Word@Work Luke258 - Luke 17:3b-4
Published: Fri, 12/17/10
Word@Work from BeaconLight
FORGIVENESS, REPENTANCE AND RECONCILIATION
Luke 17:3b-4 "If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him." (NIV)
What do we do when others sin against us? Different cultures have various ways of responding. Some simply shrug their shoulders or say 'it doesn't matter'; others see it as a provocation of physical conflict; and there are many intermediate styles of response. However, God's way is clearly outlined here by Jesus. The first step is to identify the error as being wrong by rebuking the individual. The second step is to await a penitent response. The third step, if the person admits they are in the wrong, is to declare forgiveness. The fourth step is to repeat the whole process the next time!
While there is a great benefit in forgiving those who have offended us (Matthew 18:35), they can never enter into the release of being forgiven, or be truly reconciled, if they refuse to admit that they were in the wrong and repent. God is very keen on repentance because it is the gateway to reconciliation. There is no other route.
Yet many cultural backgrounds find repentance a strange thing. People grow up to never admit wrong or 'lose face'. It is a great obstacle to the gospel. Some other cultures are happy to say they are wrong but not mean it! That may encourage half-hearted believers. Neither approach is right or helpful. That is why the gospel is such a new thought to many - not only does God love so much as to send His Son to die for our sins, but if we truly repent of our sins we are assured of full forgiveness, and peace with God. That is the pattern for reconciliation in human relationships when we repent and confess our sins to each other; to pray for each other is then a wonderful doorway to healing (James 5:16).
Prayer: Gracious and forgiving God. Thank You for granting forgiveness to all who come to You, repenting of their sins. Thank You for extending this principle to relationships between sinful human beings. Give me the grace to forgive others even if they have no interest in repenting, so that I may be released from bitterness and resentment. But also, please help me treat the sins of others seriously, encouraging them to repent and welcoming their confession so that true reconciliation may take place. May my gracious rebuke bring them to the place of confession so that they may be released from the burden of their guilt and enjoy peaceful relationship. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
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You can read the verses around this Bible passage from the Internet Bible: - in English, and many other languages
What do we do when others sin against us? Different cultures have various ways of responding. Some simply shrug their shoulders or say 'it doesn't matter'; others see it as a provocation of physical conflict; and there are many intermediate styles of response. However, God's way is clearly outlined here by Jesus. The first step is to identify the error as being wrong by rebuking the individual. The second step is to await a penitent response. The third step, if the person admits they are in the wrong, is to declare forgiveness. The fourth step is to repeat the whole process the next time!
While there is a great benefit in forgiving those who have offended us (Matthew 18:35), they can never enter into the release of being forgiven, or be truly reconciled, if they refuse to admit that they were in the wrong and repent. God is very keen on repentance because it is the gateway to reconciliation. There is no other route.
Yet many cultural backgrounds find repentance a strange thing. People grow up to never admit wrong or 'lose face'. It is a great obstacle to the gospel. Some other cultures are happy to say they are wrong but not mean it! That may encourage half-hearted believers. Neither approach is right or helpful. That is why the gospel is such a new thought to many - not only does God love so much as to send His Son to die for our sins, but if we truly repent of our sins we are assured of full forgiveness, and peace with God. That is the pattern for reconciliation in human relationships when we repent and confess our sins to each other; to pray for each other is then a wonderful doorway to healing (James 5:16).
Prayer: Gracious and forgiving God. Thank You for granting forgiveness to all who come to You, repenting of their sins. Thank You for extending this principle to relationships between sinful human beings. Give me the grace to forgive others even if they have no interest in repenting, so that I may be released from bitterness and resentment. But also, please help me treat the sins of others seriously, encouraging them to repent and welcoming their confession so that true reconciliation may take place. May my gracious rebuke bring them to the place of confession so that they may be released from the burden of their guilt and enjoy peaceful relationship. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
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