DCLM Higher Everyday 5 November 2022 — For Christ sake, forgive
DCLM Higher Everyday 5 November 2022 Devotional by Pastor W. F. Kumuyi — For Christ sake, forgive
TOPIC: FOR CHRIST’S SAKE, FORGIVE
TEXT: EPHESIANS 4:29-32
30And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
31Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
32And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
MEMORY VERSE: “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (EPHESIANS 4:32).
MESSAGE:
Andy Stanley said, “In the shadow of my hurt, forgiveness feels like a decision to reward my enemy. But in the shadow of the cross, forgiveness is merely a gift from one undeserving soul to another.”
Truly, forgiving our offenders is a very difficult decision for the carnal nature within us. It is only the grace of God that enables a person to forgive. This underscores the age-old maxim: to err is human, but to forgive is divine. Having forgiven us our sins and delivered us from the bondage of Satan, Jesus commands His people to “forgive men their trespasses” (Matthew 6:14, 15). This is a necessary condition for us to also earn forgiveness from our Heavenly Father; otherwise, we jeopardise our own ultimate salvation.
Also Read: DCLM Higher Everyday 4 November 2022 — Driven by every wind of Doctrine
As a youth, do you have some boys and girls that you keep malice with because they offended you? How about your family and Church members? Absalom failed to forgive Amnon who defiled his sister and he later killed him. Why not be like the loving Joseph who forgave his brothers who sold him to Egypt?
QUOTE: To err is human, but to forgive is divine.
CHALLENGE: Be like your Heavenly Father, forgive your offenders.
PRAYER: Help me, LORD, to forgive others, that I may be forgiven.
1. Admit that you are a sinner. "For all [humans] have sinned, and comes short of the glory of God....[and] the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 3:23)
2. Repent now. "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out ...[for] if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness " (Acts 3:19, 1 John 1:9)
3. Believe that God loves you and Jesus died for you. "God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet Sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8)
4. Invite Jesus into your life through prayer of faith. Jesus says, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me" (Revelation 3:20)
