Forgiving Grace



Going to a small university, you get to know almost everyone on campus.  Since it is a Christian university, I know people in multiple areas of ministry and missions.  It is also a Southern Baptist university, so the individuals that I know that are in the mission field are with the International Mission Board.  Two of my friends that are with the IMB are in Kurdish Iraq.  This area, also known as Kurdistan, had an election on Monday for secession from Iraq to form their own country.  There are a lot of international and local politics involved in this election.  I received an update from my friend today as an answer to prayer, “After a day of voting, all is calm here.  Thankful.”
The Kurdish people are the largest nation on earth without a country to all their own.  The Kurds say they have, “no friends but the mountains.”  The Kurdish people today are primarily Islamic, but this nation was some of the first Gentile believers.  They are scattered all over the Middle East.  Kurdish people are looked down on and deal with racism in the areas they live.  As a people, they have a great reason for anger, dissension, division, and envy of those who have self-rule.
Though I’m not Kurdish I often react with those feelings.  The Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Galatia and listed the results of the sinful nature.  Some of those listed are
    • quarreling,
    • jealousy,
    • outbursts of anger,
    • selfish ambition,
    • dissension,
    • division,
    • envy
I could boil all of these down into one phrase:  a fit.  Have you ever seen a fit?  Had a fit?  If you don’t know what a fit is, ask an Alabama native.  I believe a fit is the result of the sinful nature.
Paul also gives a list of the results of the Spirit.  He gives us a list of 9 attributes of the Spirit
    • love,
    • joy,
    • peace,
    • patience,
    • kindness,
    • goodness,
    • faithfulness,
    • gentleness,
    • self-control
These are not evident in a fit.  These are from the Spirit.  These are graceful.  This list is just an example of the results of the Spirit in our lives.  A life described by this list is a life that is forgiving.  Vengeance is not listed.  Revenge is not described.
Since our Lord was maligned, tried illegally, and executed unjustly; we should expect the same.  While being executed, Jesus said, “Father, forgive them.”  Stephen, our brother in the faith, that was also maligned and executed unjustly said, “Lord, do not hold this against them.”  In my natural self, I would want to have a fit.  Paul tells us in Galatians 5:24, “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.”
As a follower of Jesus Christ, I have the Spirit.  Through the Spirit, my natural man has been nailed to the Cross.  I no longer have to have fits when I am wronged.  I am given the Spirit of forgiveness.  I am free to forgive and live in peace.  It is only the Spirit that gives me this and frees me from the fit.

  1. Do you pitch fits rather than forgive?
  2. Do you struggle with forgiveness?

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