FHA-90
930321AM
Today Jesus Christ tells us that if you are forgiven then you must be forgiving! He’s reminding us we are sinners needing contrition and repentance.
Oh, be careful praying this petition Augustine called terrible! Why? If praying with an unforgiving spirit you are telling God not to forgive you! Charles Haddon Spurgeon said, “unless you have forgiven others you read your own death warrant when you pray this petition”.
Wouldn’t it be great to be able to do a quick test to see if we are in good health spiritually? You know, like the doctor’s office, poke —blood — test — cholesterol is ok, etc.!
Well, let me introduce the spiritual health test (Mt. 6:12):
MacArthur says: If you are not forgiving, that isn’t the new you, that’s your sinful flesh vaulting itself into prominence. When you do that, you will cut yourself off from that relational forgiveness with God that makes communing with Him sweet. If you look at your spiritual life and see a lack of power and depth, a lack of a hunger for God’s Word, and a lack of love for the private place of prayer and communion, resulting in the loss of the richness in your relationship with God, it may be that there is a barrier of unforgiveness that you have built which is preventing the Lord from giving you the forgiveness that issues in a sweet relationship with Him. If that is the case in your life, the Lord isn’t going to open up the flow of communion with Him until you forgive where forgiveness is needed.
This fifth petition can check your health if you’re a Christian and is even a test of Christianity! How?
Join me on a two-part message:
1. FORGIVEN (that’s what a Christian is)
2. FORGIVING (that’s what a Christian does that is healthy)