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The Glorious Impact of Forgiveness in Churches
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“I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you,”1 said Jesus.
His whole life was one of loving service, first unto God, and then out to others. And He calls us to do the same.
Our first act of service is to live a life of forgiveness towards others. Thus, we set out on the path of Christlikeness simply by adopting this loving disposition – as we do what He has done for us.
- Interpersonal forgiveness is essential to nurture and sustain love within church congregations.
- Love within our churches is so important that Jesus framed His instruction as a commandment, saying, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another as I have loved you.”2
- Jesus said He would destroy the Jewish Temple and rebuild it in three days. Of course, He was talking about His bodily resurrection.3
- His body is the new temple made without hands.4 Scripture also tells us that each Christian is a temple of the Holy Spirit.5 And further to this, Peter tells us that as living stones, the Church is being built up as the corporate temple of God6 and love is the mortar that holds this glorious structure together.
- In short, the new temple is Jesus; it is individual Christians who truly live in Him; and it is Christians loving one another.
- God will fill and indwell such a temple as this.7
- Here is a call for maturity in the Church signalling the growth of the Kingdom of God over all the earth.
- Humility and forgiveness are elements of loving one another and represent the first steps towards genuine renewal in our churches.
- Remember, prior to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, “They were all with one accord in one place.”8 The cleanliness of love preceded the coming of the Spirit in the upper room. And that same cleanliness between Christians in a congregation will precede another outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon such a church.
- God cannot fill a dirty vessel, because our remnant carnality and the Holy Spirit are in bitter opposition, having no common ground. The Blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin. But each of us must also supplement our imputed cleanliness with our own acts of forgiveness towards others.9
- Jesus said to His disciples, “Greater works … shall [you] do because I go to My Father.”10He was speaking of a time when the Holy Spirit would be poured out at Pentecost. Greater works are only possible as we reside together in Him [the Temple of His Body].
- Out of this beautiful holy union with each other, our Saviour and our heavenly Father, those glorious ‘greater works’ will manifest through us to affect the entire globe.11
- And through the Person and power of the Holy Spirit, the Church rises to destroy the works of Satan as Jesus foresaw.
- Such is the importance of forgiveness and love in our churches.
References
- John 13:15
- John 13:34
- John 2:18-21
- Hebrews 9:11
- 1 Corinthians 6:19
- 1 Peter 2:4-5
- 2 Chronicles 5:14
- Acts 2:1
- Matthew 18:21-35
- John 14:12
- John 17:20-23
