July 28, 2019 -- Luke 17:3-6 -- You'll be surprised by power

Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, 4 and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.” 5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 6 And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.

Luke 17:3-6 ESV

Currently I am reading a book by Jay Adams about Christian forgiveness. It is an excellent reminder of the command of Jesus with regards to forgiveness. Though I am just in the early chapters, I have been very impacted by these words:

But for now, two things may help: First, remember how many times each day Jesus forgives you.

Second, if you’ve really forgiven, it isn’t the seventh time, it isn’t the fifth, it isn’t even the second.

It is always the first.

Adams From Forgiven to Forgiving page 25

Unless we have a clear idea how many times, every day, every hour God forgives us in Christ we will have no sense of the fact that we are more sinning against God than ever we are sinned against by others. That is so humbling.

Then the apostles’ surprised, honest response makes so much sense: “Lord, increase our faith!” I am thinking they are asking for greater faith to be able to forgive. What they may not realize is how their spontaneous prayer actually applies.

First Jesus tells them all they need is a tiny bit of faith—like a small mustard seed. It is not great faith that acts on this, forgiving others is evidence of the smallest bit of faith.

Second, it is the work of God in us to help us, by this small faith, to see our own sinfulness and then to understand how much we have been forgiven therefore how much we ought to forgive.

And, we have so many things backwards. We are impressed by the possibility of faith being able to move a rooted tree and making it fly to the sea—and some spend much time thinking that is the thrust of the passage—let my faith teleport things! That is misguided. The real impressive and powerful point is that forgiving others is greater, more powerful, requires more of the Spirit than merely uprooting trees.

Today, ask the Spirit of God to show you how much you have been forgiven, how much you are being forgiven.

Then ask the Spirit of God to lead you in the path of obedience so that you forgive others—fully, freely, as if each request is the first time they have asked for it.

God, I confess, to my way of thinking, such forgiveness as You require is more impressive and has greater grandeur than the vast swirling masses of stars in the Milky Way. Thank You for the great and glorious forgiveness that is mine in Christ! I can not begin to comprehend the full extent of it. Spirit of God, in view of the glory of Jesus Christ, I surrender myself to You—work in me and through me faith so that I will be a Christian who forgives as fully and as freely as I have been forgiven. Bring to mind anyone whom I need to approach about any unforgiveness lingering in my heart. Spirit prompt me to holy boldness to work for reconciliation—even as Christ Who for the joy set before Him endured suffering, even the cross and scorned its shame—so let me scorn my own pride and be a forgiven Christian who, in Jesus’ Name, forgives. Amen.