Month: August 2023

Some of you have probably heard me say at one time that it is wise to teach how to forgive than to teach how to apologize. 

And that is what the Holy Spirit has uttered to me over ten years ago and God has given me wisdom to now understand those words in clarity.

In my personal walk with God, the blessed “Southern Baptists” has coined the phrase in my heart that if one doesn’t accept GRACE, then the LAW remains. 

So if we know our “audience” then it is wise to teach both, the power of apology and the power of forgiveness. 

So the question is, “when do we know which is best to use?’

Well, it’s a given that exercising forgiveness at any level is extremely difficult without love.

So in simplicity, if we desire an apology, then obviously our hearts are under the law and not grace.  (2Cor3:15)

For a heart under grace, aka “love” according to 1 Corinthians 13, does not keep score nor does it “keep records of wrongs”.

“4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

Unfortunately by default, creation is naturally under The Law.

When Adam fell in Eden, he did not just fail on his own, but all of creation fell with him.

Every atom, every cell and every living creature all by default now has become cursed with a heart under “The Law”.

“The law” meaning that naturally we “keep score” and everything is sacrificial. Therefore, all things has a price tag on it, as Jesus himself was sold out for thirty pieces of silver.

We all inherently believe that it is “an eye for an eye” and a “tooth for a tooth” unless we can become “born-again”.

So because of this, we teach God’s order, which is why “The Laws” via the Old Testament came first before the teaching of the New Testament grace.

Giving someone freedom who is immature is suicide.  So the Old testament was our boot camp for grace, so to speak.

Now God is not the author of confusion. And that anxiety and depression are solely the products of a heart that is confused.

God is about absolutes, there is nothing grey or lukewarm about Him. (Isa45:7)

Now that being said, I would like to use this moment and platform to repent.

To apologize to family, friends, co-workers, The Church body and to The Bride of Christ for where I have failed them. 

Looking back, it was solely by God’s grace and love that I even survived the spiritual warfare this far.  I was totally confused and distracted.

Now as for “forgiveness”, I heard a great pastor once say, “If we genuinely understood how hard it is to forgive, then we should never place ourself in a position to expect it.”

But this is why it is called “amazing” grace. 

And historically, Jesus started this discipleship and movemment of forgiveness first, yet I feel that most churches had been distracted from this priority. 

Yes the laws need to be taught to magnify grace, but once you know both, then we all have the freewill to choose wisely what to exercise and to hold each other accountable and remind each other of God’s love and forgiveness.

So in conclusion, if God’s love is synonymous with forgiveness then per The Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 13, he says that even if we could speak in “tongues of angels” but have not love, we have nothing. 

So if love is truly synonymous with forgiveness, then despite popular “pentacostal” belief, speaking in “tongues” is NOT the evidence of the Holy Spirit, but instead, our ability to forgive.

We live in an age that is the darkest time in the history of mankind.  And it’s not because of more “evil” deeds or more death, but solely because collectively as a civilization, we are more confused now than ever before and we know who is the author of that. 

I am extremely thankful that God gave me an opportunity to be less confused and less distracted these last ten years and to focus more on the “inside of my cup” and to “see” what God is doing to my heart than solely on my circumstances.

In the most Holy and loving name of our Lord Jesus Christ, your brother in our war against sin,

Ray