Recently I was in a nosedive. Too many things seemed too hard. But God always provides something to help me pull up. This time it was the following prayer from Valley of Vision. It reminded me of the hard but helpful truth that my challenges aren’t random. They’re appointed by God, if for no other reason than’ to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the… Read More »He Gave You That Cross
For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. 2 Corinthians 7.10 Some people talk as though ‘guilt’ is a bad thing. But if someone steals your wallet, wouldn’t you like them to feel guilt? That might motivate them to return it or at least not repeat the crime in future. Guilt is like a warning light on your car dashboard. Is that… Read More »Guilt, Grace and Godliness
A basic meaning of the New Testament word ‘forgive’ is ‘release’ or ‘cancel’, as with a debt. Hence the ESV of the Lord’s Prayer says: ‘forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.’ To ‘forgive’ a debt means promising that you won’t ‘call it in’. But that doesn’t mean pretending the wrong never happened. Cancelling a debt doesn’t mean you have to lend again. Hence Jesus highlights… Read More »Three Rs of Forgiveness