Adolf Hitler, Abortion, and the Gospel: Ray Comfort and “180” Movie

Some of my friends (Wanda, Chris, Kevin, and maybe others) have posted a documentary video on their Facebook page. I began to ponder what this video meant. This morning, therefore, I took the time to watch it. In the first few seconds into the movie, out comes this question, “Have you heard of Adolf Hitler?” Ray Comfort, who is interviewing the people on the street, is a Jewish and was deeply concerned with this current generation because they are forgetting the greatest tragedy that has happened on the face of human history.

He initiates the conversation by asking them about Adolf Hitler and what they thought about him and if his movement (murdering the Jews) was evil. Surprisingly, some of the people he interviewed didn’t know who he was, let alone showing a photograph of him. Some gave honest opinions and answers, and some were outrageous.

He connects the event of Holocaust to the modern activist of abortion. The people saw the Jews were, indeed, human beings, but what makes it difference in murdering a child in a woman? Comfort gave them a statement and wants them to finish the sentence, “It is okay to kill the child in the womb when ________.” It shockingly challenged them to think about the mentality that they have and what they believe to be moral and true. In addition, he challenges their perspective of abortion, good, evil, sin, God, heaven, hell, judgement, salvation, Jesus, the Cross and the Gospel. As shocking as it was to watch some of the conversations and worldviews expressed in them, the conclusions at the end were equally powerful in their impact.

After watching the documentary, I was confounded by the conversation. It got me thinking more critically about how I go out sharing with my friends to a bunch of strangers. The passion that I have, along with Ray Comfort, is to engage in people’s worldview and asking right questions to get this current generation to think deeper and critically about life. I would lovingly say that a lot of the interviewees were hypocrites. The answers given by one situation contradicts with the other situation. Most of them do value human lives. Knowing that the murder of the Jewish lives is not right, what makes it right to abort a child in a mother’s womb even if the situation (e.g. rape or financial problems or not ready) is different? I would encourage you to take the time and watch the documentary below:

I thoroughly enjoy the fact that Comfort is engaging with strangers and challenging them to think critically. Even through the conversation, he pointed them to Jesus Christ. As a Christian, I desire to be fill with the Holy Spirit and see people discover Jesus. As Apostle Paul said to the church at Rome and Corinth:

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.

And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them. ” (Romans 1:18-32 ESV)

“For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.”
(1 Corinthians 1:25-29 ESV)

“For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.” (2 Corinthians 10:3-6 ESV)

Adolf Hitler, Abortion, and the Gospel: Ray Comfort and "180" Movie

Some of my friends (Wanda, Chris, Kevin, and maybe others) have posted a documentary video on their Facebook page. I began to ponder what this video meant. This morning, therefore, I took the time to watch it. In the first few seconds into the movie, out comes this question, “Have you heard of Adolf Hitler?” Ray Comfort, who is interviewing the people on the street, is a Jewish and was deeply concerned with this current generation because they are forgetting the greatest tragedy that has happened on the face of human history.

He initiates the conversation by asking them about Adolf Hitler and what they thought about him and if his movement (murdering the Jews) was evil. Surprisingly, some of the people he interviewed didn’t know who he was, let alone showing a photograph of him. Some gave honest opinions and answers, and some were outrageous.

He connects the event of Holocaust to the modern activist of abortion. The people saw the Jews were, indeed, human beings, but what makes it difference in murdering a child in a woman? Comfort gave them a statement and wants them to finish the sentence, “It is okay to kill the child in the womb when ________.” It shockingly challenged them to think about the mentality that they have and what they believe to be moral and true. In addition, he challenges their perspective of abortion, good, evil, sin, God, heaven, hell, judgement, salvation, Jesus, the Cross and the Gospel. As shocking as it was to watch some of the conversations and worldviews expressed in them, the conclusions at the end were equally powerful in their impact.

After watching the documentary, I was confounded by the conversation. It got me thinking more critically about how I go out sharing with my friends to a bunch of strangers. The passion that I have, along with Ray Comfort, is to engage in people’s worldview and asking right questions to get this current generation to think deeper and critically about life. I would lovingly say that a lot of the interviewees were hypocrites. The answers given by one situation contradicts with the other situation. Most of them do value human lives. Knowing that the murder of the Jewish lives is not right, what makes it right to abort a child in a mother’s womb even if the situation (e.g. rape or financial problems or not ready) is different? I would encourage you to take the time and watch the documentary below:

I thoroughly enjoy the fact that Comfort is engaging with strangers and challenging them to think critically. Even through the conversation, he pointed them to Jesus Christ. As a Christian, I desire to be fill with the Holy Spirit and see people discover Jesus. As Apostle Paul said to the church at Rome and Corinth:

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.

And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them. ” (Romans 1:18-32 ESV)

“For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.”
(1 Corinthians 1:25-29 ESV)

“For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.” (2 Corinthians 10:3-6 ESV)

Word On The Street: Grace

For the past  week, I was in shocked to see my friends walk away from Jesus. Even today, I grief for them. I think God ordained this time for me to write another post to edify those who are in pain to see their friends saying they walk away from Jesus, find Jesus not relevant, deny Jesus as their Lord and Savior, don’t see any love coming from Jesus, and many more reasons.

Take at least few minutes to read Luke 15:11-32.

My assumption to those who reads this entry would know this famous parable that Jesus taught – Parable of the Prodigal Son. The younger son asks for his father’s inheritance – half of it. And then he goes out and blows the money through partying like a rock star. After spending all the money, he goes out and work to make a living out of a worse labor job ever. Despite all the effort he made, nobody, not even his friends, gave him anything. He was left alone and abandoned by the world.A lot of people are totally depraved in this world. Their eyes are blinded by the gods of this world from seeing the light of the gospel. Claiming to be wise, they became fools. The prodigal son could have ended at Luke 15:16 and the story could have been told like that. Jesus could have told that the moral of the story is this: “Don’t be an idiot like this son at the end of his life.”

Here is a single word that changes everything: BUT. Jesus, however, continues the story with an amazing redemption for this pathetic son. His mind clicks. When the son came to himself he realized that his sin was not only against his earthly father but in the deepest sense against heaven, that is, against God himself. I do not believe, however, that it was any human conscience that caused this son to realize his sin. Don’t get me wrong, I believe that people can realize their mistakes and try to change it. In Biblical sense, the consciousness of realizing one’s sin that moves him or her to repentance can only be done by the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, the son was deeply sorrowful for the foolish mistake he made for walking his own way and finds words to say to his father before he sees him.

The Father sees his son at the distance. He runs to embrace him and love him. The son confesses his sin to him, and the father throws a party for him because he “was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.”

Some of us have went to church only during for Sunday school. Somehow this world (e.g. videogame, girlfriend, boyfriend, partying, smoking, getting drunk) was more attractive than God; therefore, we chose to walk away from God and indulge in this world. At the end of the day, this world leaves you nothing but suffering and emptiness. However, no matter where we are at with God, we are either a friend of Him or a foe. Not everyone will have this “BUT” in their lives where they realize what in the world they are doing with their lives. Some will continuously be stiff-necked, stubborn, and arrogant to continue their folly, which in the end leads them to their destruction – hell.

God is waiting for you to come back to Him and truly want you to experience His unconditionally love and irresistible grace. Good news is this: God extends His grace to you, first, by embracing and hugging you. Referencing from what Reality Church states: The goal of the Gospel is not the gifts God gives, but rather God as the gift given to us by grace.

I will say this again: the gospel always makes the difference in our lives.

“Your GRACE has found me just as I am.” (Majesty by Delirious)

Word On The Street: Grace

For the past  week, I was in shocked to see my friends walk away from Jesus. Even today, I grief for them. I think God ordained this time for me to write another post to edify those who are in pain to see their friends saying they walk away from Jesus, find Jesus not relevant, deny Jesus as their Lord and Savior, don’t see any love coming from Jesus, and many more reasons.

Take at least few minutes to read Luke 15:11-32.

My assumption to those who reads this entry would know this famous parable that Jesus taught – Parable of the Prodigal Son. The younger son asks for his father’s inheritance – half of it. And then he goes out and blows the money through partying like a rock star. After spending all the money, he goes out and work to make a living out of a worse labor job ever. Despite all the effort he made, nobody, not even his friends, gave him anything. He was left alone and abandoned by the world.A lot of people are totally depraved in this world. Their eyes are blinded by the gods of this world from seeing the light of the gospel. Claiming to be wise, they became fools. The prodigal son could have ended at Luke 15:16 and the story could have been told like that. Jesus could have told that the moral of the story is this: “Don’t be an idiot like this son at the end of his life.”

Here is a single word that changes everything: BUT. Jesus, however, continues the story with an amazing redemption for this pathetic son. His mind clicks. When the son came to himself he realized that his sin was not only against his earthly father but in the deepest sense against heaven, that is, against God himself. I do not believe, however, that it was any human conscience that caused this son to realize his sin. Don’t get me wrong, I believe that people can realize their mistakes and try to change it. In Biblical sense, the consciousness of realizing one’s sin that moves him or her to repentance can only be done by the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, the son was deeply sorrowful for the foolish mistake he made for walking his own way and finds words to say to his father before he sees him.

The Father sees his son at the distance. He runs to embrace him and love him. The son confesses his sin to him, and the father throws a party for him because he “was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.”

Some of us have went to church only during for Sunday school. Somehow this world (e.g. videogame, girlfriend, boyfriend, partying, smoking, getting drunk) was more attractive than God; therefore, we chose to walk away from God and indulge in this world. At the end of the day, this world leaves you nothing but suffering and emptiness. However, no matter where we are at with God, we are either a friend of Him or a foe. Not everyone will have this “BUT” in their lives where they realize what in the world they are doing with their lives. Some will continuously be stiff-necked, stubborn, and arrogant to continue their folly, which in the end leads them to their destruction – hell.

God is waiting for you to come back to Him and truly want you to experience His unconditionally love and irresistible grace. Good news is this: God extends His grace to you, first, by embracing and hugging you. Referencing from what Reality Church states: The goal of the Gospel is not the gifts God gives, but rather God as the gift given to us by grace.

I will say this again: the gospel always makes the difference in our lives.

“Your GRACE has found me just as I am.” (Majesty by Delirious)

Unanswered Prayer?

This is the first entry on the new category that I am posting. It is called Edifying. In this entire blog, my purpose is to make less of myself, and make much more of Jesus Christ. Lifting up His name which is above every name in this world. As much as I want to glorify Jesus Christ, I also desire to help other Christians by edifying and encouraging them to see that “Jesus is most glorified when we are most satisfied in Him”, in reference from John Piper’s quote.

There are many prayers that are unanswered in my life. I could go through a list of them, but I just want to specify some just to make my point. My family is non-Christian, and I am praying for them to come to know the knowledge and the work of Jesus Christ. Basically I desire them to be saved. By the sovereignty of God, He has not yet done so. I am currently still jobless, and I have been searching for a job during summer. Sometimes I get stressed out and frustrated when I cannot get a job offer. In all honesty, sometimes I wonder if God can hear me. As sinful as I am, I do worry and doubt.

Even James clearly says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.” (James 1:5-6)

“You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” (James 4:2-3)

Strong and convicting passages. The gospel ultimately makes a difference in our lives whether we realize it or not. Because I believe the gospel isn’t just only words or a message, but, as Paul says it, it is “also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction.” (1 Thessalonians 1:5) Jesus Christ, who claimed to be God, was crucified on the cross, died for my sin (my anxiety, my unbelief) and has resurrected from the dead and now all authority in heaven and on earth belongs to Him. Therefore, I trust Jesus who has foreknowledge of my life. As God said, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope” so that I could put my worries to death and my anxieties will NOT be placed in worldliness (Jeremiah 29:11).

Prayer is not about getting something from God, but it is about talking to God as your Father (Psalm 5:1-3; Philippians 4:4-7; Matthew 6:5-13). Jesus knows what we need in our daily lives. Knowing what Jesus has done for us, we need to respond back to Him. Repent of our anxiety in trusting ourselves, our own control in dealing with life, and the mentality of thinking you have everything under control regarding your future, and turn and trust in Jesus who is sovereign over your life, and He also hears your prayer and has already answered it.

“Seek the LORD while he may be found;
call upon him while he is near;
let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him,
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
(Isaiah 55:6-9)

You know what, there are many reasons why we can’t seem to see God answering our prayers. Sometimes I can relate to the psalmist in Psalms 13. I highly encourage you to listen to what Francis Chan says in “what we should do about unanswered prayer” in the link below:

http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/what-should-we-do-about-unanswered-prayer#ooid=d3MWhwMjpcdQyZoY3HN8GYpzYReT9j7c

Unanswered Prayer?

This is the first entry on the new category that I am posting. It is called Edifying. In this entire blog, my purpose is to make less of myself, and make much more of Jesus Christ. Lifting up His name which is above every name in this world. As much as I want to glorify Jesus Christ, I also desire to help other Christians by edifying and encouraging them to see that “Jesus is most glorified when we are most satisfied in Him”, in reference from John Piper’s quote.

There are many prayers that are unanswered in my life. I could go through a list of them, but I just want to specify some just to make my point. My family is non-Christian, and I am praying for them to come to know the knowledge and the work of Jesus Christ. Basically I desire them to be saved. By the sovereignty of God, He has not yet done so. I am currently still jobless, and I have been searching for a job during summer. Sometimes I get stressed out and frustrated when I cannot get a job offer. In all honesty, sometimes I wonder if God can hear me. As sinful as I am, I do worry and doubt.

Even James clearly says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.” (James 1:5-6)

“You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” (James 4:2-3)

Strong and convicting passages. The gospel ultimately makes a difference in our lives whether we realize it or not. Because I believe the gospel isn’t just only words or a message, but, as Paul says it, it is “also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction.” (1 Thessalonians 1:5) Jesus Christ, who claimed to be God, was crucified on the cross, died for my sin (my anxiety, my unbelief) and has resurrected from the dead and now all authority in heaven and on earth belongs to Him. Therefore, I trust Jesus who has foreknowledge of my life. As God said, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope” so that I could put my worries to death and my anxieties will NOT be placed in worldliness (Jeremiah 29:11).

Prayer is not about getting something from God, but it is about talking to God as your Father (Psalm 5:1-3; Philippians 4:4-7; Matthew 6:5-13). Jesus knows what we need in our daily lives. Knowing what Jesus has done for us, we need to respond back to Him. Repent of our anxiety in trusting ourselves, our own control in dealing with life, and the mentality of thinking you have everything under control regarding your future, and turn and trust in Jesus who is sovereign over your life, and He also hears your prayer and has already answered it.

“Seek the LORD while he may be found;
call upon him while he is near;
let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him,
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
(Isaiah 55:6-9)

You know what, there are many reasons why we can’t seem to see God answering our prayers. Sometimes I can relate to the psalmist in Psalms 13. I highly encourage you to listen to what Francis Chan says in “what we should do about unanswered prayer” in the link below:

http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/what-should-we-do-about-unanswered-prayer#ooid=d3MWhwMjpcdQyZoY3HN8GYpzYReT9j7c

Word On The Street: Forgiveness

Take at least few minutes to read Matthew 18:21-35 for this week’s passage of the “Word On The Street”.

What does it mean to forgive someone? This word, “forgiveness”, is a word that we all know, but wrongly applied majority of the time in our lives. Let me give you 10 things from my brother, Mark Driscoll, of what forgiveness is NOT:
1.) Approving or Diminishing
2.) Enabling Sin
3.) Denying a wrongdoing
4.) Waiting for an apology
5.) Forgetting
6.) Ceasing to feel the pain
7.) A one time event
8.) Neglecting justice
9.) Trusting
10.) Reconciliation

Before the passage (Matthew 18:15-20), Jesus taught on confronting your brother who sinned against you. In this passage, Jesus taught on forgiving someone who sinned against you. If you’re not able to forgive someone, then your sins are not forgiven because asking God’s forgiveness requires forgiving others.

Matthew 6:14-15 “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

As we see in this parable in the bigger context, Jesus is speaking about what kingdom of heaven is like. So what does it mean to forgive someone who sinned against you? The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. The king forgave the servant when he asked for forgiveness. Did this servant deserve any forgiveness with the amount of debt that he owed to the king? I would say “No” because he doesn’t deserve it. But the king, out of grace and pity, still forgave him. This is what the kingdom of heaven may be like.
What is the kingdom of heaven NOT like? In contrast, the same servant hunted down one of his fellow servant because he was in debt to him. He didn’t forgive him, he even choked him and put him in prison. As a result, he was reported to the king by his own fellow servants because “they were greatly distressed”. It was painful to watch, and I wonder what they were thinking. “Wait a minute, this doesn’t seem moral, and seem injustice. You were forgiven by the king but you weren’t able to forgive your servant?” The king was furious, saying, “You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?”

Why wasn’t the servant able to forgive? The answer to this question is found in the last verse of this passage: “If you do not forgive your brother FROM YOUR HEART.” What does this all mean? You and I have heard of Jesus Christ and the message of the gospel. Most of us went to Sunday School and learned about God’s forgiveness and love for the world by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for our sins so that we are able, by the regeneration of the Holy Spirit, to come to Jesus and live a new life in repentance, which leads to holiness. This is what we call sanctification. The servant wasn’t able to forgive is due to the issue of the heart. Let me ask you this: where is your heart at? Because I know some of you have heard of God’s forgiveness. Some of you might have asked Jesus Christ to forgive you of your sins, but did this experience of forgiveness genuinely transformed your heart?  A transformed heart must result in a changed life that offers the same mercy and forgiveness as has been received from God. Someone who does not grant forgiveness to others shows that his own heart has not experienced God’s forgiveness. Throughout Scripture, the heart refers to the center of one’s being, including one’s reason, emotions, and will.

In our lives, we all have spiritual debt that we owe to God. Our standard credit is holiness. Since we have fallen short of the glory of God, we are no longer holy, but wicked and sinful man and woman. In order for any of us to be with God, we are called to be holy as He is holy. Different religions teach you about working your way to heaven or do good deeds or follow the moral standard of this culture or try to balance over our bad deeds with the good deeds. But no matter how hard we try to be perfect, we can never reach God’s standard because our heart cannot be changed by religious good deeds. Imagine I put a little bit of poison on a bucket of water, for example, would you still drink it? If I add more water onto it (without overflowing), then would you still drink it? I would hope you say “no”. Ever since we were born, we have done nothing but sin or rebel against God. Every sin we have committed, we are already in debt. I cannot imagine myself ever finish paying that debt because everyday I sin. Just like the servant, who fell on his knees, and begged for mercy, the king was willing to forgive his debts and wipe his credit clean. Jesus came and suffered on the cross in our behalf to pay the penalty of our debt, our sin, while we were suppose to be the ones who should deserve that penalty. Every sin that I have committed in my life, from the time I was born until now, Jesus died for it. “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) As He promised, He resurrected from the dead to give us new life and live free from debt if we repent of sin and believe in Jesus and what He did for us. It all come down to the heart issue. What is holding you back from forgiving? Better question: What is holding you back from receiving forgiveness of sin? I am willing to forgive, although it’s hard sometimes, because Jesus forgave me even though I don’t deserve it. Thank Jesus for erasing our debt and purchasing our salvation.

“And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. “(Colossians 2:13-15)

Word On The Street: Forgiveness

Take at least few minutes to read Matthew 18:21-35 for this week’s passage of the “Word On The Street”.

What does it mean to forgive someone? This word, “forgiveness”, is a word that we all know, but wrongly applied majority of the time in our lives. Let me give you 10 things from my brother, Mark Driscoll, of what forgiveness is NOT:
1.) Approving or Diminishing
2.) Enabling Sin
3.) Denying a wrongdoing
4.) Waiting for an apology
5.) Forgetting
6.) Ceasing to feel the pain
7.) A one time event
8.) Neglecting justice
9.) Trusting
10.) Reconciliation

Before the passage (Matthew 18:15-20), Jesus taught on confronting your brother who sinned against you. In this passage, Jesus taught on forgiving someone who sinned against you. If you’re not able to forgive someone, then your sins are not forgiven because asking God’s forgiveness requires forgiving others.

Matthew 6:14-15 “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

As we see in this parable in the bigger context, Jesus is speaking about what kingdom of heaven is like. So what does it mean to forgive someone who sinned against you? The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. The king forgave the servant when he asked for forgiveness. Did this servant deserve any forgiveness with the amount of debt that he owed to the king? I would say “No” because he doesn’t deserve it. But the king, out of grace and pity, still forgave him. This is what the kingdom of heaven may be like.
What is the kingdom of heaven NOT like? In contrast, the same servant hunted down one of his fellow servant because he was in debt to him. He didn’t forgive him, he even choked him and put him in prison. As a result, he was reported to the king by his own fellow servants because “they were greatly distressed”. It was painful to watch, and I wonder what they were thinking. “Wait a minute, this doesn’t seem moral, and seem injustice. You were forgiven by the king but you weren’t able to forgive your servant?” The king was furious, saying, “You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?”

Why wasn’t the servant able to forgive? The answer to this question is found in the last verse of this passage: “If you do not forgive your brother FROM YOUR HEART.” What does this all mean? You and I have heard of Jesus Christ and the message of the gospel. Most of us went to Sunday School and learned about God’s forgiveness and love for the world by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for our sins so that we are able, by the regeneration of the Holy Spirit, to come to Jesus and live a new life in repentance, which leads to holiness. This is what we call sanctification. The servant wasn’t able to forgive is due to the issue of the heart. Let me ask you this: where is your heart at? Because I know some of you have heard of God’s forgiveness. Some of you might have asked Jesus Christ to forgive you of your sins, but did this experience of forgiveness genuinely transformed your heart?  A transformed heart must result in a changed life that offers the same mercy and forgiveness as has been received from God. Someone who does not grant forgiveness to others shows that his own heart has not experienced God’s forgiveness. Throughout Scripture, the heart refers to the center of one’s being, including one’s reason, emotions, and will.

In our lives, we all have spiritual debt that we owe to God. Our standard credit is holiness. Since we have fallen short of the glory of God, we are no longer holy, but wicked and sinful man and woman. In order for any of us to be with God, we are called to be holy as He is holy. Different religions teach you about working your way to heaven or do good deeds or follow the moral standard of this culture or try to balance over our bad deeds with the good deeds. But no matter how hard we try to be perfect, we can never reach God’s standard because our heart cannot be changed by religious good deeds. Imagine I put a little bit of poison on a bucket of water, for example, would you still drink it? If I add more water onto it (without overflowing), then would you still drink it? I would hope you say “no”. Ever since we were born, we have done nothing but sin or rebel against God. Every sin we have committed, we are already in debt. I cannot imagine myself ever finish paying that debt because everyday I sin. Just like the servant, who fell on his knees, and begged for mercy, the king was willing to forgive his debts and wipe his credit clean. Jesus came and suffered on the cross in our behalf to pay the penalty of our debt, our sin, while we were suppose to be the ones who should deserve that penalty. Every sin that I have committed in my life, from the time I was born until now, Jesus died for it. “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) As He promised, He resurrected from the dead to give us new life and live free from debt if we repent of sin and believe in Jesus and what He did for us. It all come down to the heart issue. What is holding you back from forgiving? Better question: What is holding you back from receiving forgiveness of sin? I am willing to forgive, although it’s hard sometimes, because Jesus forgave me even though I don’t deserve it. Thank Jesus for erasing our debt and purchasing our salvation.

“And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. “(Colossians 2:13-15)