OUR CHOICES
Readers, I want to give you the different choices or options that we have to choose from to get forgiveness of our sin. And I will let you decide which is the preferred way. They are all in the Bible.
(a). Jesus said, when we pray, ask God the Father to “forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” Matthew 6:12.
(b). "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Matthew 6:14-15.
(c). The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29.
(d). "Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, "leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” Matthew 5:23-24.
(e). Jesus told His disciples, "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the [sins] of any, they are retained." John 20:23.
(f). Jesus told a lawyer, "`You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' "This is [the] first and great commandment. "And [the] second [is] like it: `You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' "On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." Matthew 22:37-40.
(g). And in John 14:15,21-24 Jesus said, "If you love Me, keep My commandments. "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him." Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, "Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?" Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. "He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me.”
But first, what is sin? My definition of sin is anything that God the Father prohibits us from doing. Anything that offends God and our
fellow human beings we must not do. I sometimes have problems with my temper. Now, I am old, I still have problems with being impatient. But, I am working on it. Yes, I am still working on it. It is not easy. But I know that one day His grace will make me perfect, much sooner than later. I have no doubt about it! Brothers and Sisters, I want you to have faith that as long as we fully surrender ourselves to God the Father, He will make us perfect before He returns.
What is my preference? I prefer (g). Why? It tells me what He wants me to do. It prevents me from getting into trouble. Be very careful when dealing with a Spirit. God the Father is a Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ is also a Holy Spirit. We must give them our highest respect!
(a). Jesus said, when we pray, ask God the Father to “forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” Matthew 6:12.
(b). "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Matthew 6:14-15.
(c). The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29.
(d). "Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, "leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” Matthew 5:23-24.
(e). Jesus told His disciples, "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the [sins] of any, they are retained." John 20:23.
(f). Jesus told a lawyer, "`You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' "This is [the] first and great commandment. "And [the] second [is] like it: `You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' "On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." Matthew 22:37-40.
(g). And in John 14:15,21-24 Jesus said, "If you love Me, keep My commandments. "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him." Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, "Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?" Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. "He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me.”
But first, what is sin? My definition of sin is anything that God the Father prohibits us from doing. Anything that offends God and our
fellow human beings we must not do. I sometimes have problems with my temper. Now, I am old, I still have problems with being impatient. But, I am working on it. Yes, I am still working on it. It is not easy. But I know that one day His grace will make me perfect, much sooner than later. I have no doubt about it! Brothers and Sisters, I want you to have faith that as long as we fully surrender ourselves to God the Father, He will make us perfect before He returns.
What is my preference? I prefer (g). Why? It tells me what He wants me to do. It prevents me from getting into trouble. Be very careful when dealing with a Spirit. God the Father is a Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ is also a Holy Spirit. We must give them our highest respect!
Finally, I want my readers to look again at (b) and (e). I place them next to each other.
(b). "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Matthew 6:14-15.
(e). Jesus told His disciples, "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the [sins] of any, they are retained." John 20:23.
(e) makes sense only if you forgive the sins of any who have sinned against you, but not against others. If any of them has committed sins against others, then (d) applies. I have no business in forgiving others who have sinned against you. That is God's work, and your wok, not mine! My job is (b), "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Matthew 6:14-15. I hope it clarifies the centuries of confusion started by the serpent.
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