RECENTLY I was in a counseling session with an individual going through the routine of collecting data, which is just a nice way of saying “listening and taking notes as the person regurgitated their problems and plight.”
OKAY, I know that doesn’t sound all that empathetic, but as I listened and noted their sad story, I couldn’t help but think of a remembered line from a favorite novel writer wherein one story the hero finally corners his rather miserably trapped antagonist, and upon listening to his lamentable weasel worded excuse for making an absolute mess of things, the hero counters all the lame reasoning with a perceptive and profound, “It didn’t have to be this way.”
CHOICES, we make choices every day; and the consequences, whether intend or not, that flow from our self-centered and sinful behavior is never good, never. It may take a while, and we may think we are getting away with our sloppy thinking and sinful behavior, but our “sin will find [us] out.” (Num. 32:23)
“Ideas have consequences and bad ideas have victims.” – John Stonestreet
HOW often those words – “It didn’t have to be this way” – have come to my mind when I listen to young and old alike recount how they have been caught and trapped in their our devices. We are our own worse enemy. As that sage philosopher once said, “We have seen the enemy, and he is us.” – Pogo
BUT when I ponder all this, I must admit that I can’t help but think of myself and my own failures of sin and ignorance, where I too have faced my own 1Cor 10:13 and Rom. 7: 13-24 realities. And as such the thought “It didn’t have to be this way” fosters the comforting words to my counselees: ”It doesn’t have to be this way” — “There is a way of escape” (1Cor. 13:10b), and that way is “through the Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom 7:25), who brings redemption and healing to the hungry heart and needy soul.
SO, we have completed our study in Principles of Spiritual Growth. It has been my intension to comfort others as I have been comforted in these truths (2Cor. 1:3-7), teaching as I have been taught, encouraging and I have been encouraged. It has been a challenge writing these, as I hope it has been a challenge to you the readers to take these things and apply them to your daily walk (Col 2:6). I have been prayerfully debating as to where to go from here, and thinking that I may go on and continue with our study of Miles Stanford, The Complete Green Letters, …or not. I may want to take a divergent path for a while. But for today, the lesson from the garden is, “It doesn’t have to be this way.” Again, gardens just don’t happen, they take diligent pursuit and perseverance, and the way to keep from falling into the traps of the enemy and our own sinful way is to “keep pressing towards the mark” (Phil. 3:13-14) in focused study in the means of grace and principles of spiritual growth.
LET me close today’s comments by sharing a devotional reading for a mediation from J.R. Miller that I found as a particular blessing recently, titled Divine Forgiveness.
In the inexorable riches of Christ,
Joe
Neh. 8:10, Isa 30:15, Jas. 1:2
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Divine Forgiveness
“Father, forgive them — for they know not what they do.” Luke 23:34
This was the first saying spoken by our Lord on His cross. It was uttered just when the soldiers were in the act of crucifying Him — driving the cruel nails through His hands and feet. It was a moment of excruciating, inconceivable anguish. Yet He uttered no cry of pain, no word of execration upon those who were causing Him such suffering — but calmly prayed for His brutal, pitiless murderers, “Father, forgive them — for they know not what they do.”
The moment the sacred blood began to flow — the intercession for sinners began. The pleading was first for the ignorant heathen soldiers who were acting as executioners; but it was not for these alone. It certainly widened out, and took in all who had been concerned in the condemnation and crucifixion of Jesus. It was for the Jewish rulers and people who had rejected their Messiah. May we not believe that many of those who on the day of Pentecost and afterward were brought to repentance — were forgiven and saved because on His cross Jesus made intercession for them?
Then the prayer went out beyond the people who had a direct part in the crucifixion. From His cross, Jesus saw the lost world down to the end, and prayed for all His people. We know, too, that that word of prayer was but the beginning of an intercession that is going on yet inside Heaven, where Jesus pleads the merits of His own sacrifice, for the salvation of His people.
This word of Jesus teaches us a great lesson on Christian forgiveness. He prayed for His murderers! Just so, we should pray for those who injure us. There are some fragrant trees which bathe the axe that gashes them in perfume. So should it be with Christ’s people. Instead of resentment and injury for injury — we should show only sweet, tender love to those who harm us!
