled with temptations. Why? To further our spiritual growth in sanctification.

The last phrase, “deliver us from the evil one,” is a prayer, that when we do encounter temptation (which is inevitable), the Lord will protect us from succumbing to the wiles of the enemy of our souls, Satan. When Christians sin, we fall down, but by God’s grace the elect will not fall away. When we pray “deliver us from the evil one,” we are praying for the Lord’s prayers for us (Hebrews 7:25). His prayers for us are our ultimate safety net. Remember Jesus’ promise to pray for Peter when he was being sifted by Satan:

Luke 22:31-32 And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren."

It was the Lord’s prayers for Peter, when Peter was being sifted by Satan, that kept him from following in the disastrous footsteps of Judas. And it is His prayers for us that protect us. We invite and plead for His prayer when we pray, “And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one.”

About December 25th

Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS... Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?" And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.
Luke 1:30-31, 34-35

Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins."
Matthew 1:19-21

Christmas is the celebration of the incarnation, when the eternally begotten Son of God became a man so He could live, die, and rise to save His people from our sins.

No one knows what day of the year Jesus was born. But that doesn’t matter! The day is not the point; what happened is the point. Therefore, Christians do not celebrate the day, we celebrate the incarnation.

Technically, the incarnation was not on the day Jesus was born, it was the day He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, nine months before He was born in Bethlehem.

I believe the incarnation is arguably the greatest miracle ever. Some might insist that the resurrection is the greatest miracle. In my mind, it is not surprising that death and the grave could not hold Jesus. But the incarnation? That is something in a category by itself. Think about it.

• How could the infinite Son of God fit inside of a finite human body? Yet the Bible says the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Jesus bodily! (Colossians 2:9)

• Thinking further, how could the eternal Son of God who was a Spirit from eternity past be “limited” to time and space? Truly the incarnation is a miracle in the first degree.

What could possibly be wrong with celebrating so great a miracle? So, celebrate the incarnation! And since we do not know when it happened, December 25 is as good as any day, especially when so much of the world shuts down for it—whether they know why or not!

Merry Christmas & Incarnation Day!

A seismic truth to ponder anew

"Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel" which means, God with us. Matthew 1:23

Familiarity breeds contempt. Even the greatest and most stupendous news, when heard often enough, can easily become white noise in our ears. That God is with us is not may not be so seismic to us. Even non-believers assume God is with them.

But let us be soberly reminded of the transcendence of Almighty God—that He is infinitely bigger, better, and greater than us—that we are naturally distanced from Him, and even more so because of our sin. When that reality dawns on us, the fact that God became a human being (while never ceasing to be God in the least!) is mind-boggling.

The fact that He not only came to dwell among us, but as a baby, who not only became a man, but a poor, lowly, and even despised man—makes it all even more startling. But there is more! He became one of us to rescue us from our sins—sins against Him! Truly the incarnation of the only begotten Son of God is arguably the greatest miracle of all.

May thoughts of Christ’s incarnation be truly jaw-dropping to us this Christmas!

Temptation (Pt. 1)

And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. Matthew 6:13a

In this life, believers are still quite subject to temptation. Jesus teaches us to pray the Lord not to lead us into temptation. James makes it clear that God does tempt His people to sin.

James 1:13 Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.

But we know that Jesus was led by the Spirit to be tempted by Satan.

Matthew 4:1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

How do we reconcile this apparent discrepancy? There are two closely related concepts: testing and tempting. God tests us and Satan tempts us. Various trials put our faith to the test. Our response determines whether we have passed a test, or succumbed to temptation.

Proverbs tells us that the heat of trials are like a furnace that tests precious metals, and in so doing purifies them.

Proverbs 17:3 The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, But the LORD tests the hearts.

When the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness, Satan did what he could to tempt Jesus to sin. Because Jesus did not break under Satan’s temptation; He passed God’s test. Granted, Jesus never sinned and needed no purification. His test proved nothing to Him or to His Father, but His passing the test proved much about Him to us!

In our case, the devil wants to use every trial to tempt us to sin. When by God’s grace we resist temptation, we are purified like gold in the furnace.

Forgive us our debts (Pt. 9)

And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. Matthew 6:12

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:8-9

As promised last time, let’s think together about God’s faithfulness to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Before getting started on God faithfulness in forgiveness, let’s be clear that God does not forgive us on the basis of our confessions or how sincere or dramatic they may be. That would be forgiveness based on us. Rather, though God is faithful to His people, but the primary reason is that He is faithful to Himself! Why, and to what/whom?

First, He created us in His image, so He is faithful to His image bearers. While fallen human beings desecrate the image of God many ways (from murder to abortion, to overeating, and under exercising), God is faithful to His own image in which He created us.

Second, God is faithful to His promises. He promised to forgive the sins of His people and to renew our fellowship with Him every time we confess our sins. We can be assured that He will because He promised that He will.

Third, God is faithful to Jesus and to Jesus’ sacrifice for His people’s sins. Jesus paid for His people’s sins. Our Heavenly Father accepted that sacrifice as payment in full. If God failed to forgive any of His people’s sins, that would be unfaithfulness by the Father to the Son. That will never happen.

Why and to what/whom is God faithful when it come to forgiveness and cleansing from His people’s sins? He is faithful to Himself and to His image, stamped exclusively on human beings. He is faithful to His promises. And He is faithful to His Son, Jesus. I’d say that affords us immeasurable security and assurance, wouldn’t you?

Forgive us our debts (Pt. 8)

And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. Matthew 6:12

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:8-9

As promised last time, there is more to say about this monumental subject of forgiveness…

Today: What is confession? Confession is much more than merely admitting guilt. “Yeah, I did it—so what?!” is not even remotely the same as what the Bible is referring to regarding confession. The Greek word confess literally means agree. So if we are confessing our sins in a biblical fashion, what are we doing?

We are agreeing with God about our sin. In order to agree with God we must know what He thinks of our sin. What God thinks about our sin can be summarized in these words: “God hates our sin and it has to go!”

Obviously then, a mere admission is not sufficient. We must be convicted by God’s Word and the Holy Spirit so that we too hate our sin and fervently want to be shed of it. If we do not feel the way God feels about our sin, we cannot exactly agree with Him, can we? In that case, sometimes confession ought to begin by pleading with God to change our hearts so that we actually do hate our sin and want too be rid of it. (Read and pray 2 Corinthians 7:10.)

This is why though the Bible speaks frequently about repentance (which means changing one’s mind), when we read about confession, even if repentance is not explicitly mentioned, it is implied as a component of biblical confession.

Next time, God’s faithfulness to forgive and to cleanse.

Forgive us our debts (Pt. 7)

And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. Matthew 6:12

A seventh entry on the subject of forgiveness? Yep! That is how important forgiveness is! Let’s begin this meditation on the subject of forgiveness by directing our attention to 1 John 1:8-9 chapter one.

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:8-9

First, where there is a refusal to acknowledge sin, there is little likelihood of confession. That much is pretty obvious. But if a man jumps off the roof of a tall building, what would his refusal to acknowledge gravity accomplish? Nothing. Our world is filled with such thinking about sinfulness. A few years ago, a presidential candidate was asked about confessing his sins. He replied on TV that he had no sins to confess. If that were true, he would be God, since all (but God) have sinned (Romans 3:23).

Many of us also previously thought we were either sinless, or that our sins didn’t matter. Then we were born again by the Spirit of God. When a person is born again, that person is aware that he or she is a sinner and in desperate need of God’s forgiveness. We confessed our sins, asking God for forgiveness. He forgave us and we were saved.

Second, these verses in 1 John are not limited to our initial acknowledgement and confession of sin. Once we are saved, because we continue to sin, we are commanded to continue confessing our sins. This does not mean we are only forgiven of the sins we confess. If that were true we would all be lost because none of us has specifically confessed every sin we have ever committed.

Every sin a believer has, or will commit, was forgiven by God when Jesus bore our sins on the cross. What we receive by confessing our sins, even after having already been forgiven, is the blessing of restored fellowship with God. Our sin does not change (much less terminate) our relationship with God. Our relationship with God is secured by Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins. But our sin does disrupt our fellowship with God. When we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive and cleans us, restoring our sin-damaged fellowship with Him. This is good news and a great reason to confess our sins as soon as we are aware of them so our fellowship with God is restored as quickly as possible.

Two more things about these verses next time.

Forgive us our debts (Pt. 6)

And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. Matthew 6:12

We are called to confess every sin we commit to God.

Not every sin against another person should be confessed to that person. If I have sinned against another person and they know about it, I must by all means seek the offended party’s forgiveness.

However, if I have sinned in my heart without the person ever knowing about it, telling them could be detrimental. For example (and I’ve told this story before), a man I barely knew approached me after I preached at a conference. He proceeded to tell me that he never liked me and harbored bitterness in his heart toward me for years. He asked for my forgiveness. Of course, I forgave him, but honestly, even if he felt better about asking for my forgiveness, I didn’t!

There is a saying: “The circle of confession should be no larger than the circle of sin.” Surely there are exceptions, but I believe it is generally true.

Even when one speaks unkindly about another person, asking forgiveness from the one spoken to is in order. But in some cases it may make matters worse by confessing the sin to the one who was spoken about (if he or she has no knowledge and likely will never know about the offense).

There is no one-size-fits-all in such matters. That is why we must seek the Lord’s will in each case, with the goal to make things better, not worse.

Forgive us our debts (Pt. 5)

And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. Matthew 6:12

Ideally, forgiveness and reconciliation ought to be two sides of the same coin. God forgives us and He reconciles those He forgives to Himself. Sadly, that is not always the case in interpersonal relationships. There are times when, though we have forgiven someone, the relationship is not reconciled. Why?

Because forgiveness is often unilateral, meaning one party forgives and the other does not want the relationship restored. This lack of a desire for reconciliation usually indicates one or both of two things: (a) One or both parties have not truly forgiven the other. Or (b) the offending party refuses to repent (stop causing the offense).

This is a reminder that we must forgive, even if the relationship is not reconciled. Let us do what we can to reconcile, understanding that we cannot force the other person to reciprocate. Remember Paul’s words:

Romans 12:18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.

Let us be sure we really are doing what we can, and not deceiving ourselves that we are when in reality we are harboring resentment and a lack of forgiveness.

Forgiving silently is next…