Friday, April 8, 2022
And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you
– Ephesians 4:32
The one thing essential for us in order that we may receive and impart the forgiving love of God is to know and believe the love that He has to us. 1 John 4:16. Satan is working by every deception he can command, in order that we may not discern that love. He will lead us to think that our mistakes and transgressions have been so grievous that the Lord will not have respect unto our prayers and will not bless and save us. In ourselves we can see nothing but weakness, nothing to recommend us to God, and Satan tells us that it is of no use; we cannot remedy our defects of character. When we try to come to God, the enemy will whisper, it is of no use for you to pray; did not you do that evil thing? Have you not sinned against God and violated your own conscience? But we may tell the enemy that “the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.” 1 John 1:7. When we feel that we have sinned and cannot pray, it is then the time to pray. Ashamed we may be and deeply humbled, but we must pray and believe. “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.” 1 Timothy 1:15. Forgiveness, reconciliation with God, comes to us, not as a reward for our works, it is not bestowed because of the merit of sinful men, but it is a gift unto us, having in the spotless righteousness of Christ its foundation for bestowal. {Pr 298.3}
God in Christ gave Himself for our sins. He suffered the cruel death of the cross, bore for us the burden of guilt, “the just for the unjust,” that He might reveal to us His love and draw us to Himself. And He says, “Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, even as God also in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32 , R.V. Let Christ, the divine Life, dwell in you and through you reveal the heaven-born love that will inspire hope in the hopeless and bring heaven’s peace to the sin-stricken heart. As we come to God, this is the condition which meets us at the threshold, that, receiving mercy from Him, we yield ourselves to reveal His grace to others. {MB 114.2}
Heart Questions: Do you know and believe the Lord that God has for you? Because of your sin or yielding to your weakness, do you feel like you can’t pray or do you believe that the blood of Jesus cleanses you from all sins? Do you recognize that forgiveness, reconciled us with God and that it is a gift from God because of His spotless righteousness? Are you, just like Jesus kind to one another, tenderhearted, and forgiving each other? Are you with confident coming to God that you receive mercy from Him and is yielding yourself to reveal His grace to others?
- Pray for the Holy Spirit to develop in you, tenderheartedness and the divine Life of Christ so that you can reveal the heaven-board love that will inspire hope in the hopeless and bring heaven’s peace to the sin-stricken heart.
- Pray that church members in El Salvador would understand that the Seventh-day Adventist Church is a prophetic movement with a prophetic message entrusted by heaven with a very special prophetic mission, and now is the time to shine for God’s glory.
- Pray for the homeless ministries. Pray for all who are involved to be a spirit-filled reflection of Jesus as they serve the homeless.
- Pray that the Network of Online Witnesses (NOW) will be implemented and become an effective tool for witnessing.