Tag Archives: Forgiveness

The ‘Good thief’ and us

03 Saturday Apr 2021

Posted by in Atonement, Consequences, Lent

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , ,

This was Jessica’s post on NEO on Easter Saturday in 2013. @013 was a rather incredible year for our posts both her and on NE. For much of it, we were both posting every day, and doing perhaps the best posts we ever did. Most of what I posted this week is from the two of us Holy Week 2013 on NEO. Enjoy. Here’s Jess

Only St Luke carries the account of the conversation of Our Lord on the Cross with the two thieves. We know from his prologue that Luke collected information from many eye-witnesses. He is the only Gospel which contains accounts of Our Lady’s reaction to the news that she would bear the Saviour of the World, and it does not seem too fanciful to imagine that it was from the same source that this account of the last words of the Lord came.

One of them was the voice of this world. Even in his death agonies, he could find nothing better to do than to mock. But the other thief, whom tradition calls ‘Dismas’, was another matter. Christ ends by telling him that he will be with Him in Paradise that day. Do we stop to wonder why, or ask questions? After all, as Dismas himself admits, he deserves his punishment – he was a thief, a robber, a breaker of the law, and he acknowledged his sins. There is the first place he sets an example we could all follow. He admits his sins. He fears God and makes a clean breast of it. There are no ifs and buts, no ‘well, you see, it was society’s fault’; no, none of that; just the confession of a man who fears God’s wrath.

What else does this poor man do? He confesses Christ as Lord. Jesus is, he declares, innocent, and here Dismas bears a true witness; it is a good deed, perhaps the first for many years; but he does it. He also acknowledges who Jesus is by calling Him ‘Lord’. This confession is accompanied by an outpouring of faith, as he asks Jesus to remember him when He comes into His kingdom.

What humility and what faith do we see here?  If, as the Roman Centurion said, ‘Truly this man is the Son of God, then of Dismas we might say, ‘truly this man confessed Christ, repented and followed Him.’

Is that true of us?

Unclean lips: Sunday reflection

10 Sunday Feb 2019

Posted by in Bible, Faith, Reading the BIble

≈ 29 Comments

Tags

, ,

Isaiah 6:1-8; 1 Cor 15:1-11; Luke 5:1-11

Isaiah, like SS, Peter and Paul, knows he is not worthy. “Who, me Lord?” Paul is the “least” of the Apostles, while Peter is sceptical of Jesus’ advice to go back out and cast his nets in the deep. He knew himself to be a “sinful man.” And of course he was right.

Despite Jesus’ trust in him, when he was most needed in Gethsemane he was asleep, and later he lied about even knowing Jesus. In a conscious echo of that first calling, Jesus once more advises Peter about his fishing, and it is that which makes him realise to whom he is speaking. Thrice the Lord asks Peter if he loves him, and thrice Peter affirms it; ransomed, healed, restored forgiven, the Apostle is charged with the care of the sheep. He no longer protests he is not worthy. Why is that?

It is certainly not because Peter feels any more worthy than he had had the beginning; indeed if anything Peter knew he had not lived up to the promises he had made. The contrast here with Judas Iscariot is worth noting.

Peter and Judas both betrayed Christ. Judas despaired of the evil deed he had done and, in despair, hanged himself. He could not forgive himself and he did not believe that forgiveness could be had. His pride told him that there was no remedy for his sin; so he destroyed himself, throwing back to God the gift he had been given. He had not been there when Jesus had prayed to the Father for forgiveness for those who “knew not what they do.” Not had Peter. But there was a critical difference.

Peter, like Isaiah and Paul, had the humility not to let his own pride come between him and forgiveness. We have all sinned, not one of us has reached perfection. How easy it is to hide and evade, and even lie, when we have gone wrong and done bad things and then, when we are found out, to despair. It is as though by going to the very depth of despair we make some sort of amend. But that is to judge as men do, and as with Judas, it can be to put a barrier up to the actions of God’s grace.

There is one odd thing about love; you cannot ever deserve it. Even at the secular, physical level, one cannot make the object of one’s love, love you. One can hope that by paying attention to the beloved, one might receive favourable notice, but one cannot compel or deserve love. Love, like God’s grace, is uncovenanted. God’s love is freely available to us; we did not love Him first, He loved us from the beginning.

Christ came to show us what love will do. He died for us, though we are sinners. A man might die for his family or his friends, or even for a cause. But few if any of us die for our enemies, let along for those whom we do not know. Christ did that because He is God, and we see in His atoning sacrifice a glimpse of the Glory of God; for me He did that?

Peter faced the music, so did Isaiah. Sometimes when we have gone wrong, it is easier ti run away, to take the blames, to become the sacrificial lamb. How much harder it is to face the music and to carry on living.

We are not told what Peter did after the crucifixion, just that he ended up back where he had begun, working the family fishing boats, a sadder if not a wiser man. Perhaps he reflected that it would have been better for all if Jesus had listened to him when he had said he was a sinful man? But, of course, Jesus had listened. He who, alone, knows the devices and desires of our own hearts, knew that Peter had the ability to grow spiritually, if only he would learn humility. Well, that he did.

Peter remained, like us, deeply flawed. He thought that it would be fine to eat non-kosher with Gentiles and did not see why the Jewish dietary laws should apply to all followers of Jesus. But when James and the Church in Jerusalem took a dim view of that, Peter backed away and supported them. It was left to Paul to call Peter out and contradict him. Peter let that happen. He had indeed learnt humility, if not always wisdom.

We are all of us sinners. The moment one stops knowing that, then the way os open to all sorts of sins which come from pride. But today’s Bible passages remind us  that sin can have its own pride, and that if our guilt makes us think we are beyond redemption and God’s love, then we need to think again. We have unclean lips and we are a stiff-necked and sinful people. But God loves us, and if we will but receive the message His Son brought to us about love, then all will be well, and all manner of things will be well.

As I have loved you?

24 Sunday Apr 2016

Posted by in Faith

≈ 21 Comments

Tags

, , , ,

woman taken

The text from St John 13:34 which stands at the masthead of this blog, and has done so since I created it, is the hardest one for Christians to keep. We can keep to the commandments (with difficulty), we can keep to the Law and what it says (with difficulty), we can repent (and sin again, and repent again), and we can, with the help of God do all manner of wonderful things through faith. But by far the most difficult is to love one another as he loved us.

I have just noted, with huge sadness, that Grandpa Zeke, whose comments are always loving and caring, has decided that the tone of the comments here about Michael Voris mean he can no longer be with us. Perhaps, as is sometimes the case, those whose tone he has found so unhelpful will wonder at his sensitivity – if so, then perhaps they cannot love as Christ loved us? Those who so often need to preface the word love with the word ‘tough’, may also be a way off loving others as he loved us. If so, they can join the club – because this is, as I say, by far and away the hardest things for us to do.

Let us consider. Christ loved us and we, that is mankind, crucified him. Christ loved his disciples, and many of them left him when they could not take his ‘hard saying’ about eating his body and drinking his blood; the rest of them ran off at Gethsemane – except for the one who had already accepted money to betray him. Even when he rose, some of them were slow to believe. He loved them throughout, and he prayed for forgiveness for those who crucified him, and he promised the repentant thief that he would be in paradise with him that same day. It is no accident that in old age, when St John was asked for advice, he would say ‘little children, love one another’ – just as it is equally unsurprising that the Fathers who tell us this tell us that those who heard it went away disappointed. They wanted, perhaps, some great insight, some profound truth which would renew their lives. Or perhaps they wanted some strict rule that would aid them in their Christian lives, something by which they could govern those impulses which come to all of us and which we call the temptation to sin. If so, their disappointment is understandable. Here was the last of the Apostles, one who had leant on Christ’s breast at the Last Supper, and all he could tell them was to ‘love one another’.

Christ says it is by that love for one another we shall be known as his. This is the acid test of Christianity. If that is the supreme piece of evidence and we were on trial for being a Christian, how many of us would actually be convicted? To love those who betray us, who desert us, who do bad things to us, as well as those whom it is easy to love – can we do that?

For me that’s a particularly live question as, for reasons I’m not going into. I have had a lot of disruption in my life and have been betrayed by quite a number of people whom I trusted, for whom I have worked hard, and from whom I had every reason to expect kindness and help and yet who, when it came to it, offered none of these things. I know one of them has repented and said he is sorry to me, and I had no trouble forgiving him; but can I love him as I am commanded? Yes, I think I am getting there, but it isn’t easy – but then is it meant to be? What about the others? They have not said sorry to me, indeed they have ignored me, even if one of them has, thanks to the efforts of the lawyers, settled out of court for unfair dismissal. Do I forgive him? Yes, I have done so in my heart; can I love him – I don’t know. I have no bitterness or bad feelings, but as yet, love is hard; but I pray and I am getting there. So, when I say it is the hardest thing, perhaps I am alone in finding it so?

Jesus loved us though we were sinners, and he died for us sinners. Some of us might screw up the courage to die to save someone else were we unfortunate enough to be in that position (though I pray never to be tested), but could we die for ‘a sinner’? Jesus did that. He did it for me and he did it for you. I can, and do love him for that, and I love my fellow Christians – but those who have hurt me deeply and who have not said anything like ‘sorry’ – I’m working on it. Forgiveness, which I have I think reached, is not enough if I am to obey Christ – I have to love them. But then I think, I am a sinner being redeemed, so as part of that, can I not find it in my heart to do more than forgive? Can I? I pray for that. It’s a work in progress, so, before anyone thinks I am preaching at them, I’m not, I’m writing a memo to myself.

The Road to Emmaus

08 Tuesday Sep 2015

Posted by in Bible, Faith, Salvation

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , ,

Jesus_Emmaus

 

“They were going to a village named Emmaus, Jesus approached and began traveling with them; beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures Lk. 24:13-27.

Jesus testified about all the OT scriptures concerning Himself John 5:39, Luke 24:13-27 teaching His disciples. He is the source of their teaching about Himself, what they learned about is what they taught them. With the Old Testament and the life of Jesus Paul and the others were equipped to write the New Testament revelation through the Holy Spirit.

Isaiah 12:1-6 (A New Translation by J.N. Darby)

“In that day you shall say, ‘Jehovah, I will praise You; for though You were angry with me, Your anger is turned away, and You have comforted me.’ Behold, God is my salvation: I will trust, and not be afraid; for Jah, is my strength and song, and He is become my salvation. And with joy shall you draw water out of the wells of salvation. And in that day shall you say, ‘Give thanks to Jehovah, call upon His name, declare His deeds among the peoples, make mention that His Name is exalted. Sing psalms of Jehovah, for He hath done excellent things in all the earth.’ Cry out and shout, you inhabitants of Zion; for great is ‘The Holy One of Israel’ in the midst of you.”

This passage alone indicates that the resurrected Lord must have been with these two disciples for quite some time. It is remarkable for its brevity which encompasses ‘Five Names of God’ and reveals the relationship between these well-known Old Testament Names and the New Testament Name of Jesus who is both God and Man, our Lord Jesus Christ is clearly shown in this passage.

The Names of God are first listed 1) to 5) in order of frequency as they appear in the passage.

1) יְהוָה (YHVH) ‘The Tetragrammaton’.

The Old Testament personal Name of God occurring in 5,321 places. It is considered un-utterable in the synagogue where it is usually substituted with the Name Adonai (Lord) This Tetragrammaton is translated LORD in most translations and Jehovah in other translations. This Name is frequently pronounced incorrectly as “Jah-weigh”. The actual pronunciation is unknown.

2) אֵל (EL) God, god, mighty one.

The Old Testament use of the word either denotes the ordinary name “god” or “the God” of Israel.

3) יְשׁוּעָה (Yeshua) is the Hebrew name for Jesus.

Yeshua, (Jesus) the Son of God occurs 78 times in the Hebrew Old Testament. In the KJV this word is translated in the Old Testament as salvation 65 times. help 4 times, deliverance 3 times, health 3 times, and save, saving or welfare one time each. See some New Testament texts below:-

“And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: (Yeshua) for he shall save his people from their sins” Matthew 1:21. “To him give all the prophets witness, that through His Name everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins” Acts 10:43.
“For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek: for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on him. For whosoever will call on the name of the LORD will be saved Rom.10:12-13.”

The Tetragrammaton is not a Name that may be called upon for salvation, as it cannot be pronounced. Jesus, the Name which all men may believe upon for salvation, is easily uttered. What better Name for Him, ‘The Lamb of God’ who takes away the sin of the world than ‘Salvation’?

4) יְה (Jah) a contracted form of the Tetragrammaton:

Jah occurs 50 times in the Old Testament. It is sometimes rendered “LORD” in the KJV.

5) קְדוֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל (Kidosh Yisra’el):

‘Kidosh Yisra’el’ – ‘The Holy One of Israel’ occurs 37 times in the Old Testament.

Isaiah 12:1-6 (JND) is modified below by modernising personal pronouns and various terms and substituting the English names of God for the Hebrew Names and inserting transliterated forms in parentheses to indicate the Son of God, His incarnation, crucifixion and atonement, second coming and also the believer’s salvation through Him.

Isaiah 12:1 “And in that day you shall say, יְהוָה (YHVH / Yahweh), I will praise You; for though You were angry with me, Your anger is turned away, and You have comforted me.” – Here sin is atoned for and forgiveness through the Lord Jesus Christ is available. Rom.3:25, 1 Jn.4:10. For only in Christ can a man’s sin be forgiven and only in Christ may mankind find and know the comfort of God. 2Cor.1:3-4.

Isaiah 12:2 “Behold, אֵל (EL) is my יְשׁוּעָה (Yeshua): I will trust, and not be afraid; for יְה (Jah) יְהוָה (YHVH / Yahweh), is my strength and song, and He is become my יְשׁוּעָה (Yeshua).” – Here we see we see the God of Israel is one and the same as Yeshua and that His very Name means Salvation. We see the incarnation of Christ and His crucifixion, as He becomes the salvation of sinners. We read that for the believer trust displaces fear 2Tim.1:7, Rev.1:17 as the sinner owns Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. So with sins forgiven and knowing God as his strength and his song he goes rejoicing. In this we see the change and empowerment the Holy Spirit brings as the believer is baptized with reference to and for the Body of Christ 1Cor.12:13.


Isaiah 12:3 “With joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of יְשׁוּעָה (Yeshua).” – Here we see the believer’s dependence on Christ for his very sustenance and the Christian’s joy as he draws from the Holy Spirit, who is seen in the water Jn.4:1, and who leads the believer in service of Christ His Lord Act.6:8.


Isaiah 12:4 “In that day shall you say, Give thanks to יְהוָה (YHVH / Yahweh), call on His Name, declare his deeds among the peoples, make mention that His Name is exalted.”

The four-fold works of the believer ‘in Christ’ are here:


    1) Giving thanks and praise to God for the ‘Matchless One’, and for every provision in every

       difficulty Eph.1:6; Php.1:11.

   2) He calls upon the Lord with prayers and supplications; Php.4:6.
    3) Being missions minded Act.13:2, declaring the glad-tidings of salvation, among the nations

       and calling them to faith in our Lord Jesus Christ 1Cor.15:1; Php.1:14; Titus 2:1.
    4) He teaches new believers to exalt our Lord Jesus at all times in everything they do Col. 1:28

       &3:16.

Isaiah 12:5 “Sing psalms of יְהוָה (YHVH / Yahweh), for He has done excellent things: this is known in all the earth.” – The believer worships ‘The Most High’ in words of highest praise.

Isaiah 12:6 “Cry out and shout, you inhabitants of Zion; for great is the קְדוֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל (Kidosh Yisra’el) in the midst of you.”

Here Jesus is returned to earth. In Rev.14:1 the faithful, those in the first resurrection Phil. 3:10-11 are with Him and behold His greatness. They sing together ‘The Song of Moses and the Lamb’ Rev. 15:3-6; Deut. 32:1-43 and participate in His Millennial reign Rev. 20:6; Matt. 24:45-47; Rom. 8:7&18; 1 Cor. 4:7-10; 2 Cor. 4:17; 2 Tim. 2:11-12; Heb. 11:25; Rev. 2:26; 3:21; 7:14.

For Geoffrey on topic http://www.spurgeongems.org/vols10-12/chs547.pdf

Tags: Salvation, Forgiveness / Atonement, Jesus Christ, Trinity, Suffering & Rewards.