PB&J

Good morning and welcome in today. Today we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture before we do that I wanted to ask you a question. 

Can you imagine having a bowl of cereal without milk? Would you have a fish fry without any fish? There are many things in this life that were meant to be together.  For example, a man and wife or a thumb and your fingers.

In Christianity, forgiveness and reconciliation are two things that are inseparable.  They are like peanut butter and jelly, or athletic socks and running shoes. Without reconciliation forgiveness never really happened in a person’s heart. If you truly don’t forgive others you will never truly reconcile with them.

The Bible teaches that through forgiveness in Christ, each of us can be reconciled unto the heavenly Father. Without forgiveness and reconciliation, none of us would be able to be in Heaven someday.  As I’ve taught for 20 years, and I’ll teach the rest of my life, if there’s no reconciliation, forgiveness never took place in a person’s heart.  Anyone who teaches otherwise is a cold-hearted liar.  

How can one possibly think God forgives them but then doesn’t allow them into heaven to be with him for eternity?  That is one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever heard but there are numerous treacherous false prophets who preach this bunk online.

Forgiveness and reconciliation are two fingers on the same hand. Reconciliation doesn’t happen because of people’s unforgiving and bitter heart.  It’s only a grudge that’s covered up in a cloak of religion. Reconciliation is a huge part of the Christian life because without it, you cannot access heaven. Reconciliation is so important that it is referred to as God’s Ministry.  That’s a very important ministry isn’t it?

2 Cor 5:17-19

17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

Impute to say that someone is responsible for something that has happened, especially something bad, or that something is the cause of something else

A prosecuting attorney might do this in a court of law but if Christ had chose to do this, neither they nor any of us would be here on the Earth today.  Jesus is God and could have destroyed the entire world but He chose not to.  

One thing that the religious leaders of Jesus day couldn’t figure out was that true justice involves mercy. Justice is about understanding that what you did was wrong but it also involves mercy towards an offender. If one of the other is missing it’s an offense to God.

The real question comes down to whether you want to live forever in paradise.  Do you want to live in eternal bliss or eternal punishment?  If you’re incapable of forgiving others and reconciling with them all you have to look forward to is God’s wrath and judgment.

I think most of my family understands my favorite passage in the Bible.  It is a passage that teaches all of the main elements of Christianity.  

Luke 15:11-32

11 And he said, A certain man had two sons:

12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.

13 And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.

14 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.

15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.

16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.

17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!

18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,

19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.

20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.

21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.

22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:

23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:

24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

25 Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing.

26 And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant.

27 And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound.

28 And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him.

29 And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:

30 But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.

31 And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.

32 It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.

This parable teaches the consequences and suffering that results from sinful behavior. It shows Godly sorrow for the wrongs that were committed. It reveals a repentant change of the heart. It shows that he wanted things to be the way that they were in the past, insomuch that he returned.  He admitted his own faults.  He was embraced and forgiven.  He was reconciled and the life that he had in the past was completely restored.

Can you imagine coming home to apologize and your dad telling you to take a hike?  Can you imagine him saying I truly forgive you in my heart but I don’t want you living here anymore? These are things that people are falsely teaching in the world today. They teach that there is a non-reconciliation forgiveness. That’s like teaching that there’s a regular BLT without bacon, or ordering a pizza without a crust.  As the prophets taught, the ones that you are listening to are leading you astray.

The reason why people don’t want to reconcile is because they hate the other person in their heart. They never forgave them the way that God does. Without reconciliation, people will be damned because it’s really not forgiveness.

If you do not forgive the way Christ forgives, He is not going to forgive you at all. When Jesus forgives us, He does not hold resentment against us. that’s the difference between Earthly fleshy forgiveness of this world and the Divine forgiveness of God.  

Reconciliation is so important to God that he doesn’t even want your gift in the offering plate until you reconcile with others you have wronged.  To do such a thing only reveals the same kind of religion that the Pharisees were filled with.

So when you forgive other people do you reconcile with them as was the case of the prodigal son? Do you forget the past and move on as God does?

… or is your peanut butter and jelly sandwich missing half the ingredients?

Let’s think about those things for today and Lord willing  I’ll talk to you some more tomorrow.  Till then, bye bye everybody.💖.

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