Focus: Colossians 3:13 - KJV
13. Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
Matthew 18:15-22
The Lord is pure and will not relate with impure vessels. Hence, David said only those with clean hands and pure hearts can ascend the hills of the Lord. That simply means there is no relating with God if we do not have pure hearts. Unclean hands are as a result of what we do with our hands, while impure hearts are borne out of offences and unforgiveness. It follows that our bad deeds or unforgiveness separates between us and our God. Incidentally, we cannot do anything without being in tune with our God. When we are so separated from God, we cannot expect to make a decree and have it established.
Jesus preached about forgiveness and insists we should forgive them that offend us as well as settle with those who have issues with us. He then told us that as we purify our hearts by forgiving others, we have the grace then to bind on earth and have it bound in heaven and what we loose remain loosed; also, that when two people come together in agreement touching anything on earth, it shall be released for their benefits by their father in heaven. Not only that, when two of us gather with clean hearts, He is there in the midst. It is fallacious for every congregation to assume therefore, that when they are gathered, God is in their midst. It is only those who gather with pure hearts and clean hands that God gives such grace of His presence unto.
The Lord therefore wants us to appreciate the essence of forgiveness so that we can take the full benefit of His promises. It ought to have been baffling to us that hitherto we had cried to God and nothing happened despite our numbers. It must surely be because of impurity in our hearts due to unforgiveness. We are to ensure we take full benefit of God by always forgiving the offenses of others. Indeed, we are better off forgiving anyone we relate with ahead of offense so as to be in tune with God, for even the Lord assures us that surely, offences shall come. If we are compelled to forgive and offences must surely come, we need to forgive people ahead of offense, to be fulfilling.
Please pray:
Thank you, Lord for showing us mercy for all our sins and deliberate misdeeds. As you have commanded, please help me to have the heart of flesh to forgive everyone that I encounter in life ahead of offence so that my heart can forever remain pure before you, in Jesus’ name. From this very day, let my decrees and commands be effective in the name of Jesus Christ. Please draw like minds to me that when we gather with pure hearts going forward, we may find you truly in our midst, in Jesus’ name.
Please share with others. God bless you.
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