"Repentance and Forgiveness"

  Does it bother you how we come to some of our conclusions about another? Someone falls into sin, offends and they end up doing something else or maybe even the same thing again. We protest that they only say they are sorry because they were caught. While that could be true how do we really know such about a person? Could they be really weak, falling into the same sin time after time? I know they need to get stronger and resist but sometimes to those who sit on the outside we just don't know the depth of their struggle.

  Here is Jesus speaking to His disciples that if a brother sins, rebuke him! If he repents, forgive him (Luke 17:4). That's straight forward from our Lord. But then there is that next heart response the Lord expects from His own: "And If he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, 'I repent,' forgive him." (Luke 17:4) Wait! Seven times? If they were truly repentant why would they sin against me seven times in one day? Those repeated sins against me means he cannot be repentant! We come with protests against the heart of the offender. People look at others and speak that it's not you they have offended, it's me!! It wears on us.

  When we look closely at such, Jesus our Lord made it clear He wasn't speaking about some glib dismissal of wrongs here! What did He mean? The transgressor is to be rebuked and pursued!!! What do most do? They express their anger and it could be even hatred toward such a one with little to no pursuing. The not speaking, cold shoulder. Let's just push them off into the pits of hell with not even an ounce of wanting them saved. We seem to miss things when we don't see the value in the eyes of the Lord that over one repentant one, heaven breaks out in joy. Jesus died for them! We don't see the offender as worth bothering with much less one that needs to be forgiven. We are stuck on us and how we have been offended by the actions of the lowly person.

  Let's take one more step in this. How often do you sin against your heavenly Father? Do you find yourself time and time again asking God to forgive your transgressions? And often times for the same transgression? Maybe with your anger or tongue? Is your asking, repentance genuine? What if God chooses to push you away and send you into the arms of the devil and eternal ruin because you stumbled...AGAIN!