Tuesday, July 4, 2023.
BE IMITATORS OF GOD (II)
Read: Colossians 3:12,13
Colossians 3:12-13 (KJV) Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
MEMORISE: Therefore, I urge you, imitate me (1 Corinthians 4:16).
EXPOSITION
The Scripture says, But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more (Rom. 5:20). And what shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! The grace being spoken of here is forgiveness. God abounds so much in forgiveness that He designs a Christian's life after His order: As the Lord has forgiven you, so you also MUST forgive (Col. 3:13b). God-modelled forgiveness is all about dispensing mercy. Jesus says in Luke 6:36, Be merciful, even as your heavenly Father is merciful. And James builds on this by saying, For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. [For] mercy triumphs over judgement (2:13).
Therefore, the ones who show mercy, by forgiving others, will themselves receive forgiveness from God and avoid His judgement (Matt. 6:12,14-15). What is it that someone did to you, and you have not remitted God's kind of forgiveness? This is the second area of our lives, where we are specifically called to imitate God.
Offences are bound to occur (Lk. 17:1a), but Christians, by a much more abounding grace in Him, must learn to demonstrate the God kind of forgiveness. This is what Stephen demonstrated while he was being stoned to death, and through grace extension, Saul of Tarsus, one of the persecutors, encountered the same Christ that Stephen was martyred for: And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not charge them with this sin." And when he had said this, he fell asleep (i.e. died) (Acts 7:58-60). As dear children of God, imitate Him in the areas of forgiveness.
SUGGESTED HYMN FOR TODAY: CAC GHB 565
1. More holiness give me, more strivings within:
More patience in suffering, more sorrow for sin:
More faith in my Saviour, more sense of His care:
More joy in His service, more purpose in prayer.
2. More gratitude give me, more trust in the Lord
More zeal for His glory, more
hope in His word;
More tears for His sorrows, more
pain at His grief;
More meekness in trial, more
praise for relief.
3. More purity give me, more strength to o'ercome;
More freedom from earth-stains,
more longings for home.
More meet for Thy kingdom O
Lord, would I be,
More fruitful, more holy, more
Saviour, like Thee.
Amen.
PRAYER POINTS:
1. Every seed of bitterness and revenge, get out of me, today, in Jesus' name.
2. Think of some people you need to forgive and let go of, now. Ask God for forgiveness that you have kept them in you thus far. Forgive them right away.
3. Pray for CAC Sofia Ajayi Region, our father in the Lord, the Superintendent, and its officers at the various levels, as led by the Spirit of God
EXTRA READING FOR TODAY: Psalms 89:38-91:13
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