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Peter thought he was being very generous by offering to forgive his brother seven times in one day, but Jesus said he should forgive him 490 times in one day. It would be impossible to have someone sin against you 490 times in one day. Jesus is actually saying that there should be no limit to our forgiveness.
When we are offended or hurt, we often feel justified in holding a grudge. The Old Testament law expressed this when it stated, "Eye for eye, tooth for tooth" (Ex. 21:23-25). Until the offense was paid, we did not feel free to forgive. However, God dealt with all men's offenses by placing sin upon the perfect Savior who was judged in place of every sinner of all time. To demand that others now earn our forgiveness is not Christ...
What does it mean to confess?
Let's imagine that confessing sins is just...
Verses 18 and 19 have many applications, but taken in context, they are specifically referring to church discipline. Some might think that church discipline is only symbolic and carries no real weight; however, Jesus is making it clear that in the spiritual realm, discipline that is directed by the Holy Spirit has much power.
The scriptural commands concerning church discipline are designed to help restore the brother or sister who is in sin just as much as they are designed to protect other members of the body from that...
One of the greatest truths of the Bible and also one of the hardest to comprehend, is that we are the objects of God's love. God didn't just pity us or feel some sense of moral obligation to save us. He saved us because of His infinite love for us (Jn. 3:16).
God loves people. He even loves those who have gone astray. As Jesus said in a similar parable (Lk. 15:7), "I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance."
Once we experience the life-changing power of Christ, there is a tendency to become harsh and impatient with others who continue to live their lives without Him. We sometimes forget that it was the love...
We have angels assigned to us. Hebrews 1:14 further reveals that their purpose is to minister to us (i.e. on our behalf). In the Old Testament, Psalm 91 teaches on the ministry of angels to God's people.
Some have realized this truth and have taken it even further to say that we are supposed to speak to our angels and they will obey our commands. There is no instruction in scripture to do this nor is there any example of it being done. Many of the angels' protective duties described in Psalm 91 are preventative, and we certainly could not effectively command these activities.
Rather, these angels are dispatched exactly as this verse describes - by looking at the...
I TOOK A LOT OF GRIEF OVER THIS TOPIC WHEN I FIRST WROTE ABOUT IT BUT WAS AGAIN ASKED ABOUT IT AND HAD QUITE A DISCUSSION OVER IT. I TOLD MY FRIEND I WOULD WRITE ABOUT IT AGAIN WITH ALL THE SCRIPTURES AND HE COULD DECIDED FOR HIMSELF. DON'T GET ME WRONG, I HAVE A LOT OF CATHOLIC FRIENDS AND LOVE EVERY ONE OF THEM. I ALSO LOVE MARY BECAUSE...
It is interesting that Jesus used a little child to illustrate humility. Although it is true that little children have a purity and humility that is many times missing in adults, they certainly are not selfless. A child comes into the world totally self-centered, wanting what he wants when he wants it. Parents are to train children out of this self-centeredness.
One of humility's dominant characteristics is a God-dependency and not a self-sufficiency. The truth of humility being the key to greatness or success was not new. Jesus gave this truth new meaning by walking in humility as no one ever had before.
This path of self-denial to greatness is exactly opposite to the world's path of...
HOW FAR WOULD YOU TRAVEL FOR JESUS?
AFTER THIS, HE HEARD THAT JOHN THE BAPTIST WAS IN PRISON AND HE LEFT NAZARETH AND WENT TO CAPERNAUM. WHEN WE READ SOMETHING LIKE THIS, WE NEVER CONSIDER HOW FAR THAT IS AND THEY WERE WALKING. ANOTHER EXAMPLE, MARY AND JOSEPH TRAVELED 70 MILES TO PAY THEIR TAXES. THAT HAD TO TAKE FOUR OR FIVE DAYS AND MARY WAS NINE MONTHS PREGNANT. BELOW I HAVE LISTED SOME MILEAGES FOR YOU TO LOOK AT.
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