A New Day

1 John 4:7-12

7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.

When God wanted the world to experience His love He gave a Son. This we see repeated through the channels of time. In fact, this is the character of the Father; He made us “for giving”. This is the expression of the Father’s nature in us and this has to be established in us as sons of God. We were made for giving and this is why God will allow offenses to come in our lives. Because the Father’s desire is to love through us He will prove His love by forgiving us when we sin against Him. This then allows us to be merciful when someone offends us. Jesus told the disciples in St. Luke Chapter 17 that it would be nothing to forgive an offender if they just had faith.

He was talking about the spiritual makeup of a son, for it is a son’s nature to love in the midst of adversity.

Galatians 6:1

Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

Not just anyone can bear the faults of others! A son can handle sin because he bears the character of the one who bore sin in the beginning. Why is this so important? This is important so that the person who experiences the forgiveness of God can really experience the love of God. This is who God has made us. What happens when we sin?It separates us from God but even at these times we desire the forgiveness of our Father.

Forgiveness does not always come in our prayer closet but may come through a person. It comes when we mess up and have to go to our sister, brother, husband, wife, neighbor or co-workers and say, “I’m sorry.” We are relieved when we can receive their forgiveness. Right then we experience the love of the Father, especially when we know we were wrong but He still renders His grace and mercy. This is in no means an attempt to exalt walking in offenses and sinning against each other, just for the sake of God granting us grace and mercy. But we can attest to the fact that we were glad that we did receive it.

What is the point that our Father is making to His children? When we talk about turning the page with God we have to make sure our hearts are in tune with what He is requiring of us. No longer can we walk as if we have an excessive amount of time to continue walking as babes in Christ. Paul contends that strong meat is for those who are of full age, those who are matured. For example, consider the woman who was caught in adultery and the scribes and Pharisees brought the situation to Jesus to judge.

St. John 8:3-4

3 And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,

4 They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.

As we read this story, imagine this woman being someone who offended you. Now the situation is brought before you and all the evidence is stacked against your offender. But what was Jesus’ focus? Jesus was interested in maintaining the ministry of reconciliation not only of the adulterous woman but also of the onlookers, the ones who, too, would see the power of forgiveness. Let us continue with the story keeping in mind that we live in similar situations everyday and must choose to either be the accusers or the one who renders mercy.

St.John 8:5-6

5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?

6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.

When we identify sin in our brother or sister, the Holy Ghost is constantly examining motive. Jesus always discerned the posture of a man’s heart, not only the offender but the accusers also. It is based on this only that He rendered His response . . . He discerned every heart in the situation.

St.John 8:7

So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.

What is our motivation when we know someone’s sin?

Do we get a thrill exposing the wrongs of others?

Do we now feel it is our right to use it as a weapon against them or do we begin to judge their actions without rendering mercy? This is what God is examining in the sons of God.

How do we feel about our brother or our sister?

St. John 8:9

And they who heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.

Self examination is the first rule of discerning a situation. Jesus brought not only the woman but the crowd back to examining their own lives. The crowd had to realize that at some point, each one had been forgiven for a wrong. The very knowledge of that caused them to be convicted. This is a fail safe way of not only moving away from being judgmental but walking in humility

.

Galatians 6:1-3

1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ

3 For if a man thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.

What is our initial response when we know something about someone or just observe each other in a negative disposition? Stop for a moment and do an inspection of your character. This is the real you! Are you judgmental? Are you the one to rejoice when evil is exposed? The answer to these questions will reveal whether or not you are spiritually minded.

Galatians 5:15

But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed by one of another.

Paul was writing to the saints in Galatia about walking after the flesh. In another scripture he told the Corinthian church that he desired to speak to them as spiritual but they were babes in Christ. Why? Because of the envying, strife and backbiting among them. There was no regard for the fact that when we destroy one another’s character, we are hurting a part of the Body. Any part of the body that brings a false accusation against another has not discerned the Body.

1 Corinthians 12:15-16

15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

There has been so much division in the Body of Christ because we lost sight of the oneness Christ established in the church as the Body of Christ. He wanted us to see how effectively a body uses every member to make it function as efficiently as possible. Now let’s finish the story we began in St. John 8..

John 8:10-11

10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?

11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

Look at the power of the ministry of reconciliation. Even though Jesus had never committed a sin, He knew judgment belonged to God not to Him. By no means does God condone sin because He instructed the woman to stop sinning. In another parable Christ told another man that was sick for thirty years, that He did not condemn him but that he should go and sin no more, lest something worse befall him. God hates sin but loves the sinner! The motive for this parable in the Word was to show us the motive for God addressing sin. It is never to impute sin but to bring reconciliation between man and God

This should always be the motivation for ministry!!!!! The ministry of reconciliation will rid the Body of Christ of many issues. The Lord has turned the page in Bible Teachers and is causing every member in this Body to examine themselves to see whether they are in the Faith. We can go no further. Every gift in the Body is being redefined. Pastors are being challenged to change their pastoring, teachers, their teaching, evangelists, their evangelizing. What are we producing?Are we seeing the image of Christ being formed in our churches or in our auxiliaries? Are our communities being saturated by the Word we have received? Leaders, we must take responsibility for what we are putting in the people of God. There are no more excuses for us having a bad day. This affects too many people.

Perfection is choosing to obey God at ALL times and we have this ability. This should be our sentiment. We have quibbled about issues like money (a BIG one), offenses, not being respected by our congregants or other leaders, not receiving favoritism, even low self esteem!!! This is all so trivial now in light of the work that the Father has put before us. How long will these issues last as we lead the people of God?Where are we leading them? The anointing of God is not in the title. We can no longer hide behind this. If we do not embrace the instructions that are received from our apostles and reproduce it in the people, the people will outgrow us as leaders. They will allow the Word to be formed in them and their submission will judge us! This is in no way to bring an indictment on leaders but it is time for us to be holy! Let us examine ourselves and if we find ourselves lacking, agree with God and let us go on to fulfill the commission of our Lord

.

Hebrews 12:14

Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Those of us who do not have a “title” are still called to walk holy.

We are all called to the ministry of reconciliation. There are no excuses for us. The Father is patiently teaching us His character. We have thought over the years that we understood God and we understood His ways. But God is merciful to us. We have seen those who have embraced the truth and now we are seeing a demonstration of the power of a submitted life. Let us endeavor to walk in the love of the Father. It is by his love and kindness that He has drawn us. Remember, a son of God must be selfless! We must regard others higher than ourselves. This will allow us to always forgive. If we walk in the humility of the Spirit, considering ourselves, we will manifest the nature of our Father.