Before we get into the topic at
hand, let me encourage you to take action in keeping with the current US
Presidential "election season" before us. Register to vote, and vote!
My September 2, 2012 blog post dealt
with a biblical posture of heart for a follower of Christ to have toward
government. Maybe it shouldn't surprise us to discover how many believers seem
to be apathetic about elections coming up. Although our heart connection to God
is much more important than our loyalty to a political platform, they are not
completely independent of one another. Apathy towards our nation's heritage and
future purpose on the globe, generally indicate an apathetic view towards God
and His purposes for family, church, and community.
Apathy, or complacency, is one of the "sins of Sodom"
listed in the prophet Ezekiel's writings in the Old Testament. The New International Version (NIV) calls it
"unconeern." Sodom's sins
"'were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and
needy'" (Ezekiel 16:49). Frankly, the
abundant prosperity in our nation has caused many people to become proud and
lazy. Being a disciple of Christ
involves transformation of the inner person to root out apathy and complacency.
This process takes intentional effort and dedication. If your attitude is indifferent towards people less fortunate
than you, beware lest the same needy condition appears in your own life. Worse
yet, if your attitude is apathetic towards the sin in your own heart (and those
around you) and deemed wicked (2 Chronicles 7:14) as discussed in my previous
blog post, your personal life and relationships will suffer serious
consequences. Complacency in the hearts of followers of Christ is one of the
greatest threat to America today. Seeking God's forgiveness is the only hope.
I wrote a book on the topic of
forgiveness because it is the central theme of all Scripture and life with
God. Escaping the Pain of Offense:
Empowered to Forgive from the Heart helps the reader find freedom from the
anger and fear that keeps people bound in pride and apathy.
God not only designed the process of
forgiveness and reconciliation for individual and family relationships to be
the best they can be, but God’s purposes are much larger. God is building a family of His very own—a
kingdom of sons and daughters. He
restores relationships to be an expression of unity for Kingdom purposes.
The first
sin fractured unity. It broke the unity
between mankind and heaven. It
fractured the unity between man and woman.
It destroyed the unity between man and nature (Genesis3:17-18). God wants us to share in the restoration of
unity throughout creation, fulfilling His purpose throughout the heavens. Through the Church, He wants to bring all
creation into His eternal purpose (Rom.3:19-21; Eph 3:10-11; Phil 2:12). Forgiveness is the seat of unity for the
restoration of the Kingdom of God. “How
good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! It is like precious oil … It is as if the
dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion.
For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore”
(Psalm133:1-3).
The level
of unity discernable among members of a church congregation is indicative of
the overall health of that body of believers.
If there is disunity, there will be heaviness, rancor, and
distrust. If there is unity, there is
lightness, joy, and a sense of blessing pouring over all. Forgiveness restores unity, and only where
unity exists can blessing be poured out.
The Church is riddled with the effects
of unforgiveness. Unforgiveness
distorts truth and locks people in their own subjective perceptions of reality
(Romans7:21-25). Discernment becomes
warped because issues are interpreted from a childish, ungodly point of view (1
Cor 3:2-3, 13:11-12; Eph 4:2-3).
Unforgiveness causes people to fall short of the grace of God (Heb
12:15; Rom 2:1). It causes stress from
unresolved debt and cycles of sin (Matt 18:23-35). It destroys any hope for resolving conflict by taking away the
ability to lovingly confront others and to receive correction from others (Prov
20:30, 25:11; 27:5; 2 Cor 4:16-18; 1 John 4:17). The disunity caused by unforgiveness makes the Church more
vulnerable to attacks by Satan (2 Cor 2:5-11; Eph 4:26-27, 31-32). It creates facades, superficiality,
distrust, and lack of transparency, honesty and integrity (Luke 11:39-40; 1
John 4:19-20). It creates exhaustion!
(Matt 11:28).
The heart of Jesus is for His Bride,
the Church. “The Spirit and the bride say, 'Come!' And let
him who hears say, 'Come!' Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever
wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life" (Rev 22:17). Forgiveness is the “free gift of the water
of life.” Christ’s forgiveness is
transforming the Church into a beautiful Bride.
Forgiveness
changes hardness of heart into compassion.
People become consistently pure and transparent. Forgiveness makes life richer, more filled
with love, more expansive, more spiritually alive, more abundantly
satisfying. Although people may disagree
with others, they appreciate the differences.
They begin to value diversity.
They learn to appreciate people for the way they provide balance for the
whole—lifting, enriching, blessing, fulfilling, challenging and sometimes
wounding as well. Forgiving helps make
people appreciate the ways differences, challenges, rebukes, and woundings
drive them to perfection for Him.
People walking in forgiveness also provide the means by which God’s
Kingdom is established on earth and the Father’s blessing is extended.
Spiritual
authority is granted through forgiveness. “Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I
am sending you." And
with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are
forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven" (John
20:21-23). God’s authority is carried
out through his people receiving and granting forgiveness.
Peace and
rest are also granted through forgiveness.
"Come to me, all you who are
weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from
me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls”
(Matt 11:28-29). Forgiveness provides a
framework for authenticity in relationships.
It relieves the stress of trying to hide the inconsistencies in
one’s life. Forgiveness and
reconciliation reveal a heart of trust in God’s plan for repentance and rest as
the means of salvation (Isa 30:15).
In order to press in to a deeper
place of abiding peace and joy in Christ, are you ready to throw off whatever
hints of complacency are left in your heart?
Will repentance and forgiveness be understood and practiced by the
Church, to the degree necessary for us to awaken from our slumber and
unify. Before we are overtaken by the consequences of apathy, I pray our
hearts respond and heed the wisdom of Proverbs 1:32, "For the waywardness
of the naive will kill them, And the complacency of fools will destroy
them" (NASB). If you haven't yet
read Eric Metaxas' biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, it is a must read to
discover a practical example in modern history. It has been said, "Those
who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it."
Let's remember the words of the
author of the book of Hebrews in the New Testament, " See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful,
unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called
Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ if we
hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first" (Heb. 3:12-14).
We are forgiven, forgiving, and called to forgive until the end.
Note: The book Escaping the Pain of Offense:
Empowered to Forgive from the Heart discusses themes of dealing with
disappointments, offense and finding freedom in forgiveness. This book is designed to help people
(especially in the Christian faith) to
discover and dislodge things in life that lead to defeat. Don't miss out on your
chance to use this book as a helpful tool in discovering Refuge in Christ. It
can be purchased by clicking here: http://bluerockbnb.com/healing/book_main.htm
. If you get anywhere near Pennsylvania for vacation or on business, be sure to
look us up for lodging at
http://bluerockbnb.com
by Ed Hersh, Blue Rock BnB Healing Ministry
