The Grace of Forgiving (Part III)

From the Pastor: Dr. M. J. Seymour, Sr.

“For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matt. 6:14-15) “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.” (Gal. 6:1)

Now please understand, God does not condone, ignore, or hide any sin. In His holy nature He must deal with every sin. Neither does God ask His people to turn a blind eye to it; rather He instructs them to follow His lead. Would you prefer to be judged under the mercies of God or left to the brutish pompous religious condemnations of ignorant men? I believe we would all agree we would favor the Throne of Mercy over the fleshly zeal of men. If we would do unto others, as we would have them do unto us, then let us lead them to and leave them with the mercies of God, as we would have it ourselves. As we desperately need the sure mercies of God so do our brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus; then let it be so.

There is an old saying that goes something like this: There is nothing my brethren can do or say that can override the blood of the Lord Jesus which makes one my brother or sister in Christ Jesus when we bow at the foot of the Cross of Calvary. We frequently forget the guilt that was and is continuously washed away by the sacrificial blood of the Lamb. There is no perfect person, save Christ, upon the face of this earth. We damage others and ourselves when we expect absolute or near perfection from others. We are all sinners saved by the gracious mercies of God. Never expect perfection from the brethren and you will never be disappointed.

It is not within our jurisdiction to be judge of the brethren. The Word of God is sufficient for these matters. Pious self-righteous and self-appointed executioners can do irreparable harm to the Lord’s sheep. Brethren this ought not to be so. The believer’s duty is to be spiritual enough to restore the brethren in the spirit of meekness, considering himself. Given the right set of circumstances in the providence of God, every one of us would sin in like manner. This is the absolute truth! Only by the grace and mercies of God we are not any worse than we are. By heaven’s grace forgive the brethren!