A People that Forgives - Palm Sunday

From: B S TURNER Owner
bturner12@centurylink.net


A People that Forgives - Palm Sunday

As we enter into the week where the journey of the Christian dies and begins at the same time. History, and the Bible, record that the earthly ministry of Christ comes to an end and at the same time we begin our spiritual freedom as he takes upon himself all of your and my sins.

It can be summed up in a word – Forgiveness...through the power of the atonement God forgave us of all of our sins.

The question is as a people can we forgive? I mean truly forgive anyone that we believe has sinned against us? We are told to ask for forgiveness but sometimes we forget, or choose to not remember, what the real guidance is...

Mark 11:27 And when ye stand praying, forgive if ye have aught against any; that your Father also who is in heaven, may forgive you your trespasses
28 But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

This same guidance is given when Christ teaches us about the proper way to pray to the Father as given in Luke 11:1-5

We are in a precarious position as Restorationists and true believers of Jesus Christ when it comes to this. We believe that we have the light and truth and that we clearly understand the gift that was offered as he sacrificed his life for us.

I make that statement as we have many, both in the Church and out of the Church, which we struggle to forgive, truly forgive – if that were not the case I do not think we would be as scattered both physically and spiritually as we are at this moment. You see if I think that you hurt me I really can’t hear you or see you can I?

If I were to say to you today I am sorry for any wrong that I may have caused you would you believe me? (First I would have to admit that I was wrong about something…another hurdle to get over.)

Would you be able to start afresh with me and I with you? Or would there still be in my or your mind the event that caused me to be offended?

Sometimes the hurt or deception can be deep, I get that – can it be any deeper than the nails that pierced the flesh of the Savior when they hung him on the cross? Even through all of that he still forgave me…and you. And continues to do so when I fall…

There is a similar lesson of forgiveness of brother forgiving brother. That can be found in 1 Nephi 2:34 where Nephi forgave his brothers…as we read Nehi’s testimony this became a regular event but Nephi never lost the concept of why he was to do that. Do you know what that concept is?

Paul and Barnabas were preaching to the Jews in Antioch not having much success. It became clear to them that the word of God was not being taken seriously as he said “but seeing ye put it from you” meaning the word of God, they took it to the Gentiles who “glorified the word of God” Acts 13:48

If we are able to forgive then we can begin to see clearly the path that we are to be on. Paul told the Ephesians that Christ will give us the spirit of wisdom and revelation in Him. We need to ready ourselves so that we will be able to see when that happens.

Ephesians 1:17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him;
1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

There is no question that we are all in this together...

Ephesians 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus;
7 That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace, in his kindness toward us, through Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; but it is the gift of God;

There is a common word in the above scripture...do you see it?

As we make our way through this next week take a few moments to reread the story of the crucifixion and what happens after...what does Christ teach when he returns?

God Bless

Brian Turner