Isn't Jesus saying that people...
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Object:
Isn't Jesus saying that people are more important than principles? The Pharisees were the
most principled people in Jesus' day, but he doesn't give them any praise! They could be
careful about the exact figures, like seven times or like exactly 10% of their income or how
many feet you could travel on a sabbath or how much work you could do. Jesus died for people,
not for principles. Sometimes putting principles first rather than the American people hurts
our country. I keep hearing our legislators talk about "standing on principles" but are they
thinking of the people first?
Wars are started on "principles," including liberal and conservative extremes or religious differences.
Principles have separated God's church into denominations who each think they have the only or at least the best answers. When the Bible tells us that the church is Christ's bride, it means one bride. Jesus was not a Mormon bishop with many brides. He did not have many wives: Baptist, Pentecostal, Roman Catholic, Lutheran, and so on. We are all one in Jesus. He has made us one. We don't need committees to work out and compromise our differences. Is there anyone who you feel you just can't forgive?
One old pastor in Nepal was thrown in jail for being Christian, but he even forgave those who were torturing him. As a result many were won to Christ by this old man's love and forgiveness.
Many say that they could forgive but never forget. What if God forgave us but never forgot our sins? Forgiveness must be complete. It should wipe out all remembrance of sins. Does anyone owe us something? We should be patient with them until they can pay us back. My dad made his house payments faithfully, but just one payment did he miss because he was out of work for a couple weeks in the Depression. The loan company forgave him until the price of housing went up and they could make more. Then they foreclosed on him for that one payment he missed a couple years before. He forgave them but never used that company again. I saw the suffering it caused our family when we had to leave the house I grew up in. What will the Lord do to them when they go to be with him?
We all have to remember that there will be a day of reckoning -- both good and bad. The main question we need to ask ourselves is if we will live up to this phrase in the Lord's Prayer that we pray often: "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us."
Wars are started on "principles," including liberal and conservative extremes or religious differences.
Principles have separated God's church into denominations who each think they have the only or at least the best answers. When the Bible tells us that the church is Christ's bride, it means one bride. Jesus was not a Mormon bishop with many brides. He did not have many wives: Baptist, Pentecostal, Roman Catholic, Lutheran, and so on. We are all one in Jesus. He has made us one. We don't need committees to work out and compromise our differences. Is there anyone who you feel you just can't forgive?
One old pastor in Nepal was thrown in jail for being Christian, but he even forgave those who were torturing him. As a result many were won to Christ by this old man's love and forgiveness.
Many say that they could forgive but never forget. What if God forgave us but never forgot our sins? Forgiveness must be complete. It should wipe out all remembrance of sins. Does anyone owe us something? We should be patient with them until they can pay us back. My dad made his house payments faithfully, but just one payment did he miss because he was out of work for a couple weeks in the Depression. The loan company forgave him until the price of housing went up and they could make more. Then they foreclosed on him for that one payment he missed a couple years before. He forgave them but never used that company again. I saw the suffering it caused our family when we had to leave the house I grew up in. What will the Lord do to them when they go to be with him?
We all have to remember that there will be a day of reckoning -- both good and bad. The main question we need to ask ourselves is if we will live up to this phrase in the Lord's Prayer that we pray often: "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us."
