LOVE Is The True Forgiveness

Notice to Cell Phone Users: Click > To Open The Site Menu – (God’s Promises For All Our Every Needs, Purpose and Mission Statement, Ministries, and Etc.) Using the Three-Lined “Hamburger” Icon at the Top Right of the Screen

The Fruit of the HOLY SPIRIT

Podcast Episode: The Fruit of the HOLY SPIRIT – LOVE #1

“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS, AND SELF-CONTROL. There is no law against these things.” [Galatians 5:22-23 NLT]

Parable Of The Lost Son

In Luke 15:11-24 NLT says, “11 To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons. 12 The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons. 13 “A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. 14 About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. 15 He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. 16 The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything. 17 “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! 18 I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, 19 and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’ 20 “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. 21 His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’ 22 “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. 23 And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, 24 for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.”

In Luke Chapter 15 Verses 11-12 describe our Lord Jesus Christ continued with another parable to illustrate the point further that God rejoices when lost sinners repent and find forgiveness. A man had two sons, the younger of whom wanted his share of his father’s estate (inheritance). This would have been one-third of the total estate, with the older son receiving two-thirds, a double portion of the other as prescribed by the law (Deuteronomy 21:17). In most cases, the son would have received this at his father’s death, although fathers sometimes chose to divide up their inheritance early and retire from managing their estates. What is unusual is that the younger son initiated the division of the estate. This showed arrogant disregard for his father’s authority as head of the family.

In Verses 13-14 describe that within just a few days, the younger son was on his way – indicating that this had been his plan when he had asked for his inheritance in the first place. He packed all his belongings and traveled to a distant land. The young man apparently had wanted to live his own way, be his own master, get out from under the rules of his home and his father. Money was his ticket out, so he took it and ran.

In this distant land, he wasted all his money on wild living. But then his money ran out. To make matters worse, a great famine swept over the land and the boy did not even have money for food.

In Verses 15-16 describe the young man became so desperate that he began to work feeding pigs. According to Moses’ law, pigs were unclean animals (Leviticus 11:2-8; Deuteronomy 14:8). To protect themselves from defilement, Jews would not even touch pigs. For a Jew to stoop to feeding pigs would have been a great humiliation. The pods were the seeds of the carob tree, which grows around the Mediterranean Sea. That no one gave him anything shows that he was neglected and insignificant; he had truly sunk to the depths.

In Verses 17-19 describe the son was sitting among pigs that were better fed than he was, he reflected on life back home. With no money, no dignity, and, so he thought, no claim to sonship in his father’s household, he decided to go home to his father, confess his sin, and ask to be taken on as a hired man. At least there he would not go hungry. The key lies in the words that he planned to say to his father, “I have sinned against both heaven and you.” He wanted to tell his father he was sorry. He wanted to repent of the selfishness that had led him to leave and spend all the money that his father had set aside for his future. Even if it meant living as a hired man in his own home, he would return there in order to say these things to his father.

In Verses 20-21 describe the son returned home to his father, not knowing what to expect – the best he could anticipate was a cold shoulder, a halfhearted welcome, or a chance to be hired as a slave. The father, however, seemed to have cast his eyes on the horizon many times since his son had left, hoping one day to see him returning. Finally, his father saw him coming even while he was far away. The father ran, embraced, and kissed his son. He was filled with love and compassion at the sight of his son who had come home. The son began to give his father the speech he had prepared (Luke 15:19), but he didn’t even get to the part about asking to be hired, for the father wanted to welcome his son back into his home with a grand celebration.

In the two preceding stories, the seeker actively looked for the sheep and the coin, which could not return by themselves. In this story, the father watched and waited. He was dealing with a human being with a will, but he was ready to greet his son if he returned. In the same way, God’s love is constant and patient and welcoming. He will search and give people opportunities to respond, but He will not force them to come to Him. Like the father in this story, God waits patiently for people to come to their senses.

In Verses 22-24 describe the father immediately restored this destitute and humbled young man as his son. Then the calf that was being fattened up for the time when a special feast should be prepared was to be killed – the father could think of no more fitting celebration. His son had been as good as dead to him, but now had returned to life. He had been lost, but now was found. As the shepherd celebrated upon finding the lost sheep (Luke 15:6), and the woman upon finding her lost coin (Luke 15:9), so this father celebrated at “finding” his “lost” son.

Forgiveness For The Sinner

In 2 Corinthians 2:5-11 NLT says, “5 I am not overstating it when I say that the man who caused all the trouble hurt all of you more than he hurt me. 6 Most of you opposed him, and that was punishment enough. 7 Now, however, it is time to forgive and comfort him. Otherwise he may be overcome by discouragement. 8 So I urge you now to reaffirm your love for him. 9 I wrote to you as I did to test you and see if you would fully comply with my instructions. 10 When you forgive this man, I forgive him, too. And when I forgive whatever needs to be forgiven, I do so with Christ’s authority for your benefit, 11 so that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes.”

In Verse 5 describes and emphasizes that the reason Paul was concerned about this man’s offense was not to correct an injury Paul had suffered. The man had hurt the entire church far more than he had offended Paul. Most likely, the offender’s actions had amounted to a direct attack on Paul’s apostolic authority. The teachings of the “false apostles,” who had infiltrated the Corinthian church and had started discrediting Paul’s authority, might have inspired this man to challenge Paul’s authority in public (see Paul’s censure of these “false apostles” in 2 Corinthians 11:1-15). Paul would perceive this not only as an attack on his authority but also an insult to the entire church, which had been founded on the Gospel message that Paul had delivered to them.

Paul’s concern in all of this was to assure the Corinthians that he wasn’t trying to defend himself. This wasn’t a personal vendetta; instead, it touched on the foundations of the Christian faith. The distinction expressed in this verse should be made in churches today. Personal agendas or preferences should not block the clear proclamation of the Gospel. But when an issue touches on the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ or the truth of the Gospel, that issue must be taken seriously, for it affects the life of the entire church. We, too, need to muster the courage to pass judgment on quarrelsome, selfish ambition in our churches, just as Paul did in the first century (see Philippians 2:3; James 3:14).

In Verse 6 describes apparently, the majority of the Corinthians had realized that tolerating this man and the sin he encouraged would ruin the congregation. They couldn’t function as the holy people of God with such a rebel among them. It is not clear what action the Corinthian church took against this offender. The main point is that most of the believers in the church were united in judgment against this man. This united front showed the man the seriousness of his sin and, no doubt, helped lead him to repentance.

In Verses 7-8 describe evidently, the reproof that the Corinthians had meted out was sufficient. The offender had realized the seriousness of his actions. Paul was extremely concerned that the Corinthians forgive and comfort the offender at the appropriate time so he would not become so discouraged that he couldn’t recover. Paul’s image here was of the disciplined person drowning in sadness. Paul wasn’t concerned for his own vindication in this distressing incident but instead for the offender’s spiritual welfare. Then the believers should show that they still love him.

Knowing the appropriate time to rebuke and the appropriate time to forgive is the key to compassionate church discipline. This type of discernment is crucial for a church plagued with problems, as the Corinthian church was. Christians in positions of authority must consistently check their motives when it comes to church discipline. They must ask: Am I keeping the spiritual welfare of my church members – especially that of the offender = in mind?

In Verse 9 describes Paul reiterated his reason for writing the severe letter to the Corinthians. First of all, he hoped the letter would rectify the troublesome situation before he arrived (see 2 Corinthians 2:3). When he visited them, he wanted to encourage them in their faith instead of correcting them. Second, he wanted to find out how far they would go in obeying him.

Later in 2 Corinthians, Paul unequivocally will assert his authority as an apostle to punish disobedience. He had been empowered by our Lord Jesus Christ with apostolic authority (2 Corinthians 10:4-6). But Paul’s authority didn’t involve commanding obedience to himself but, instead, to Jesus Christ and the Gospel. When Paul defended his apostolic authority to the Corinthians, he was careful to explain that he possessed the authority to build up the church, not to tear it down (see 2 Corinthians 10:8; 13:10).

The good news was that the Corinthians were obedient to the Gospel. Titus’s report from Corinth revealed that they had listened to Paul’s rebuke and had obeyed his instructions. Their complete obedience in these matters caused Paul to rejoice (2 Corinthians 7:13-16)

In Verses 10-11 describe the word for forgive is derived from the Greek word for “grace.” For Paul, forgiveness was the central point of the Gospel. It is only through God’s grace – that is, his undeserved favor – that anyone is saved at all (Ephesians 2:5, 8). So the Corinthians’ forgiveness of the offender among them was fundamentally based on our Lord Jesus Christ’s forgiveness of them (Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:13).

This verse downplays Paul’s own part in the entire incident. Since the offense was primarily directed against Paul (see 2 Corinthians 2:5), he should have been the first to pronounce forgiveness. Instead, he emphasized that it was the Corinthians who should forgive. He would merely agree with their verdict. In this way, he was reiterating the point that the offense had been against the entire church, not merely himself (see note at 2 Corinthians 2:5). In downplaying his own authority in this situation, Paul was pointing to the ultimate authority: Jesus Christ Himself. It was before our Lord Jesus Christ that the church would forgive the offender, and it was before Jesus Christ that Paul – hundreds of miles away – would forgive the same offender. In this way, Satan would not outsmart them.

Paul spoke of Satan more in his letters to the Corinthians than in any other of his New Testament letters. He saw the telltale signs of a demonic attack on the church at Corinth. Second Corinthians unambiguously identifies the “false apostles” in the Corinthian church with the clever deceptions of Satan (see 2 Corinthians 11:14). Moreover, Paul identifies Satan as the one who was tempting some in the church into sexual immorality (see 1 Corinthians 5:1-5; 6:12-20) and others to participate in the idolatrous feasts of their pagan neighbors (see 1 Corinthians 10:18-22).

This passage identifies another one of Satan’s evil schemes. In their zeal to purge sin from the church, the Corinthians could punish the offender without keeping in mind the purpose of discipline: to inspire repentance and promote reconciliation to God. Under Satan’s influence, the offender’s sorrow could easily be turned into resentment (see 2 Corinthians 2:7) instead of repentance. Paul pleaded with the Corinthians to guard against such a tragic outcome.

Joseph Reassures His Brothers

In Genesis 50:14-21 NLT says, “14 After burying Jacob, Joseph returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had accompanied him to his father’s burial. 15 But now that their father was dead, Joseph’s brothers became fearful. “Now Joseph will show his anger and pay us back for all the wrong we did to him,” they said. 16 So they sent this message to Joseph: “Before your father died, he instructed us 17 to say to you: ‘Please forgive your brothers for the great wrong they did to you – for their sin in treating you so cruelly.’ So we, the servants of the God of your father, beg you to forgive our sin.” When Joseph received the message, he broke down and wept. 18 Then his brothers came and threw themselves down before Joseph. “Look, we are your slaves!” they said.
19 But Joseph replied, “Don’t be afraid of me. Am I God, that I can punish you? 20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. 21 No, don’t be afraid. I will continue to take care of you and your children.” So he reassured them by speaking kindly to them.

In Verses 15-21 describe when Joseph’s brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us – Joseph was deeply affected by this communication. He gave them the strongest assurances of his forgiveness and thereby displayed a beautiful trait of his own pious character and appeared an eminent type of the Savior. Joseph is to forgive the horrible atrocities that his brothers committed when they sold him into slavery.

When members of God’s family insist on quarreling with each other, they do not reflect God’s love. A fighting congregation is a slur on Calvary. It insults the forgiving heart of our heavenly Father.

How much do others suffer when we ourselves are unforgiving within His church? Let us forgive readily, so that our service to others may be made possible. Let us show God’s love and forgiveness in our actions to others.

A Psalm of David

In Psalm 32:1-2 NLT says, “1  Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! 2  Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty!”

In Verses 1-2 describe the word Blessed – lit. “Oh, the happiness” (Psalm 1:1). There are three terms describing three aspects of sin: (1) transgression – rebellion; (2) sin – missing God’s way; and (3) iniquity – distortion, crookedness. These three aspects of sin are met by three corresponding divine redemptive responses: (1) forgiven – lifting a burden away; (2) covered – covering offense from sight (Genesis 3:7 21); and (3) imputeth not – released legally from a debt (Romans 4:6).

Prayer is the key that unlocks and reveals faith. Effective prayer needs both an attitude of complete dependence and the action of asking. Prayer demonstrates complete reliance on God. Thus, there is no substitute for prayer, especially in situations that seem impossible.

So, let our hearts and minds in tune with God, in the power of God, the Holy Spirit. Let’s continuously and persistently pray for God’s perfect will be done. We as Born-Again Christians have been tried and cleansed, we have moved freely into a relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ that is more powerful than it was before our trials. We are at home in the presence and fellowship of God, for we are heirs with our Lord Jesus Christ, more like Him that we could ever have dreamed possible. So, let’s continuously and persistently pray for God’s perfect will be done. Amen!

The principle is that no one has anything of value to bring to God in order to deserve salvation, mercy, justification, or even a second glance from God. The proud will be humbled, but the humble will be honored. Acceptance before God cannot be achieved by good deeds, piety, or any amount of self-proclaimed righteousness.

Let’s never get over the effect of God’s saving transformation on people’s lives. People who were lost in sin, filled with anger and bitterness, give up their hatred and become approachable as we have studied and learned last time. That is, of course, why we minister to others. Those of us who minister are not people to whom gentleness and self-control comes naturally. We are people who have been remodeled by grace. We thankfully leave our old natures far behind as we embrace gentleness and self-control and in our treatment of others.

Sunday by Sunday as we come to worship, let me encourage our brothers- and sisters-in-Christ, and I want my readers and listeners to be both strong in the faith and sensitive to others’ needs. Because all, we as Born-Again Christian believers are strong in certain areas and weak in others, we constantly need to monitor the effects of our behavior on others.

In these LOVE Series of Podcast, we will learn the following PURPOSES of this fruit of the HOLY SPIRIT:

1. To truly experience love and forgiveness – Podcast Love #1
2. To learn to love unconditionally
3. To learn how to give and serve with love
4. To know and understand the true definition of love
5. To understand and capture the passion of God
6. Learn to be compassionate and how to worship
7. To understand that love is the first characteristic of the fruit of Spirit. It is well placed at the head of the list, for it permeates all the rest of the attributes. Somehow, if we live a life of love, the other virtues will attend us all the days of our lives. Love is the key that unlocks the entire fruit basket of Galatians 5:22-23, as well as permeating 1 Corinthians 13.

Three (3) Questions we can answer from these Sources: The Bible and Guidance of the Holy Spirit

Observation: What do these passages say to you?

Interpretation: What do these passages mean to you?

Application: How do the meaning of these passages apply to you or to your situation?

If you are not sure that you are Born-Again Christian believer, please take a look of one of our ministries, “An Invitation To Meet Our Lord Jesus Christ” at https://homefellowshipchurches.org/an-invitation-to-meet-our-lord-jesus-christ/

Notice to Cell Phone Users: Click > To Open The Site Menu – (Purpose and Mission Statement, Ministries, An Invitation To Meet Our Lord Jesus Christ, and Etc.) Using the Three-Lined “Hamburger” Icon at the Top Right of the Screen

Suggested Prayer: Father God, we come into your presence in our Lord Jesus Christ name, and in the power of the Holy Spirit. Thank you Lord Jesus Christ for Your agape love and forgiveness you have done on the Cross of Calvary, and continue to intercede for us in prayer. Thank you Holy Spirit as our Helper and Comforter. Thank you for the wisdom, knowledge, understanding, courage and strength. We cling, yield, plug-in and tune-in to you Holy Spirit to help us understand God’s Words, obey them, receive Your divine revelation, know the Truth that sets us free, and apply them in our lives, in our Lord Jesus Christ name, Amen!

God bless you all and our families!

In Malachi 3:10-12 AMPC says, “10 Bring all the tithes (the whole tenth of your income) into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and prove Me now by it”, says the Lord of hosts, “if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” [Malachi 2:2.] 11 “And I will rebuke the devourer (insects and plagues) for your sakes and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground, neither shall your vine drop its fruits before the time in the field,” says the Lord of hosts. 12 “And all nations shall call you happy and blessed, for you shall be a land of delight”, says the Lord of hosts.

If the people would obey God, giving as they should, God would flood His people with blessings. There would be an overabundance of God’s blessing if He was given what He requested.