Being Merciful

[Chad]

Being Merciful

Zac Poonen

We all have a flesh and we are living among others who have a flesh. And so we are constantly liable to injure one another knowingly and unknowingly. The only place where we'll never get hurt by anyone is in heaven. And so we need to forgive one another as long as we live on this earth. To err is human, to forgive is divine.

One of the features of hell is that there is no mercy there. And in the measure in which you lack mercy in your heart towards others, in that measure you have got a little bit of hell right inside your heart. If you are unwilling to forgive someone, you've got a little bit of hell inside you. You may be considered very pious by others, because of all your religious activity. But you've got this little bit of hell right inside you all the time. And you can't go to heaven in that condition - because you can't take hell into heaven. You've got to get rid of it before you leave this earth.

That's why the Lord taught us to pray, "Forgive us in exactly the same way that we have forgiven others."

When we don't forgive others, it can affect our bodies too. Disobedience to God's laws often brings physical suffering.

If you bear a grudge against someone in your heart or if you're jealous of someone, and thus violate God's law of love, it can finally begin to affect your body. There are Christians today suffering from arthritis, migraine, rheumatism and asthma etc., who can't be healed - just because they have a grudge against someone. They may take any number of pills but they're not going to be healed until they learn to forgive. The cause of such diseases is not organic. It's not in their body. It is in their soul.

If you have not forgiven your brother or sister, God will not listen to your prayer. The Bible says in Psalm 66:18: "If I regard wickedness in my heart, the Lord will not hear." It's not only that He doesn't answer, he doesn't even HEAR.

Let's not fool ourselves. True forgiveness follows brokenness and confession, and that involves a recognition of the rottenness of our flesh, a willingness to make any restitution and to ask anyone's forgiveness if necessary, if only our relationship with God can be straightened out.

In Mat.6:12 Jesus taught us to pray "Forgive US." We want our brothers to be forgiven too. Sometimes, it's possible to have a secret hope that a brother will be judged by God for the way he has treated us. Such an attitude is Satanic - for it's only the devil who wants people to be punished by God.

Jesus said, "I have washed your feet and you must wash one another's feet" (Jn. 13:14). That means that when you see dirt on your brother's feet (spiritually speaking), you must long for him to be cleansed too.

"Forgive US" means, "Father, I won't be satisfied if you just forgive me my sins. There are other brothers and sisters around me. I want you to forgive them their sins too. Amen."

 

[choy]

Corporate concern for forgiveness is a real need. We should do it as a church. Well, there are some who may find this difficult, and I suggest that they start with praying "Your will be done on earth," instead of wishing people they dislike ill will. Thanks for this message!

 

[AudreyNicole]

Being Merciful

...And in the measure in which you lack mercy in your heart towards others, in that measure you have got a little bit of hell right inside your heart...

"Forgive US" means, "Father, I won't be satisfied if you just forgive me my sins. There are other brothers and sisters around me. I want you to forgive them their sins too. Amen."

Hell in your heart! That is such a provocative but beneficial statement. I am a very visual person and this visual will definitely be with me the next time I am unjustly treated and am tempted to hold a grudge! It is a helpful reminder of who it is we are representing.

When I was first saved I remember I was having trouble with a bully in my life, and it was so easy to hate him and wish him harm in his life. But I decided one day to let God take control and show me how to be merciful. So when this bully yelled at me and said awful things about me to others, I simply forgave him and prayed for him. And the next day there were no more hurtful words; he actually encouraged me and helped teach me something I had been struggling with in class. I was so thankful to the Lord and now I know exactly what it means to forgive others and hold only love in my heart!

 

[David777]

Attitude

Luke 18:10-15(NASB)

"Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.


11 "The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: 'God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.

12 'I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.'

13 "But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, the sinner!'
14 "I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted."

Notice the attitude of the tax collector. He was unlikely to have a problem with his brother. Whereas the Pharisee has a problem with everyone who is not as holy as he is. Humility is everything, it prevents the chronic problem of self righteousness.

How could the Pharisee forgive anyone, he is self absorbed.

 

[The Robster]

Being Merciful

Zac Poonen

One of the features of hell is that there is no mercy there. And in the measure in which you lack mercy in your heart towards others, in that measure you have got a little bit of hell right inside your heart. If you are unwilling to forgive someone, you've got a little bit of hell inside you. You may be considered very pious by others, because of all your religious activity. But you've got this little bit of hell right inside you all the time. And you can't go to heaven in that condition - because you can't take hell into heaven. You've got to get rid of it before you leave this earth.

Well this Poonen fellow is making an absurd claim that he certainly can't back up with scripture. Our salvation is not conditional as he is trying to suggest by stating that someone can't go to Heaven because they have not forgiven someone. I mean seriously does this guy even own a Bible. Where does it state that all of our sins are forgiven at the Cross and that we receive the gift of salvation by believeing in Christ, BUT if we don't forgive someone we can't go to Heaven? I mean its crazy the kind of nonsense that gets spread among Christians without one scripture to back up such a claim. People should get used to the fact that when we go to Heaven, we will have plenty of carnal Christians there. We will have plenty of Christians who took their salvation and never did much for the kingdom. They have no fruit to show the Lord, but they are saved nonetheless. Its just the way it is and it shows you just how far superior Abba's standard of mercy and forgiveness is than ours.

There are so many things that Christians are not doing under Grace yet they are saved by God's Grace. Grace is so much bigger than someone failing to forgive someone. And you know what Mr. Poonen? Jesus' blood is not the blood of an animal. A sin is defined as MISSING THE MARK. That's what a sin is. Someone who has received the gift of salvation is saved and going to Heaven if they received that gift, regardless if they have forgiven every person who has wronged them. Yea people should forgive but people don't always do what they are supposed to. This is the kind of "religious preaching" straight from the mouth of a Pharisee. Always trying to disqualify God's people from His blessings. This is the kind of junk that puts people into religious bondage and that makes people feel guilty and condemned and inadequate before the Lord. This Poonen character should quit writing this nonscriptural junk that's nothing more than a pig with lipstick on. Thank God Jesus doesn't pick people apart for what they fail to do in this life. His forgiveness and salvation doesn't come attached with Law requirements as this author is trying to suggest. Its a free gift that is received by believing not by DOING anything. This is the kind of junk that creates such an awful image of the Lord and creates doubt and uncertainty among people and its unscriptural and something the Devil would author.

 

[Hekuran]

Can you show the scriptural basis for identifying the opening post as unscriptural.

People should get used to the fact that when we go to Heaven, we will have plenty of carnal Christians there. We will have plenty of Christians who took their salvation and never did much for the kingdom. They have no fruit to show the Lord, but they are saved nonetheless.​

And what scripture prompted that observation? Sermon on the Mount?