Forgiveness

They say, “My ways are not your ways, says the Lord.”

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“My ways are not your ways, says the Lord.” Is it true?

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This is a true Scripture that is generally quoted out of context in order to assure people that there’s no point in asking why someone is sick, or died, or why their prayers weren’t answered.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD.

“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Isaiah 55:8.9

This is God’s lament—not his plan.  God lamented that the Israelites didn’t forgive like he does.  Now read it in context:

 ISA 55:7 Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts.

 Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

 ISA 55:8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,”

declares the LORD.

 ISA 55:9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways.

and my thoughts than your thoughts.

God was addressing evil people, who wouldn’t forgive. This is certainly not his plan or desire for Christians to have evil thoughts, especially since we have been given “the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16) and we are to walk in all his ways or steps (1 Peter 2:21).

If you’re a follower of Jesus and the Lord’s ways are not your ways, why not?

“I’m just a sinner saved by grace.”

/ Joan C. Thomson / Leave a comment

They say, “I’m just a sinner saved by grace.”

Is it true? No.

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If you’re a follower of Jesus (see John 8:31,32), you were a sinner but are no longer; sin is not to be a lifestyle for you anymore. Yes, we all sin from time to time and do have God’s forgiveness, but we’re not to keep on sinning as a regular way of life.

No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. 1 John 3:6

My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. 1 John 1:2

They say, “Forgiveness is simply an act of the will.”

/ Joan C. Thomson / Leave a comment

“Forgiveness is an act of the will, just make up your mind and do it whether you feel like it or not.”

Yes and no.

Yes, we disciples of Jesus are commanded to forgive (those who repent- Luke 17:3b, 4) but to settle for a determination of the will is to stop dangerously short of Jesus’ command.

Jesus summed up his parable of the wicked servant who, though he had been forgiven refused to forgive his fellow servant with this stern warning, “In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured until he should pay back all he owed.  This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive from your heart.” (Matthew 18:34; emphasis added)  The apostle Paul added that everything we do must be done in love or it’s nothing—worthless. (1 Corinthians 13:1-3)