Although our sins might be great, God’s love is greater!

Apr

16

2018

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Apr

16

2018

April 16 2018 – Click here to listen

We all know someone, or we ourselves are guilty of having an “enemies list”. The list contains people who have wronged us, (at least in our mind). These folks are doomed to the terrible punishment of not being around us forever.

They are considered persona-non-grata in our homes or elsewhere. We try to avoid them, and if have a chance encounter we deliberately and haughtily turn our backs on them. If eye contact is unavoidable, we glare at them and make it known how we feel with our “burning” hate-filled eyes. If we are in a position whereby we must talk to them, it is short and terse and as unfriendly as we can muster.

This does not go unnoticed by the other party who generally reciprocates. Both parties have their pride and that must be maintained at all costs and they stubbornly “dig in”. As time goes on an intense mutual dislike, disdain and even hatred is formed.

Sound familiar?

Hmmm . . .

When you think about it, this type of behavior can only come from Satan. God wants no part of it. If it is born of Satan and serves Satan’s purpose and we can be assured that it will hurt “us,” (often more than the other person.) It accomplishes nothing positive. In fact, it is totally evil and is black sin. It achieves Satan’s diabolical goal of undermining our relationship with God and eliminating any hope of our having a positive Christian witness; not to mention alienating us from family and/or former friends.

It is a self-destructive path, but it seems it is one that is often taken. Indeed, many families have been destroyed by this type of thinking and in fact family feuds that last for generations have begun in such a manner. Lifelong friendships have been ended, often by some offhand and even unintentional remark that damages our precious pride and gets blown out of proportion. It continues to escalate and both sides stubbornly harden their respective stances until it reaches a point of “irreconcilable difference”.

Our pride may be intact, but the Bible states that too much pride sets us up for the fall that always accompanies sin. And we should make no mistake about it this behavior is sin.

God does not want us to maintain an enemies list. He is love and not hate. He wants us to be humble, not prideful. He wants us to forgive others as he has gracefully forgiven us. Although our sins might be great, God’s love is greater and we are to emulate Him. He wants us to have friends not enemies. God repeatedly warns us about the self-destructive effects of too much pride combined with a non-forgiving spirit. Alas as with many things in the Bible, we willfully ignore its sound advice and Satan wins the battle and we slide down the slippery slope to self-destruction. If you have a black-list, consider destroying it before it destroys YOU!

Proverbs 14:12

There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.

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