Compassion And Forgiveness

Ever notice how, swiftly, we want God to deal with the weaknesses and sins of others, but how we plead for His patience, mercy and grace for our own sins and weaknesses?

1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

God's forgiveness for our sins, is just a prayer away; it's immediate! I don't know about you, but I love this verse! We have a merciful and compassionate God!

Psalm 103: 8-18 says,
"The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will He harbor His anger forever; He does not treat us, as our sins deserve, or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him; for He knows how we are formed, He remembers we are dust. As for a man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower in the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord's love is with those who fear Him, and His righteousness with their children's children ~ with those who keep His covenant and remember to obey His precepts."

Are we compassionate, gracious, slow to anger and as abounding in love, with our brothers and sisters in Christ, as the Father is with us? Or do we hold them to a higher standard or level of criticism and deal with their shortcomings, more harshly, than we expect God to deal with our own? Do we not cry out for mercy for ourselves and pray God will straighten out those we feel have dealt with us wrongly, or, maybe, just at the sight of their weaknesses? Do we remember when we see the non-believer, to be as compassionate as God was with us, as He drew us to Himself, in the midst of our sin? Do remember, that when we asked, He removed our sin as far as the east is from the west?

God always calls sin, sin; He does not sugar coat it and so we shouldn't either ~ but do we draw others to us because they see Christ in us, or do we send them away at the sight of our hypocrisy. Do we remember His compassion on us, daily, in our dealings with others or do we take offense? Do we remember their frame and take compassion, as we would with a child that needs to be taught the right way, in love or do we show anger?

If we stop and remember how we were drawn to the Lord, we will remember that we saw His love abounding in someone that reached out to us. It was the love and compassion that got our attention and in the security of that amazing love, we were able to see our need for a Savior. The love caused us to drop our defenses and our pride and to be willing to see our need and act upon it! Speaking the truth in love, has an amazing impact on someone God has made ready to hear! Pride, criticism, legalism and hypocrisy, only close the spiritual ears of others and are a stumbling block placed at their feet, by us. They will not see Christ's compassion and love and will walk away saying, 'I don't want to be like that!' Are we harsh with others? When we share His truths do we do it in love, with compassion? Or do we sound more like task masters?

We all struggle with this from time to time, if we are honest with ourselves. I haven't arrived, yet, either.
How easy it is for us to plead for mercy and turn and show a lack of compassion and love to another.

Matthew 6:12 says,
"Forgive us our sins, as we forgive our debtors." (If the Father held us to the standard that we hold others to, how would we fare.) Reading the next verse, may make us want to consider, more seriously, how we do deal with forgiveness, when it comes to others.

Matthew 6:14-15 says,
"For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions."

Matthew 7:2-5 says,
"For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye."

Matthew 18:21-35 says,
"Then Peter came and said to Him, 'Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him?' 'Up to seven times?' Jesus said to him, 'I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.'
For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made.
So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.’ And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt.
But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you.’ But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed.
So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened. Then summoning him, his lord said to him, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?’
And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart."

It's easy for us to see the hypocrisy of this slave, but we, often, miss our own!

Luke 11:4 says,
"And forgive us our sins, For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation."

Luke 15:27 says,
"And He said to him, 'Your brother has come and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound.' But he became angry and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and began pleading with him. But he answered and said to his father, 'Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours; and yet you have never given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends; but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him."

The audience Jesus was talking to would have been repulsed by the actions of this son! He had the audacity to ask his father for his inheritance before his father was dead and went out and squandered it, with prostitutes, no less. He became so much in need that he was eating the pig slop where he was working. (Pigs were considered unclean by the Jews.) Now, this son is returning home in hopes to, at least, work for his father as a hired hand. But, the father, runs to meet him; he's been watching for his return. The father's response is as if he never sinned! The brother is outraged, but really his heart is moved by jealousy, a hatred for his brother. He's not angry with the sin, but at the sinner! Complete jealousy! Can we not relate to the brother's response? But Jesus tells this story for us to grasp the total forgiveness of the father! The father doesn't move in anger, but with complete forgiveness and love!

Romans 12:9-10 says,
"Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor."

Romans 15:1-2 says,
"Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves. Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification."

Romans 12:16 says,
"Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation."

1 Corinthians 13:1-4 says,
"Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails!"

May God bless us both, as we seek to put others first and always seeking to act in compassion and forgiveness ~ to be lacking in criticism and abounding in love! God's amazing love!