P2 - How Every Christian is Retaught the Revelation of Father

Luke 11:1 "It happened that while Jesus was praying in a certain place, after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples.” 2 And He said to them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come.
3 ‘Give us each day our daily bread. 4 ‘And forgive us our sins, For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.’”

Introduction and review: The Son brings to us the presence of the Father

In yesterday's post we began considering how God must reteach every Christian the concept of "father". All of us have or have had a father. Some were good. Some were not so good. Some were never in our lives. Some are no-longer here. Whatever the case may be, when salvation occurs, the revelation of God in the Person of the Father begins to be taught to Christians by the Person of the Son in how He brings the presence of the Father to us. We understand from other scriptures (2 Corinthians 5:15-20) that the project of redemption is to reconcile sinners to the Father. For the unbeliever, God as Father is estranged from them. Christians are remade into God's image in Jesus Christ so as to bear forth a representation of who He is. Satan is out to destroy all people due to the fact that unbelievers in their fallen condition still bear the image of God (see Genesis 9:6). 

More specifically, within all families, the father functions as an illustration of the Heavenly Father (see Luke 11:13). When people are brought to a saving knowledge of God through Jesus Christ, the presence of the Father is brought home to them by the Person of the Son. From thereon the revelation of God in the Person of the Father is being pressed forth in how the Son makes Him known to the Christian. In short, the Son brings to the Christian the presence of the Father. Today we want to consider a second way in which every Christian is retaught the revelation of the Father - namely, how the Person of the Holy Spirit brings to us the Person of the Father.

The Holy Spirit brings to us the Person of the Father

Christian theologian and apologist James R. White writes in his book: "The Forgotten Trinity, page 15: "To know Christ truly is to know the Trinity, for God has not revealed himself in such a way as to allow us to have true and balanced knowledge of the Father outside of such knowledge of the Son, all of which comes to us through the Spirit." 

As Jesus was teaching His disciples in Luke 11, he made known to them two vital teachings: prayer and the Person and work of the Holy Spirit. As we consider Jesus' teachings on these two truths, we find the Person of the Father connected to both. The famous "Lord's prayer" in Luke 11 begins with these words: "Our Father, who is in heaven". All prayer, whether we realize it or not, is directed at the Father. Is it no wonder that the enemy of our souls aims to destroy our prayer-lives - because he hates the Father. We then find the second teaching on the Holy Spirit as being connected with the Father in Luke 11:13, which reads - "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?” 

The Person of the Holy Spirit's task within the Trinity is to manifest the Persons of the Son and the Father. Jesus teaches this point in John 16:13-15  "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you." 

The Apostle Paul prayed for the Ephesian Christians with respect to grasping a better understanding of God in the Person of the Father through the ministry of the Spirit in Ephesians 1:17-20 "that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might 20 which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places."

So as we think about the effort God does in reteaching every Christian the revelation of Himself in the Person of the Father, we find that such an insight does not come by naturally - but supernaturally. All of us come into salvation with incomplete, inaccurate or missing conceptions of "father". Our natural man, as it were, has been radically affected by the fall. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit's work of sanctification progressively reteaches us this crucial revelation of God as Father from the Bible. Just as the Son brings to us the Father's Person, the Spirit works in concert with the Son to crystallize to the Christian the Personhood of the Heavenly Father.

More tomorrow.........

P1 - How every Christian is retaught the revelation of "Father"

Galatians 4:6-7 "Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God."

Introduction:

Every reader has a father or had had one. Some readers had good dads, others had absentee ones. Some reading this post today may have had bad experiences or none at all. For others, perhaps your father passed away. Mine has been gone for two years. I miss him. In my Christian-life at least, I have found my own conception of "father" being constantly taught. Whatever the situation, everyone has had some experience of fatherhood. 

Oftentimes I come across Christians who have no issue connecting with Jesus as Savior and Lord. Moreover, when it comes to the Person and work of the Spirit, many Christians are receptive to His aids and comforts. However, when it comes to the First Person of the Trinity - The Father - there is often that disconnect. 

Every Christian from conversion onward is being retaught about the concept and identity of "Father"
In the above opening verse of today's post, we find the Holy Spirit's ministry of aiding the Christian to verbalize God as "Abba" or "Father". As I said a moment ago, all of us have had some sort of experience with fathers. Even if one's experience was a good one, a "good dad" is still imperfect. There are times where even good dads will falter and fail. By nature, the father in human families functions as an illustration of the "Heavenly Father". Sadly, because of the fallen condition of our world, that "Father image" is expressed in broken ways. As Jesus teaches in Luke 11:13 "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?” It is this blogger's conviction that Satan's tactic is to undermine the concept and revelation of "Father" as much as possible, since knowing God the Father is so central to salvation.

More often-than-not, our human fathers give to us a certain image of father that we bring into our salvation experience. To experience salvation is to come to a true knowledge and relationship with God in the Person of the Father. Jesus defines what it means to have eternal life in John 17:1-3 "Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said,“Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You, 2 even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life. 3 This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent."

Henceforth, the remainder of the believer's sanctification (that process whereby the Holy Spirit is conforming the Christian to the attitudes and actions of Jesus Christ as they co-operate with Him) is all about re-learning Who and what the Father is all about. 

How God the Father has designed our Christian life to re-learn Who He is
When we take some time to think about how all of us must be retaught the meaning and revelation of God as "Father", we understand that this truth does not come naturally. In the natural realm, the concept of fatherhood is clouded, warped or utterly destroyed. As Christians, we come to appreciate the revelation of the Person of the Father as we come to terms with Who He is through the following:

1. The Son is needed to bring to us the Presence of the Father. 
We find the following conversation between Jesus and one of his disciples in John 14:6-10 "Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.7 If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.” 8 Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.”9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?" For Phillip, who was a Jew, the concept of "Father" was viewed mainly in national terms - that is, Jehovah God relating to the nation of Israel as a Father to a son (Theologian Geerhardus Vos lists the following passages: Exodus 4:22; Deut. 1:31; 8:5; 32:6; Isaiah 1:2; 63:16; Jeremiah 3:19; Hosea 11:1; Malachi 3:16). Geerhardus Vos further expounds this point in his book: "Biblical Theology, Old and New Testaments", page 366: "the idea (of God's fatherhood) is in the Old Testament limited in its range, being applied to Israel only, and that in a collective capacity, not individually to single Israelites." Undoubtedly Phillip's mind must had been "blown" so-to-speak.

Jesus' point is this: unless He, the Son, had become incarnate, there would had been no way people like Phillip could have interacted directly with God in the Person of the Son. Moreover, as the Son shares eternally in the same undivided nature with the Father, His role within the Trinity is to manifest what would otherwise be the invisible glory of the Person of the Father. Jesus Christ, the Son, God incarnate, brings to us the presence of His Father "who dwells in light unapproachable" (see Jude 1:24-25). 

More tomorrow.......

What makes for a good testimony - 1 John 5:1-9

1 John 5:9 "If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater; for the testimony of God is this, that He has testified concerning His Son."

Introduction:

In our car we have a little strip of numbers located under the speedometer. Those little strip of numbers display how many miles the car has traveled over the course of its use. Such a strip of numbers are called an "odometer". When I look at how many miles are currently on our vehicle, I imagine all the places the car has traveled. One could conceive of the stories that car could tell if it had the capability of speech. The "odometer" functions as a testimony of that vehicle's travels. When we consider the Christian life, there is the faith of the Christian and the testimony that follows from his faith. One cannot see faith. It is an intangible, supernatural ability given by God and grasped by the Christian for trusting in what Jesus has done. A testimony functions as the "odometer" of faith. Every digit on your testimony and mine speaks of obedience, triumph, failure, pain, sorrow, joy, insights, setbacks and perseverance. The Apostle John speaks of "testimonies" here in the opening fifth chapter of his short letter. What makes for a good testimony?

1. Faith. 1 John 5:1-4

Notice 1 John 5:1-4 "Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome. 4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith." At the end of that string of numbers on an odometer is a special number that can be seen moving and marking off "tenths-of-a-mile". Every mile we go in our car, that little number at the end is seen "ticking by". 

Do you know every decision, every trial and every opportunity that is presented to us is a choice between faith and unbelief? Every time we trust God, our little number of faith records a small step forward. Now it may not seem like much, however, over the course of one's faith-life, it adds up to a glorious testimony of God's grace. Faith is a must in every good testimony. This is why John brackets his remarks with reference to faith. What else can we say about what makes for a good testimony....

2. Foundations. 1 John 5:5-9

As one reads on through 1 John 5:5-9, three foundations necessary for a testimony are noted:

God's love. 1 John 5:9 speaks of the "testimony of God concerning His Son". Elsewhere we see how God "so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son" (John 3:16) and "demonstrated such love" (Romans 5:8).  

Christ's blood.  Three times we find reference to Christ's blood. Without the blood of Jesus, no Christian would have the power nor grounds for any testimony.

The Spirit's working. Here we find the Holy Spirit bearing witness to the Christian and to the world concerning the reality of the Christian faith. The terms "water" and "blood" represent the bookends of Christ's earthly ministry - from his baptism to his cross. It is the righteousness of Jesus Christ that is credited to me at salvation, all due to the Spirit's working. Furthermore, the Holy Spirit bears witness continually that I as a Christian am adopted by God because of Christ (Romans 8:14-16). Finally, the Spirit is continually sanctifying or cleansing me to make me progressively more like Jesus (1 Corinthians 1:30; 6:19-20).

Any good testimony will include the work God has done and is doing in that person's life. The odometer records how far I've gone in the car, not how fast I've traveled. With that said, the odometer could not move without a motor, a transmission, wheels and a driver. In like manner, my testimony tells others how far I've traveled. However, unless I had God's love, Christ's blood and the Spirit's working in my life, I would have no testimony. Henceforth we see that Faith and Foundations make for a good testimony. Lets see one final ingredient....

Form. 1 John 5:10-11

1 John 5:10-11 give us the two-fold form for a testimony: before and after. All good testimonies describe what life was like before Christ, the moment of saving faith in Christ, and life following after salvation. In testimonies pertaining to God's provision or extraordinary moments wherein God has been seen moving, we find out what life was like before that moment and life thereafter.

The odometer is an amazing instrument when you think about it. It only records how far the vehicle has traveled. Its readings are limited. A Christian's life is of course far more robust. The testimony's form is shaped by Jesus. There was life before Christ (b.c) and there is life after Christ (a.c). Before and after. Who I was and whom I am. 

Closing thoughts

We have considered briefly what makes for a good testimony: faith, foundations and form. God is working forth His testimony, by His Word and Spirit, in our own. He desires to change the Christian from the inside/out. May we be yielded to Him and walk forth the walk of faith - adding miles to the journey!

P3 The freeing benefits of forgiveness: The freedom to pray and to walk in God's power

Philemon 1:8-9 "Therefore, though I have enough confidence in Christ to order you to do what is proper, 9 yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you—since I am such a person as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus."

Introduction: 

Two days ago we began considering the freeing benefits of forgiveness. We first noted how forgiveness frees one from walking in offense or bitterness . When we walk in offense, we grieve the Spirit (Ephesians 4:30-31) and operate under a closed heaven. We find ourselves walking around with the feeling of rejection and increasing levels of never being satisfied. Only forgiving as the Lord forgave us can free us from such a prison. Then in yesterday's post we considered how forgiveness frees us to enjoy God's forgiveness. God's forgiveness of the believer in Christ provides the logic of forgiveness (see Colossians 3:13; Ephesians 4:32). The "logic of Calvary" is the only way in which we can see forgiveness go from being a duty to delight. In today's post I wanted to deal with two final refreshing benefits of forgiveness, namely how forgiveness frees us up in our prayer-life and thus to walk in the power of the Spirit.  

Forgiveness grants freedom to pray. Philemon 1:21-22
Paul indicates his confidence in Philemon's response to his appeal in verse 21. He also indicates in verse 22 that Philemon is a praying man, since Paul's hope to see Philemon is predicated on Philemon's prayers for his release (Paul was imprisoned). It is no accident then that the confidence of Philemon forgiving Onesimus and mention of Philemon as a man of prayer are linked together. 

Anytime we forgive, our prayer-life is freed from the shackles imposed by a bitter heart. James 4:1-3 warns what happens when unforgiveness clashes with our prayer-life - "What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? 2 You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain;so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures." The freedom of forgiveness setting our prayer-life free is illustrated in Colossians 3:13-15 "bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. 14 Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful."

Forgiveness grants freedom to operate in God's power. Philemon 1:20-25

We read in Philemon 1:20-25 "Yes, brother, let me benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ. 21 Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, since I know that you will do even more than what I say. 22 At the same time also prepare me a lodging, for I hope that through your prayers I will be given to you. 23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, 24 as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow workers. 25 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit." The refreshment that comes from forgiveness frees the Christian to put down offenses, enjoy God's forgiveness and to pray. But how about walking in the power of the Spirit? You and I dear friend have been called by God to not only walk by faith and walk by the Word but to also walk in the power of the Spirit. Galatians 5:16-17 and 25 state - "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. 25 "If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit."

Closing thoughts
We've spent the last several days considering the refreshing benefits of forgiveness. We saw how forgiveness frees us to put down offenses, enjoy God's forgiveness, pray and walk in the power of the Spirit. May we take to heart what the Spirit of God intended Paul to write in "The Book of Forgiveness" - Philemon. 

P2 The freeing benefits of forgiveness - Freedom to enjoy God's forgiveness

Philemon 1:8-9 "Therefore, though I have enough confidence in Christ to order you to do what is proper, 9 yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you—since I am such a person as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus."

Introduction: 

For the last two days we have been considering the freeing benefits of forgiveness. We noted how forgiveness frees one from walking in offense or bitterness. When we walk in offense, we grieve the Spirit (Ephesians 4:30-31) and operate under a closed heaven. We find ourselves walking around with the feeling of rejection and increasing levels of never being satisfied. Only forgiving as the Lord forgave us can free us from such a prison. In today's post I wanted to deal with how forgiveness frees us to enjoy God's forgiveness.

Freedom to enjoy God's forgiveness. Philemon 1:16-19

Often times I think Christians forget how awesome God's forgiveness truly is in their lives. I say this a matter of experience. It takes episodes in my life of having to exercise forgiveness whereby I'm caused to once again see God's forgiveness in a fresh way. Paul notes to Philemon in 1:15-16 "For perhaps he was for this reason separated from you for a while, that you would have him back forever, 16 no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother, especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord." God's providence was clearly at work in Philemon's life and Onesimus. 

Onesimus' freely ran away from his master, having stolen from him. He then ended up in prison, only to come across Paul, whom God used to lead Onesimus to saving faith. Meanwhile Philemon has space and time to deal with what was going on in his heart toward Onesimus. Whatever exactly Paul meant by these remarks, it is clear that the time was ripe for Paul to make the appeal for forgiveness. It is assumed that Philemon himself might had been converted under Paul's ministry. Taking him back to those tender days would cause him to see God's forgiveness anew.

Then we read this comment in Philemon 1:17-18 "If then you regard me a partner, accept him as you would me. 18 But if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge that to my account." The precious doctrine of justification by faith is illustrated in this passage, namely the teaching that in saving faith, God no-longer credits us with the guilt and just-punishment due to our sins, but rather credits us with the righteousness of Jesus Christ. God's forgiveness orbits around justification. Jesus Christ, on the cross, was credited with my sin, guilt and shame and treated as if He had been me, so that I at saving faith could be credited with His innocence, perfect obedience and righteousness (see 2 Corinthians 5:21). To realize that as a Christian, I stand relationally and legally in the right with God is truly comforting. Paul's allusion to these truths is especially seen wherein he tells Philemon that he can "charge him" with the cost of whatever former debts Onesimus may had accrued. 

So forgiveness frees me to put down offenses (Philemon 1:10-14) and to enjoy anew God's forgiveness (Philemon 1:15-19). Tomorrow we will consider how forgiveness enables one to have the freedom to pray. 

Don't be offended

Matthew 18:7 "Woe unto the world because of offenses! for it must needs be that offenses come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!" (KJV)

Matthew 18:7 "Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes!" (NASB)

What it means to take up offense
Yesterday we began to look at how forgiveness frees us to put down offense. http://www.growingchristianresources.com/2016/06/p1-freeing-benefits-of-forgiveness.html 

We briefly described what offense was and noted how forgiveness defuses its corrosive effects. I felt it necessary today to explore this concept of "taking up offenses" a little bit deeper before moving onto the other "freeing benefits of forgiveness". This malady of offense is a strategic device used by our enemy to "shut-down" the lives of God's people. 

What is Jesus referring to here when he warns about "taking up offences" or "stumbling blocks"? The Greek word used for "offenses" and "stumbling blocks" in this passage is the word "skandalon" from whence were derive our English word "scandal". Offenses are those events or words that hinder or greatly diminish belief in the Lord. To take up offense means to perceive the crossing of a line in a response of anger or bitterness. 

Oftentimes such a crossing of the line has occurred. Those who bring the offense can more often-than-not be intentional in their hurting of other people. However, there are those occasions where misunderstandings happen and where the offender may not know that their actions or words resulted in hurting other people. 

When we take up offense, its another way of saying that I retain resentment, rather than forgiveness. Offenses or stumbling blocks caused by the wrongdoing of others are by nature contrary to God's word. Thus, in taking up an offense, my heart's responses to spiritual truth will be affected - often leaving me with a  limited ability or no ability to appreciate Christ and His word. As Proverbs 18:19 reminds us - "A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city, And contentions are like the bars of a citadel."

In what circumstances do offenses occur?
Often a stumbling block or offense occurs when a misplaced word or mis-perception of a person's actions or words results in you and I being bitter rather than forgiving. Jesus is telling us here in this passage that "in this world it is inevitable, there will be offenses". If you have not ever had the opportunity to be hurt, or be at the
receiving end of thoughtless words and deeds - just wait!

In the parallel account of Luke 17:1-2 Jesus says: "He said to His disciples, “It is inevitable that stumbling blocks come, but woe to him through whom they come! 2“It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea, than that he would cause one of these little ones to stumble."

So, its not a matter of "if offenses will come". Instead, it is more a matter of "when they will come". You and I cannot control what people will say or what events will come into our lives. We also are not living in a fair world, since our world is a fallen one. Older Bible teachers often refer to what are called "the noetic effects of sin", meaning the collateral damage caused by our sin, including broken relationships, mis-understandings, damaged emotions and other various spiritual, psychological and physical maladies that affect the human race.  

You and I must come to terms with the fact that we cannot control our environment nor the way people will treat us. The only thing we can control is our response. The question is: will you be bitter, or better? Will you retain a grudge, or forgive as the Lord forgave you (Colossians 3:13)? Unless the cross is in our center-line of vision, the vulnerability to taking up offenses will be pretty high.

Those Christians who serve the Lord in positions of leadership or who are involved in key areas of ministry are the most vulnerable to offense. Why? Because this malady is a strategic weapon used by the enemy to cripple the body of Christ at large and the Christian life in particular. Christian leaders deal with a wider-volume of potential opportunities to take-up offense, due to their frequent dealings with all sorts of people. All Christians must be on their guard against offense, however, Christian leaders must be ever more watchful. Practicing forbearance or the virtue of patience in the face of provocation is key. Galatians 5:22 lists forbearance as one of the fruits of the Spirit.

An illustration of someone taking up an offense
One day a man decided to take his friend from overseas to see a football game. The friend had never been to a game, nor was he familiar at all with football. As they were up in the stands, watching the game, the crowd around them was cheering, and the man himself was whooping and hollering, for the home team was winning. However his friend sat motionless with a scowl on his face.

After the game was over, the excited man asked his friend: "So what did you think of your first football game"? His friend sharply responded: I have never been so offended in all my life! Those fellows in the striped shirts kept ever-so -often getting together in the middle of the field, stopping the players from playing. And you know what, I think they were talking about me!"

Now this illustration conveys the truth of what Jesus is teaching. The friend in our little story perceived a line had been crossed. He came to the game, not knowing what to expect. As he watched, he began to draw conclusions about what he thought he saw. All we know is that the man chose to respond in anger and bitterness, resulting in his inability to appreciate the effort of the other man in treating him to his first football game.

The warning about taking up offense
Now Jesus is not dismissing from responsibility the one who says careless words or does thoughtless deeds. Often when an offense is taken up, a legitimate hurt has been committed, and not just merely a misunderstanding. Certainly those who are careless or reckless in their treatment of us should be held accountable for their actions. The key of course is by whom should they be held accountable - us or God?

Jesus is warning us who have been at the receiving end to be careful not to "hold bitterness" or "take up offense". Again in Luke 17:3 we read - 3“Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4“And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.”

Final thoughts
So in this world of ours, and even in the church, the likelihood of someone saying something wrong, or not saying something that should had been said, can yield in us a response of anger or bitterness if we're not careful. If we have taken strides to guard are hearts through reflecting on God's Word and God's forgiveness in Jesus Christ, the chances of taking up offenses will be greatly diminished. 

P1 The freeing benefits of forgiveness - Freedom to put down offenses

Philemon 1:8-9 "Therefore, though I have enough confidence in Christ to order you to do what is proper, 9 yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you—since I am such a person as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus."

Introduction: 

In today's post I wanted to deal with the refreshing benefits that come when we forgive in the manner the Lord forgave us in Jesus Christ. The source of these benefits will derive from Philemon 1:10-25. After Paul makes the appeal to Philemon to forgive his former slave Onesimus in Philemon 1:8-9, we note the following freeing benefits of forgiveness:

1. Freedom to put down offenses. Philemon 1:10-14

When we operate in unforgiveness, it is due to us at some point doing what the Bible refers to as "taking up an offense". To "take up and offense" means to respond in bitterness and anger rather than in forgiveness. Jesus warns of taking up offenses in Luke 17:1-5 "He said to His disciples, “It is inevitable that stumbling blocks come, but woe to him through whom they come! 2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea, than that he would cause one of these little ones to stumble. 3 Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4 And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.” 

Stumbling blocks or offense can prevent otherwise good, godly people from being effective in their Christian walk. When we harbor unforgiveness, we find ourselves incapable of receiving any further spiritual insights from God. In Mark 6:3, we find the people in Jesus' home town of Nazareth being "offended because of Him", perceiving a line having been crossed, and thus ultimately rejecting His ministry.  

In Philemon, the Apostle Paul points out that in receiving Onesimus, Philemon would operate in freedom. Forgiveness is after all rooted in the human will freely exercising itself in release from retention of bitterness. This is why Paul writes for example in Ephesians 4:31-32 to "put away from ourselves" things such as anger, malice and the like and instead "take up forgiveness". This fits in line with our definition of forgiveness - namely to "let go". So we find that when we forgive, we can put down the offenses and stumbling blocks that imprison us in bitterness of heart. 

Tomorrow we will look at a second benefit of forgiveness.