THOSE WHO KNOW THEIR GOD Part 14

“Those who know their God will be strong and do great things.” Dan 11:32

WHAT DOES A PERSON DO WHO KNOWS GOD?

Good morning my friend! Today we are discussing another telltale sign of someone who knows God. One of the characteristics of those who know God is that they care about what God cares about. One of the areas of God’s passion is that of oppression.

Isa 58:6- “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? 7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—    when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

Today I want to take a little different slant on what it means to care for the oppressed. One of the greatest places of oppression is bitterness and unforgiveness. Unforgiveness brings an oppressive state to all those involved. Bitterness and intimacy with God do not mix! A person cannot continue to walk with God and live in bitterness. Apostle Paul taught the church at Ephesus to “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.” Ephesians 4:31

Bitterness is the opposite of the love of God. 1 Corinthians 13:5 says that love does not keep a record of wrongs. At its core, love cannot keep a record of wrongs – it cannot be unforgiving. Jesus told us that if we do not forgive, that our Father in heaven will forgive us. It is not that God does not forgive us but that we cannot tap into God’s while walking and unforgiveness. Why? Because bitterness is in direct opposition to love, and God is love. Jesus taught that we are to love those who hate us and to do good to those who despitefully use us. Luke 6:35-37 WOW! Wonder how many of those who claim Christianity love those who hate them. Let’s take a closer look at what Jesus said.

Luke 6:27-36   “But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who ill-treat you. 29 If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.

32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ lend to ‘sinners,’ expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

I believe that one of the greatest places of oppression is that of unforgiveness. The spirit of bitterness brings great destruction and pain to families, marriages and is trying to destroy our nation. My question to you today is this; have you allowed unforgiveness to be in your life? Do you have resentment or bitterness toward someone? If you’re struggling in this area, you are not alone! One of the things that God is doing in our day is to bring about a spirit of love, forgiveness, unity, and acceptance. The greatest weapon against unforgiveness is receiving complete forgiveness from God. Do you live your moments in life without shame or guilt because you have received complete forgiveness? The power to forgive comes from receiving forgiveness!

I know you agree with me on this; God wants the oppression of unforgiveness to cease! Think about this; the Scripture says that God is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Wow! I believe one of the earmarks of those who truly know God is that…

THEY FORGIVE