by Paul Bayles, Pastor, Christ Community Church Canoga Park, Calif.
HUME LAKE
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(near Kings Canyon National Park) 65 miles east of Fresno, California Children and Youth Camps Adult Bible Conferences Fishing Boating Swimming Crafts Horseback Riding Season: April 27 to October 31 for particulars write: WALTER A. WARKENTIN,
I n an article originally published in Christian Herald, John Lage- mann, the author, writes, “ There is always something miraculous about the way forgiveness reconciles the ir reconcilable. My father called for giveness ‘The saving grace’ . Essential ly it is a religious concept: ‘Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us’. Modem psy chiatry teaches . . . that ‘the experi ence of forgiving and accepting for giveness is a prime characteristic of the happy, creative personality’.” Forgiveness truly is the saving grace. There are elements within for giveness that make it a healing and maturing experience. These elements must be understood and accepted. They are as follows: 1. Forgiving must be balanced with the acknowledged need to be forgiv en. A husband said of his wife, “My wife and I have had trouble in our marriage. We have been separated for some months. We hurt each oth er. For a while I hated her. Now I don’t hold a grudge against her at all. I could even take her back now!” This was one man’s concept of for giveness. He felt very self-righteous. His wife had wronged him, but he was now gracious enough to go and tell her that he forgave her. It was necessary for them to see that each needed to seek the other’s forgiveness before forgiving could be meaningful. Acknowledgement of this personal need removes “ nobility” from forgiv ing. 2. The real reasons for forgiveness must be faced. Lagemann tells of a young couple married for two years. Julia discovered from letters in John’s suitcase that he had been unfaithful to her. She kept her knowledge within herself, but the longer she suppressed her bitterness, the stronger it grew. She began to drink and to neglect her appearance. One day John discovered that Julia knew, so he confessed his wrong and
asked to be forgiven. Julia agreed to forget the past, but it kept returning, causing bitterness and torment. A marriage counselor made them see their mistake: “ Instead of forgiv ing, you have tried to pretend there was nothing to forgive.” They both had to face the pain and shame of their wrong. As suppressed resent ment was honestly expressed, love be gan to return. “ Forgiveness,” writes Lagemann, “ does not undo what has already been done; it enables us to accept what has been done and to go on from there.” This is not to encourage “ confes sionals” in marriage. Where wrongs are not known, the violator must si lently bear the burden of not being forgiven by the partner, as part of the consequence of the wrong done. 3. We cannot accept God’s forgive ness until we also forgive. Perhaps this is part of the significance of Mat thew 6:14, 15. If we do not sincerely forgive, but speak superficially and self-righteously about forgiving our partners, we will be suspicious of God’s promises of forgiveness through Christ. We will project our own glib ness and artificiality on God. We will find it impossible to accept, without doubt and suspicion, the pure and gracious forgiveness of God. 4. The more conscious we are of the scope of God’s forgiveness toward us, the more real and genuine the quality of our forgiveness will be. Married people should comprehend the principle in Ephesians 4:32. The closer our communion with God is, through personal and church worship, the deeper will be our grasp of just how much God has forgiven us. This awareness may develop atti tudes of kindness, humility and ten derness which can make us able to for give as we are forgiven. No marriage exists without the op portunity for mutual forgiveness. Un less we forgive, we cannot love. With out love we perish. KFAX, 1100 kc, 8:45 A.M/ * KEAR, 97.3 (FM), 10:30 A.M. KGO, 810 kc, 9:00 P.M. I
Executive Director HUME LAKE, INC. 848 "U " Street Fresno 21, California
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PROBLEM BOYS Find the Lord Jesus Christ at New Life Youth Ranch, Rt. #6, Box 205, Placerville, California. Prayerful and material support needed. Faith work. Tax deductible. Phil Thatcher, Founder, President.
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TODAY 'S DECEIVER The Bible and Science vs. Alcohol by Helen M. Allen
if you live in SAN FRANCISCO “ The Bible Institu te H our”
Consultant, Narcotic Education, National W CTU Facing the Alcohol Problem. An inspiring edu cational tool for use by young people and adults in churches and church schools. 60c per copy. Order NOW from: National WCTU Publishing House 1730 Chicago Ave. Dept. KB Evanston, III.
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