ITCZ 101 - Forgive, Forget - Part 3

Do you recall the saying, "time heals all wounds?" It does seem like there is some truth to it. I would submit that time gives us the opportunity to put things into perspective. Yet, there is another powerful force at work on our behalf. It's not necessarily time, but forgetfulness that closes the door on hurtful offenses.

Forgiveness is the mechanism that allows us to forget.
I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins. - Isaiah 43:25 NKJV

Take a moment to think that through. Our Father has a plan to never remember our sins again. That's not for our benefit. It's for God's benefit! The Creator of Heaven and Earth will not remember our sins ever again... for His own sake!

I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins.

Imitators Of God

So let's be like God. Is it a tall order? Uh-huh. Yet, according to our new nature, it is part of who we are.
Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. - Ephesians 5:1-2 NKJV
We are called to make forgiveness a daily part of our lives. Our scriptures read, "be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you." Let's take this opportunity to build our faith with the superpower of forgetfulness.

Begin faith building sequence in, 3... 2... 1... ignition!
"I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us." - Philippians 3:12-14 NLT
He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. - Psalm 103:12 NLT

Once again you will have compassion on us. You will trample our sins under your feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean! - Micah 7:19 NLT

I have swept away your sins like a cloud. I have scattered your offenses like the morning mist. Oh, return to me, for I have paid the price to set you free." - Isaiah 44:22 NLT

"And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins." - Jeremiah 31:34 NLT

Putting It In To Perspective

Note that everyone sides with the person who was wronged. You are deeply loved and we are on your side. We want justice for you. We want wrongs to be made right. However, we know that there are some wrongs in this life that we cannot make right. So where does that leave us?

If we do not know the Lord that is an extremely tough question to answer. If you do not know the Lord Jesus, please take some time to read through, How Can I Be Saved? and then come right back here for a strong finish.

It turns out we are in the world, but we are not of the world. Putting our hurts and joys, our love and griefs, into perspective comes from thinking like Jesus thinks. We have been given a new life. A new objective in life. A new perspective. Old things are passed away and all things have become new.

Our Father has taken up our cause so leave it to Him. Cast your cares on Him because He cares deeply for you. Our part is forgiveness. His part is justice.

Do the things God told you to do and let Him do the things He said He would do.

Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, "I will take revenge; I will pay them back," says the LORD. Instead, "If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads." Don't let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good. - Romans 12:19-21 NLT

The tools our Father have given us are powerful and life giving. Let's bring them to bear on our behalf. Forgive. Forget. Conquer evil by doing good.

~~~~~~~

Take Action!

Have you heard the claim, "I will forgive but I will not forget?"
These are two parts of one whole. These superpowers work together to keep our eye's fixed on Jesus. 
Who are you? Are you an imitator of God? Are you a new creation? If so, let's not follow the seductive ways of this world. Let's be what we were designed to be. Sons and daughters of the living God. 
You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Trust in the LORD always, for the LORD GOD is the eternal Rock. - Isaiah 26:3-4 NLT

Please, add your thoughts in the comment section.

~~~~~~~

Concept >>> “Forgetfulness”
Next >>> "Forgive, Forget - Conclusion"


In The Cool Zone concept. Think like Jesus thinks.

Comments

Post a Comment

Please, select Name/URL from the list below to comment. Note: URL is not required.

Popular posts from this blog

New! Discipleship Unveiled Podcast

Image
We are very excited at In The Cool Zone to be adding the Discipleship Unveiled podcast to our discipleship aresnal! There are different styles of learning. Reading is great for some and listening can work better for others. We want to serve as many learning styles as we are able for disciples of Jesus. Thus, Discipleship Unveiled is born and a welcome addition to the family. Please, enjoy this new tool and Like and Share to help spread the Gospel and effective disciplship! Listen to "A Disciples Perspective" on Spreaker. Take Action! How do I get a discipleship perspective?  There is a three-fold action plan that gets one moving forward with knowing their Lord and Savior and walking in the process of being transformed by the renewing of the mind. Prayer, reading the Bible and connecting with a seasoned Christian! These action steps set a disciple up to move forward with a clear plan and a new mindset. They seem like easy practicle steps but you'll...
Read more

Happiness vs. Joy

Image
There may be a few ways to look at happiness vs. joy and maybe this will add value to their distinctions. Happiness is generally determined by what is happening to us or even an accumulation of good or bad events or circumstances. Joy is completely different. It is determined by what we choose. When you ask someone if they are happy, the happy person says something like, "I feel good, things are going well, there haven't been any emergencies, my relationships are going well." The unhappy person says, "I haven't felt good, things are not going great, I've had a few emergencies and relationships have been tough." These are all external influences. Joy, for the Christian, is internal. It is a fruit of the Spirit and the Holy Spirit, in a Christian, is always producing this fruit. It's our job to get in on it. The barrier for doing this, comes from thinking we are the source of joy and we have to go outside of ourselves to get it. The Old Man ...
Read more

Armor of God | Watchful Perseverance

Image
The armor of God has been a topic that has been difficult to get our minds wrapped around. What it is and how we put it on, has seemed to be a bit mysterious. So maybe by looking at the effect of the armor we can get a better understanding of how to put the armor on. We previously looked at  The Word of God , so let's take the next piece. We're leaving in,  The Effect of Armor,  section here for continuity. The Effect of Armor The most prominent place the armor of God is listed is in  Ephesians 6:14-18 NKJV .  Each piece of armor has an effect. Since it is spiritual armor, and we are physically oriented, it can be difficult to understand what is happening when we have it on. One of the things we know about armor is that once we are in the battle, we shouldn't have to think about the armor. It will passively protect us and we shouldn't have to give it another thought. We inspect, test and repair the armor on a regular basis and ensure it is fit...
Read more