Promises for the Battle
Doug Knighton
Forgiveness #8—Pardoned Praise
You shall not hate your brother in your heart; … you shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge … but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; for I am the Eternal … who brought you out of the land of Egypt. Leviticus 19:19 O God, mercy, grace and peace are gifts from you … Continue reading
Forgiveness #7—Saving Forgiveness
Be on your guard so you don’t destroy faith! If other followers of Christ sin against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. And if one of them sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, “I repent,” forgive each one of them. Luke 17:3–4 We have … Continue reading
Forgiveness #6—Fretless Forgiveness
God will clearly vindicate you for trusting in him. Rest in Yahweh and wait patiently for him; do not fret because of the prosperity of those who carry out wicked schemes. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; do not fret, it leads only to evil-doing. Psalm 37:6–8 Appearances can be deceiving. Someone who is bleeding … Continue reading
Forgiveness #5—Trusting Example
Christ left you an example to follow. … When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered he did not threaten; but he trusted to him who judges justly. 1 Peter 2:21–23 Few people have been wronged worse than Jesus. Few have got a raw deal as bad as his. Few … Continue reading
Forgiveness #4—Heavenly Warning
My heavenly Father will make every one of you pay your debts to him if you do not forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart. Matthew 18:35 The old saying goes, “You always hurt the one you love.” Scripture consistently confirms this truth. As God establishes the Israelite community he commands: “You shall not … Continue reading
Forgiveness #3—A Bigger Picture
You meant harm against me; God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive. So therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones. Genesis 50:19–21 Joseph’s ability to see beyond the immediate cause of his misadventures years before, enabled him … Continue reading
Forgiveness #2—Prophylactic Grace
Put away every kind of bitterness, anger, wrath, quarreling, and evil, slanderous talk. Instead, be kind to one another, compassionate, being gracious to one another, just as God in Christ also was gracious to you. Ephesians 4:31–32 While the first thing we see in this text is a command, if we look closely, we can … Continue reading
I Was Just Thinking … about Grace in Action
When the Apostle Paul described the synergy undergirding his ministry he said, “God’s grace toward me has not been in vain. I worked harder than anyone; nevertheless, it was not I, but the grace of God that was working with me” (1 Corinthians 15:10). As my wife and I talked with our children during the … Continue reading
Forgiveness #1—Sweet Hearts
When we carry a bitter spirit in our hearts we are guilty of unbelief. Being bitter means we do not believe God can or will adequately dispense justice in the world. So we harbor an unforgiving spirit; we angrily and continually view our adversaries as enemies. This bitterness eventually obliterates our joy and poisons everyone … Continue reading
I Was Just Thinking … about Conditions for Peace
Everyone wants to experience what Philippians 4:7 calls “the peace of God which passes understanding.” God’s peace “passes understanding” in that it keeps our hearts peaceful and calm even though we understand perfectly well that there is no human or natural way that we can be extricated from some difficulty that threatens our future. Philippians … Continue reading
Promises for the Battle 