"AS WE FORGIVE THOSE..."

[Michael Parnell]

"AS WE FORGIVE THOSE..."
 (Continued)

So, You Want To Hear More Love, Do You?

When the word love is heard and used in our culture today, it can take on a wide variety of meanings.  (Right now someone reading this may be thinking, "Okay, okay, but what about the forgiveness and un-forgiveness part?"  We are coming to that, I promise) 

The scope and range of divine love, the "agape" of God, is so vast that it is impossible to ever fully cover it in a world full of books, let alone one book.  There are so many facets and aspects of God's great love, but we can look at the Word of God and understand many things about it and certainly gain a basic understanding of it. 

In 2 Tim. 1:7 the Bible says "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."  The word translated "fear" in this verse from the Greek means "timidity, cowardice".  God is not the originator of a cowardly spirit.  Having a godly fear is a different thing from what Paul is writing about to Timothy here.  Also, notice how many things that we just commonly think of as merely an attitude that are actually generated by a spirit.  Fact is that everything that touches us in this natural world has its root in the spiritual realm.  Where do you think the secular world gets some of the terms they use such as, "team spirit" or "good job, that's the spirit"?  Emotions and attitudes are influenced by certain types of spirits.

So, if God doesn't give us a spirit of fear, Paul, then what kind of spirit does He give us?  Well, for one thing, He gives us a spirit of power.  The word "power" here comes from the Greek word "dunamis", meaning, "inherent power; power to reproduce itself, implying need of constant activity and use for continued reproduction".  From this word we get our English "dynamo" and "dynamics"—the branch of mechanics dealing with the principles of motion or active operation.  Just as a dynamo needs to be in motion to produce power, a person needs to stir up into flame the gift of God in his life.  The word "dynamite" is also a derivative of this Greek word.  God wants His people to be a powerful people.  He empowers us by the inward operation of His Spirit working within our regenerated, re-created spirit whenever we accept and make Christ our Lord.

As Christians, we have spiritual dynamite at our disposal, however, sadly enough, many times we do not know when and where to use it, or even how to go about lighting the fuse.

Next, He gives us the spirit of love.  The word "love" here is, of course, the Greek word that we hear so often now, "agape".  This kind of love has to come by way of a spirit – God's Holy Spirit. 

Then, Paul says that God has given us a spirit of a sound mind.  The Greek word here is "sophronismos", pronounced so-fron-is-mos'; meaning  "discipline, i.e. self-control". 

So, with these words tied together we have the scripture teaching us that God desires for us to operate in His power, guided by His love and depend on Him for self-control as we do so.
 
I believe that we could say, without doing any injustice to the scripture, that God has given us the power of love.

The most awesome power that there is in this world or any other is the divine, spontaneous, agape love of God.  You may say, "I thought God was the most awesome power there is".   1 John 4:8 says, "He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love", and 1 John 4:16 says, "And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him."  God and His love are synonymous and inseparable, therefore since His very essence is love, it qualifies as the most powerful force.  Love is the motivating factor of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

Romans 5:5  says, "And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us."  Paul says that it's by the Holy Ghost that God's love is shed abroad into our hearts.  I am going to make a statement that you may have to chew on a bit.  You may think it questionable or debatable, but let it soak in: God can only entrust us with His power to the degree that we walk in His love.  The Holy Ghost is synonymous with the word "power" in the Word of God and in our everyday language as Christians.  We are constantly referring to "God's power" or "the power of God" when speaking in reference to the Holy Spirit.  If you want to operate in the power of the Spirit of God, then you must, first of all, operate in His love.  People are always saying they would like to see more of the miraculous happen.  The more that we, as God's people, operate in His love, I am convinced the more we will see of the miraculous taking place in our lives and the lives of others.

Mark 12:28-34

Let's look at Mark 12:28-34.  "And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? [29] And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: [30] And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. [31] And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. [32] And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he:  [33] And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. [34] And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question."

Jesus says, "hear"!  Much of the problem is a hearing problem.  Not a physical but a spiritual ear problem.  We have to open our spiritual ears and hear so that this word can get into our spirit. 

Now the Lord states that first of all we are to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.  Now we look at that and from the vertical standpoint, many of us do not consider that too difficult.  I mean, what is there NOT to love about God? 

However, we see that the big problems come with the horizontal aspect of things, when Jesus says love our neighbor as our self.  Someone has said, "To live above with saints we love, oh, that will be glory.  To live below with saints we know, now that's another story."

You see, Christ here says that this commandment is like, "namely" or of equal importance.  You cannot separate the importance of one from the other.  It almost seems as if they both are actually just two parts of one commandment. 

What the Lord was saying is if you really love your neighbor as yourself, you won't steal from your neighbor because you don't want anyone to steal from you.  You won't commit adultery with your neighbor's wife or husband because you don't want to be treated that way.  You won't murder your neighbor or lie to him, because you don't want anyone to kill you or lie to you.

The scribe responds to him in verse 33, "And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices."

The word "understanding" in the Greek is the word "sunesis", meaning a putting together, meaning the whole of the intelligence, not only one part of it.  Not the Greek "dianoia", the mind, or thinking faculty of Mark 12:30.  Notice that the first commandment demands complete consecration and obedience of the whole body, soul, and spirit—all the heart or the innermost being in general; all the mind or the intellectual powers consisting of will, intelligence, and conscience; all the soul or the feelings, emotions, passions, and desires; and all the strength or bodily faculties, deriving its powers from the soul and spirit.  Quite a contrast to many modern religionists who hold to serving God with the mind or thoughts only and who claim one can be holy only in spirit and not in body and soul.

The scripture says that when Jesus saw that this man answered discreetly, or intelligently, having his wits about him, or prudently, He then tells him that he is not far from the kingdom of God.

Not only because of his use of the word "understanding" but look at the phrase "is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices".  When a man gets to this degree of understanding biblical religion, he will not pay so much attention to formality, rituals, and outward show in worship.  Apparently, the Lord really likes this quality in someone.

Talk About Tough Love

Excommunication is an extreme last resort, though biblical, and you don't hear of very many churches exercising this, mainly because they don't want to upset a "religious system".  This could be classified as "intense tough love."  There are at least Seven New Testament reasons for excommunication:

1. A trespass plus an unforgiving spirit (Matthew 18:15-17)
2. False doctrines and offenses contrary to Scripture (Romans 16:17)
3. Hating Christ (1 Cor. 16:22)
4. Disorderly conduct and disobedience (2 Thes. 3:6,14-15)
5. Apostasy (1 Tim. 1:19-20; 1 Tim. 4:1-8; 2 Tim. 3:5; 2 Tim. 4:1-4)
6. Heresy (Titus 3:10; 1 Tim. 6:3-5)
7. Fornication and other gross sins that damn the soul (1 Cor. 5:1-13; 1 Cor. 6:9-11;
Galatians 5:19-21; Mark 7:21-23; Romans 1:18-32; Col. 5:5-10; 1 Tim. 6:3-5)
 
Now, since we're talking about God's love and forgiveness, let me ask you something.  Do you think it would be Christian and within the bounds of God's love to blackball or "mark" a brother and then avoid fellowship with him?  If your answer is "no", then Christ Himself wasn't a Christian, because He said in Matthew 18:17, "And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican." 

He used the term heathen.  The Greek word, "ethnikos", means a "pagan, a Gentile". Christ said this!  Now the balance of that is, of course, be a Christian toward him, as you would a stranger whom you would seek to win to Christ, but have no religious communion with him until he repents.  Then forgive him, letting his sin be a thing of the past.

Look closely at Romans 16:17:  "Now I beseech you, brethren, MARK them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and AVOID THEM."  Greek word for mark is "skopeo", which means, "look out for".  Paul was telling his readers to be alert for those who cause divisions and have no religious fellowship with them that the flock may be protected.  The word is also translated "look at" (2 Cor. 4:18); "look on" (Phil. 2:4); "take heed" (Luke 11:35); and "consider" (Galatians 6:1).

How about 2 Thes. 3:6? "Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye WITHDRAW YOURSELVES from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us."  "Disorderly", in the  Greek is "ataktos",  which means, "to behave disorderly." It means "out of order; not in order of battle; not at one's post of duty; undisciplined; irregular; lawless; and disorderly.  THEY ACT ACCORDING TO THEIR OWN WILLS AND ARE IDLE BUSYBODIES (2 Thes. 3:11)."  Paul here says that he did not go out of his rank or post of duty, but kept his place and discharged his duties at all times and places as a true and tried soldier of Jesus Christ (2 Thes. 3:7). Notice Paul didn't say it was a suggestion.

He says "we command you".  Imagine that:  A command, in the authority of the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, to withdraw yourselves from disorderly brothers.

Now consider 2 Thes. 3:14-15: "And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, NOTE that man, and HAVE NO COMPANY WITH HIM, that he may be ashamed. [15] YET, COUNT HIM NOT AS AN ENEMY,  but admonish him as a brother."  "Admonish" is the word "noutheteo" from the Greek.  It means "to put in mind, i.e. (by implication) to caution or reprove gently :- admonish, warn."  Paul tells the church to dis-fellowship anyone who still refuses to obey truth.  Count him more an enemy to himself than to you.  Continue to admonish him even though you have dis-fellowshipped him for his soul is still of infinite value.

Look at Titus 3:10: "A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject;" The Greek word for heretick, "hairetikos", means "one who maintains OPPOSTION TO TRUTH."  Now, Paul says to reject one like this.  The Greek word is  "paraiteomai" = to beg off.  Translated "reject" (Titus 3:10); "avoid" (2 Tim. 2:23); "entreat" (Hebrews 12:19); "make excuse" (Luke 14:18); and "refuse" (Acts 25:11; 1 Tim. 4:7; 1 Tim. 5:11; Hebrews 12:25).

Let's see 1 Tim. 6:3-5:  "If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to WHOLESOME words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; [4] He is proud, knowing nothing, but DOTING ABOUT QUESTIONS AND STRIFE OF WORDS, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, [5] Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: FROM SUCH WITHDRAW THYSELF."  ([withdraw] Greek: "aphistemi") Again, Dake comments, "Don't stay with men who are false in an effort to convert them, but get away from them and associate with those of true faith."

All of these references demonstrate the love of God in just one of its fathomless aspects.  Strong terminology?  Certainly! - Tough?  Absolutely! - Uncompromising?  To be sure.  However, it's a love that is perfect, pure and holy and works for and toward our ultimate good.

(To be continued next blog post.)

Pastor Mike