Pass it On

"We love each other

because he loved us first."

1 John 4:19 NLT 

"Remember, the Lord forgave you,

so you must forgive others."

Colossians 3:13 NLT

Worship songs are meant to draw us into praise, adoration and reverence for God and His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.  Many times, the lyrics will hit me in a deep and meaningful way, drawing tears to my eyes as I am faced with the Truth.  One such time happened yesterday as we sang these lyrics by Jordan Kauflin.

I once was lost in darkest night, Yet thought I knew the way,

The sin that promised joy and life, Had led me to the grave,

I had no hope that You would own, A rebel to Your will,

And if You had not love me first, I would refuse You still

But as I ran my hell-bound race, Indifferent to the cost,

You looked upon my helpless state, And led me to the cross,

And I beheld God's love displayed, You suffered in my place,

You bore the wrath reserved for me, Now all I know is grace.

Hallelujah!  All I have is Christ.   Hallelujah!  Jesus is my life.

Now, Lord, I would be Yours alone, And live so all might see

The strength to follow Your commands, Could never come from me

Oh Father, Us my ransomed life, In any way You choose

And let my song forever be, My only boast is You!

Hallelujah!  All I have is Christ.  Hallelujah!  Jesus is my life.*

I truly have no hope apart from Jesus Christ.  No hope for a future.  No hope to love.  No hope to live.  All I have is in Jesus. . . apart from Him, I can do nothing!

Love

One of the basic tenets of Evolution is that life came from muck.  Order was created from chaos.  Something came from nothing.

Science, however, has shown us that there is a tendency for any system to move toward randomness or disorder.  It is impossible for anything to become more organized as time goes on.  Everything has to come from something ordered and then become more chaotic. . .it can't be generated from nothing and travel toward organization.  There must be source.

Likewise, I can't love someone else in my own power. I need a source for that love.  I don't have it in me, especially if that other person is flawed in anyway, making themselves unlovable to me.  Anyone who has lived in a family knows this to be true.  Our loved ones are not always easy to love.  As a matter of fact, I am not always easy to love!

Jesus said to those who did not accept Him that, "I do not accept praise from men, but I know you.  I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts."  (John 5:41-42) Without His love, I have no hope of recognizing Jesus as my Savior, and without Jesus as my Savior, I have no hope of loving anyone else.  

The Apostle John taught that, "If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God." (1 John 4:15) With the God of love residing within me, I now have the source of love readily available to pass on to others.   With the God of love residing within me, I am able to follow His command to love my neighbor as myself. (Mark 12:31)  Love comes from God, it cannot be generated from within myself where no love naturally exists. Something cannot come from nothing.    

If I want to love those around me with the love that God has lavished upon me, I must intentionally pass it on to them, sharing the wealth of love He has generously given to me.

Forgiveness

Remember the Hatfields and the McCoys?  They were two families who lived in the West Virginia-Kentucky area during the 1800s and milked a feud for over 30 years.  The dispute began with bad feelings over sides chosen during the Civil War resulting in a murder, and continued throughout the years by generations to come.  Neither family could find it within themselves to forgive the other.

My dad tells stories of similar grudges held against his own family members that lasted for years.  The funny thing was that after several years had passed, the anger and bitterness remained, but the cause of the dispute had long been forgotten!

I, too, am naturally merciless.  It is human nature to hold onto hurts, pain and offenses committed against me.  It is natural for me to want to seek revenge instead of letting it go.  I find it quite easy to hold a grudge.   As English poet Alexander Pope said, "To err is human; to forgive, divine."

My only hope of forgiving others, of letting go of the pain and resulting bitterness, is through Jesus.  He forgave me, so I must pass that forgiveness on to others.

It's like the parable Jesus told of the unforgiving servant who had been forgiven a huge debt by his master, then turned around and refused to forget about a small sum of money someone else owed to him.  The master called him wicked and threw him in jail to be tortured until he could pay back all he owed.  Jesus then went on to say, "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."  (Matthew 18:35)

I am now able to forgive because of the forgiveness God has shown me.  In fact, I am commanded to live in forgiveness with others, freely forgiving as God forgives me.  

As Jordan Kauflin wrote to God in All I have is Christ, "The strength to follow Your commands could never come from me."  I am unable to do as God has called me to do under my own steam.  Instead, I can only love because He loved me first, and I am able to forgive because He forgives me.

And because my heart overflows with His love and forgiveness, I want to pass it on. . . 

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can love as God has loved me. . .freely and lavishly!

How am I stingy when it comes to forgiveness?

Where am I holding a grudge against someone?  How is this similar to not forgiving a debt?

* 2008 Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI)