Meg Logan’s Blog

This is a huge topic, one I cannot cover in one post, and since I rarely do a series, it is unlikely I will cover the whole of this topic at all. So consider this an intro.

We have all sinned against a brother or sister at one time or another. We have all been sinned against. But how many of us do what the Word says regarding this? How many of us really know the gravity of the situation?

Did you know:

You are to forgive seven times seventy times for the same offense? Mat 18:20 and Mat18:21 and Lk 17:4
If you do not forgive as you have been forgiven the Father will not forgive you? Mat 6:15 and Mar 11:26
You are to reconcile with an offended brother before you come to worship the Lord? Mat 5:23, 24

These are all serious commands.How many times have you gone to church and worshiped God, but you had an offense between you and a brother or sister? That worship, was not honoring to God. How many of you have something RIGHT NOW between yourself and a brother or sister in Christ? I urge you to go and make things right.

When we are offended, we want to exact our dues. We want retribution, not reconciliation. We often want the other person to feel the way we felt, to suffer as we are suffering. But that is not what Christ requires of us. He requires us to lay down our rights and our offenses, to take up our cross, to make things right between yourself and the offending OR offended brother. You see the responsibility to make things right doesn’t lie solely with the one offended. Those who know they have offended are also charged to be reconciled to their brother before they come to the Throne. Those who have been sinned against and those who have sinned against others are both charged to reconcile.

Though I cannot tell you the details of the situation, I can attest to the difficulty and need for reconciliation, and forgiveness. Our family was deeply sinned against, and during that time God showed me just how evil ALL sin is, how when I hold a grudge against those who sin against me, I am saying that what He did for me on the cross was not enough to cover their sins. When I am sinned against, it is then that my own sin must be before me. It is then that I must remember just how much Jesus forgave me of, and what He saved me from. It is then that we must remember there is no sin so heinous as to be unforgivable (except the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.) It is then that we must remember that we WILL NOT be forgiven if we do not forgive.

And what is forgiveness? It is the rendering of a debt paid. It is saying, “Yes what you did was wrong, but I will not charge you for it. I will not hold it against you. I will not require payment for your sin, by your death.” I might mention here that forgiveness does not happen unless there is repentance. If there is no repentance those who have been sinned against can issue mercy, by not holding the sin against the sinner, but without repentance, the sin will still be accounted for, and paid for in the end.

Christ died “once for all” and our forgiveness stands waiting. It is like an item ordered at the store, but not picked up. All we have to do is pick it up (in this case repent and believe that Jesus is Lord and that He paid for your sin with His death, and that He is alive evermore). If you do not pick up the forgiveness, it is not attributed to you. It is sitting there, your name is on it, but you do not have it in your possession. While you live, you may be granted mercy.

We are to grant mercy to all who offend us, to all who harm us, it is forgiveness, waiting for their repentance, to be issued to them. Mercy is not getting a negative consequence that you deserve. When we issue another person mercy, we are saying, I’ve determined to forgive you, I will not hold this against you, repent and receive forgiveness. We must extend both mercy and forgiveness. Whenever a brother (sister, or even the unredeemed) come to us asking for forgiveness for a wrong, we are to grant it. How many times? EVERYTIME. If they do not realize that they have harmed us in some way we have two choices. 1) grant them mercy and forget about it 2) extend forgiveness after confronting the offender with the offense.

Scripture sets out a plan for the confrontation of an offender. Mat 18:15-17

Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear [thee, then] take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell [it] unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.

Let me remind you that this is in the case of a sin against you, not simply an offense. For example, your brother in the Lord physically harms you. That is a sin. But if your brother says something flippant, that offended you, that is not what this verse is about, that is an offense. When our brothers and sisters are just not perfect and such things happen we are to simply cover their blunder with love, by grace and mercy. Mercy which does not exact retribution for a wrong. Grace which continues on in love, or offers blessings, and goodness to whomever offended you.

I hope that this is clear. Peace be with you all this Christmas! ” For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” Isa 9:6

Mrs. Meg Logan

(just a little something I had waiting in my drafts folder)