Sunday, April 29, 2012

Forgiveness....again

I can of my own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not my own will, but the will of the Father who has sent me. - Jesus

John 5 nails it - the heart of walking out this Christian life.  From the beginning of his ministry all the way to the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus' walk reflects actions born out of judgments made according to God's will.  That is why His ministry was so radical.  That is why much of what He did was strongly opposed by the religious leaders.  Jesus' spirit was tuned in to God's Spirit.  Religious leaders' spirits were tuned into themselves.  Their way created a righteous-looking, societal-acceptable path that ultimately appealed to man's will -- a highly desirable path by many but completely unattainable for most.  God's will leads down a path may not always look righteous -- on first glance.  God's will leads down a path that may not always -- even rarely -- be societal-acceptable.  God's will leads to a path that will challenge every motive of every judgment we act upon.  God's will leads to a path that may not be desirable by many but it is completely attainable by all.  Therefore, my strongest efforts must be made to know God and to learn to hear His judgments - his will unhindered by my will.

My blog title says this writing is about forgiveness.  It is. In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed, "Not my will, but thine."  Three times, he expressed his will was not to go to the cross.  Three times he prayed according to God's will.  Then, as he had done many times, he acted upon the Father's will, not his own.  It was because He judged according to the Father's judgment that he asked his Father to forgive them -- "them" being those who had judged him unrighteously; "them" being those who had beaten him unmercifully; "them" being those whose eternal judgment He was suffering; "them" being us...me.  When my spirit is tuned to God's Spirit and my will is submitted to His, I can express His will in every way.  One of the most impactful, radical ways of expressing the Father's will is by forgiving those who would by our own will be impossible to forgive.  With God all things are possible. Be radical.