(04/04/2016) Forgiveness and The Cross

Divine forgiveness for and from the cross are in view, today.  Rightly understood, forgiveness is a spirit substance from the makeup of divinity that is inseparable from other spirit content such as faith, forbearance, holiness, longsuffering, wisdom, and wrath against sin.  Through judgment, forgiveness proclaims divine authority, glory, peace, righteousness, and sovereignty.  For this reason, divine forgiveness appears as continuous adherence to law, commitment, grace, consecrated love, and divine prerogative.  Created beings and living creatures only display divine forgiveness as vessels containing the imparted, indwelling Spirit, and those who willingly serve GOD and Christ.  A thief can be forced to return what he has stolen, however, under those circumstances he will have no recovery, or victory with GOD.  Human attitudes and behavior can be altered by using disgrace, fear, shame, threats and violence.  Even so, the necessary change in spirit content that must occur is only by operations of divinity that call forth dutifulness, faithfulness, love, remorse, genuine respect, and sorrow for sin.  Where forgiveness is correctly valued, change, positive closure, and repentance may still result in spite of the offender’s inability to restore what was taken, or make necessary restitution.  Readers are encouraged to consider how this is stated in the following Bible verses, and the presentation below:

Exodus 33:  18-20, King James Version (KJV):  18 And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.  19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.

Luke 5:  18-26, KJV:  18 And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy:  and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him.  19 And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus.  20 And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.  21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?  22 But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts?  23 Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk?  24 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house.  25 And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.  26 And they were all amazed, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things to day.

Ephesians 4:  31-32, KJV:  31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:  32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

The fighter at “Yahoo! Answers” using the ID “yerpp” (Level 1 with 72 points, a member since September 15, 2012) posted the following:

 

What's the difference between forgive and let go?

 

THE GOLDEN ARROW:  And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,  And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.  Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him:  for she is a sinner.  And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on.  There was a certain creditor which had two debtors:  the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.  And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?  Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.  And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet:  but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.  Thou gavest me no kiss:  but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.  My head with oil thou didst not anoint:  but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.  Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much:  but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.  And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.  And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also?  And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.  (Luke 7:  37-50, KJV)

 

THE DOUBLE DAGGER:  Iniquity Forgiven? (02/16/2016); When GOD Never Forgives? (12/28/2015); The Process of Forgiveness? (10/21/2015); Death, Forgiveness, Sin and Spirit? (05/28/2015); The Power to Forgive? (10/01/2014); No Divine Protection? (10/02/2014)

 

“yerpp”, while suffering and dying upon the cross, Jesus Christ called out to the Father in heaven asking that He forgive.  For mature Christian believers, forgiveness goes beyond suppressing your own feelings and memories of attacks, injuries, injustice and offenses that you have been forced to endure.  Forgiveness pertains to the process and outcome of divine judgment—resolution of conflicts and the settlement of disputes using sacred law; acknowledgment of spirit content within events, persons, or utterance (e.g., commands, counsels, instruction, prophecy) as well as the assignment of meaning, position, and value within ones personal relationship to GOD.  As a transaction between the Creator and the created, forgiveness continues relationship, demonstrates and expresses faith, and does not cancel judgment; rather, forgiveness completes and fulfills judgment.  Forgiveness from believers only appears as the fruit (visible product) from operations of the Holy Spirit.  Thus, forgiveness relates to acceptance by GOD, mercy that only appears during judgment, opportunities for correct and new relationship, repentance, and proper reverence when responding to divinity.  Forgetting and “letting go” are temporal responses (i.e., brief; lasting for a limited time) through finite self-will where ones emotions, intellect and recall are deliberately re-focused.  Consider the following points shared through the Bible:

(1.)  Luke 23:  33-35, King James Version (KJV):  33 And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.  34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.  35 And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God.

(2.)  Mark 11:  22-26, KJV:  22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.  23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.  24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
25 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any:  that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.  26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

(3.)  Luke 6:  35-38, KJV:  35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest:  for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.  36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.  37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged:  condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned:  forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:  38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

There is far more to be said, understood, and spiritually apprehended.  (For example, (4.)  Luke 17:  3-4, KJV:  3 Take heed to yourselves:  If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.  4 And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.)  Even so, I trust this fragment will be useful.  Be it unto you according to your faith.

THE BLACK PHOENIX
Washington, DC