Good
Monday morning (8-16-10),
Our Wednesday night series on Relationships recently focused on the subject of forgiveness. We hear a lot about forgiveness in Christian circles. We also talk a lot about faith. But we don’t usually discuss the correlation between forgiveness and faith.
I don’t know why the connection hasn’t been clarified, or why we don’t relate the two every time one or the other is mentioned. Yet the Bible could not be more forthright. Here are some facts:
By grace we are saved, through faith. (Ephesians 2:8)
From the beginning of our walk, faith is required. We can’t even enter the
“Without faith it is impossible to please God…” (Heb. 11:6)
Faith is necessary to please God. There is a reason for this. Belief, something far beyond mere agreement or acquiescence, is necessary just to approach God. We must be convinced that He is who He says He is, and will do what He says He will do. If we do not believe that, despite all the contrary evidence the world presents, then we cannot touch God.
By faith we receive the promise of the Spirit. (Galatians 3:14) All the gifts and anointing
and empowering of the Holy Spirit, everything God has prepared to enable us to walk this Kingdom walk, can only be received through faith.
Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe, and you will have it. (Mark 11:24) We often
think that just because we ask, God will provide. Jesus makes it clear that faith is
the catalyst to answered prayer.
Faith is necessary: for salvation, to please God, to receive His provisions, for answered prayer! So, of course, we want faith!
It is safe to assume that, if you have been born again, then you have a measure of faith. Now, faith is necessary for two primary activities: pleasing God and receiving answers to your prayers. Mark 11:22-24 is probably the most well known scripture regarding faith and answered prayer.
But faith alone is not the only component necessary if you want your prayer answered. The very next verses explain there is another quality necessary if we want God to hear our prayer. That quality is forgiveness.
Look at Mark ll:25-26. Still discussing answered prayer, Jesus instructs us that when we go to pray, if we have anything against anyone, we need to stop praying and forgive. The Amplified says, regarding any offense we have taken, “forgive him, and let it drop (leave it, let it go)”.
In other words, don’t even think about praying, no matter how much faith you have, until you have cleaned out your offense box. He wraps up this discussion about answered prayer with a powerful statement: “For if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your failings and shortcomings.”
Faith and forgiveness are the two qualities that set Christians apart. We believe in such a way that we are willing to give our lives for something that cannot be seen or experienced with the five senses. And we choose to consider other people more important than ourselves…we do not hold onto, nurture, talk about, or avenge the hurtful things other people do to us. We lay down our right to get even. We refuse to give place to anger. We set aside our pride.
We forgive. We forgive any and every slight, every wrong, every hurt. We do it gladly and we do it immediately because our Father has forgiven us so much more!
Is this easy? No, but it is necessary. It’s necessary because God has commanded it. It is necessary if we want our prayers answered. Finally, it is necessary because the world will never comprehend the difference between Christ in us or not in us unless we can demonstrate a behavior and a love that transcends the natural human condition.
Forgiveness and faith are two commodities that define Christ-likeness.
Do you look like Christ to the people who are watching you?
“Love
(God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is
not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account
of the evil done to it (it pays no attention to a suffered wrong).” 1
Corinthians 13:5
Laurie
Gross