Preparing To Rejoice In Him // April 28th, 2019

Reflection

“Forgiveness flounders because I exclude the enemy from the community of humans and I exclude myself from the community of sinners.” ~Miroslav Volf, The Spacious Heart

 

“When we forgive evil we do not excuse it, we do not tolerate it, we do not smother it. We look the evil full in the face, call it what it is, let its horror shock and stun and enrage us, and only then do we forgive it.” ~Louis B. Smedes

 

“Whenever we contemplate the sin of another against us, we must see that it is tiny in comparison to our own sin against God. The picture Jesus paints is this: Here is a fellow lifting one hand up pleading for mercy and for forgiveness of a tremendous debt, while at the same time reaching down with the other hand and choking a fellow servant who owes him a pittance. This is the spiritual condition for many of us. You must grasp the fact that if you’re reaching out to God for forgiveness, you need both hands. You don’t have any hands left with which to choke anyone else.” ~Jack Miller

 

God Call Us To Worship :: Psalm 103:10-12

[10] He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. [11] For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; [12] as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. (ESV)

 

Worship In Song :: Upon A Live I Have Not Lived

Upon a Life I have not lived
Upon a Death I did not die
Another’s Life; Another’s Death
I stake my whole eternity

Not on the tears which I have shed
Not on the sorrows I have known
Another’s tears; Another’s griefs
On these I rest, on these alone

O Jesus, Son of God, I build on what Thy cross has done for me
There both my death and life I read, my guilt, and pardon there I see

Lord, I believe; O deal with me
As one who has Thy Word believed
I take the gift, Lord, look on me
As one who has Thy gift received

 

Confession Of Faith :: Shorter Catechism, 87

 

Q. What is repentance unto life?

A. Repentance unto life is a saving grace, whereby a sinner, out of a true sense of his sin and apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ, doth, with grief and hatred of his sin, turn from it unto God, with full purpose of and endeavor after new obedience.

 

God’s Word Preached :: Matthew 18:21-35

The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

[21] Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” [22] Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.

[23] “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. [24] When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. [25] And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. [26] So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ [27] And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. [28] But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ [29] So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ [30] He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. [31] When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. [32] Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. [33] And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ [34] And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. [35] So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.” (ESV)

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