As OUR FATHER tells us to, "forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us", forgiveness is vital (it is ugently needed; absolutely necessary 'Spiritually' and for our physical well being also).
*********************************THE GLORY OF THE CROSS: ATONEMENT AND FORGIVENESS
By A. W. Tozier
Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows:
yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and
afflicted. - - Isaiah 53:4
Never make any mistake about this --- the suffering of
Jesus Christ on the cross was not punitive! It was not for
Himself and not for punishment, of anything that He
Himself had done.
The suffering of Jesus was corrective. He was willing
to suffer in order that He might correct us and perfect
us.
Brethren, that is the glory of the cross! That is the
glory of the kind of sacrifice that was for so long in the
heart of God! That is the glory of the kind of atonement
that allows a repentant sinner to come into peaceful and
gracious fellowship with his God and Creator!
It began in His wounds and ended in our purification!
It began in His bruises and ended in our cleansing! That
painful and acute conviction that accompanies repentance
may well subside and a sense of peace and cleansing
come, but even the holiest of justified men will think back
over his part in the wounding and chastisement of the
Lamb of God.
A sense of shock will still come over him!
A sense of wonder will remain --- wonder that the
Lamb that was wounded should turn his wounds into
the cleansing and forgiveness of one who wounded Him!
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Yours in Christ,
Paul N. F.
***********************************Holding a Grudge Hazardous To Health
By Marilyn Elias, USA TODAY
BOSTON
To err is human; to forgive is much smarter, suggest studies being reported at the American Psychological Association meeting here.
Growing evidence shows that people inclined to forgive others enjoy better mental and physical health than those who hold grudges, says psychologist Michael McCullough of the National Institute for Healthcare Research in Rockville, Md. "Unless they're repeatedly excusing someone who's abusive, forgiveness seems to be a positive act for the one doing it."
Refusal to forgive is most common among people with high anger and fear levels, says Everett Worthington of Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond. His study of 214 adults also shows that humility encourages people to let go of slights or betrayals.
"If someone felt he'd been forgiven in the past for doing as much as the offender, he was more likely to forgive," Worthington says.
The possible health costs of bearing grudges were apparent in a study of adults asked to use unforgiving or forgiving imagery as they thought about someone who wronged them. Heart rate and blood pressure rose and mood worsened for those dwelling on the hurt but not for those thinking forgiveness, says psychologist Charlotte vanOyen of Hope College in Holland, Mich.
Forgiving oneself also can be good medicine, says June Tangney of George Mason University in Fairfax, Va. Her studies on the forgiveness patterns of 285 adults finds that those with the highest self-esteem readily forgive themselves. But they sometimes find it harder to bury the hatchet with others.
Depressed, angry people have the most trouble forgiving, Tangney's study finds. The shame-prone can't forgive themselves or others readily.
Guilt is good, though, for promoting healthy forgiveness behavior, Tangney says. The shamed feel bad about themselves, but guilt-prone people only regret their actions.
They forgive readily, ask forgiveness of others and aren't inclined to blame others for their own misdeeds.
Yours in Christ,
Paul N. F.
************************************************************For every verse in the Bible that tells us the benefits of wealth, there are ten that tell us the danger of wealth.
This one below was from 'Tex'
To forgive and forget is better than to resent and remember
Meekness is the willingness to place God above our own egos; weakness is a refusal to trust God in fighting for what is right.
One of the paradoxes of confession is that we fear we will weaken our relationship with the person we confess to, but in reality, we strengthen the bond...God has given us the wonderful gift of mutual accountability, but too few of us actually take advantage of it because we are afraid of what others will think of us if we share our doubts, fears, concerns, sins, and failures. The devil is counting on this fear preventing us from becoming transparent with one another.
Forgiveness is man's deepest need and God's highest achievement
"Greed I've often regretted. Generosity-- never."
The reward of service is more service
"A thorough knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college education." - Theodore Roosevelt
Yours in Christ,
Paul N. F.