An allegory of our Father's love
The First Father
The first father we meet had a child who he loved very much. Every day he hugged his child and told him he loved him. The child was very obedient and loving. One day the child behaved very differently. He took a toy from a friend without permission and hid it in his room. The father quickly found out and scolded him, made him apologize and return the toy immediately. The child, feeling terrible, asked for forgiveness and his father said it was ok, I forgive you. Things returned to normal until one day the child was in his father's office, where he had been told not to be, and he broke his father's favorite lamp. Not really on purpose but accidentally. When his father found out what happened he went into a rage. "How dare you be in my office! You broke this lamp on purpose, didn't you? I know what kind of child you are, I remember how you took something from your friend and hid it. I bet you weren't even really sorry. Look at you being bad again." The son begged for forgiveness but the father turned his back and stormed out of the room.
The Second Father
The second father had a child who he also loved very much. Very similar things happened. His child did a bad thing, asked for forgiveness and the father gave it. Then sometime later this child did something else bad, much like our first story. This father, upon discovering his child sobbing in his office over breaking the lamp, scooped the boy into his arms. He told the boy he had done wrong by being there and the lamp was broken because of it. The boy begged for forgiveness and this father immediately forgave his beloved son. "Let's try not to do this again," the father said, "OK? " The son nodded, the father wiped his son's tears and the son went on his way.
Two Fathers - Which One Loved More?
Two fathers, which father showed more love? I think we would all say the second father. The second father didn't throw his son's past failings up to him. He didn't discuss what had been forgiven before. The second father didn't fly into a rage, but simply showed kindness and love and encouraged his son to do better.
God is our Father
God is our father, our Abba. He loves us more than any earthly father ever could. He forgives more completely than we can. He doesn't throw our past failures at us. In Romans 8:1 Paul tells us this:
"There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. "
He Removed Our Transgressions
God's forgiveness is complete and total. David says in Psalm 103:12 that
"As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us."
If we feel condemned over past sins that we have sought forgiveness for, that condemnation is not coming from God but from our enemy, Satan. How can we have peace in our soul if we constantly feel condemned? We cannot. Those voices in our head that tell us we are worthless and ask, "How could God possibly really forgive YOU?" are Satan's way of robbing us of our joy. Satan is telling us, like he did Eve, "Did God really say..." Satan wants us to doubt God's forgiveness.
Forgive As You Are Forgiven
In Matthew chapter 18 our Lord tells Peter that we should forgive seventy times seven if our brother sins against us. This means we should always be willing to forgive just as God our Father is willing to forgive our sin. Jesus goes on in chapter 18 to relate a parable of a man who had been forgiven much who then goes out and shows no forgiveness to someone who had done him wrong. This man, who showed no forgiveness to others as was shown to him, will pay a heavy price.
Do you remember what Jesus says when he taught us to pray? In Matthew 6:12 our Lord says,
"And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors."
Two verses later in Matthew 6:14 Jesus says,
“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you."
As a true Christian we show Christ's love to others by being willing to forgive their sins against us as our Lord has forgiven us.
Don't Doubt Your Forgiveness
I should never doubt God's forgiveness if I have truly repented of my sins. My worth before God does not come from myself but from the sacrifice of His Son Jesus on the cross for me. God loves me so much that He became man and died on the cross to bear my sins. He rose from the dead to give me life and to give me hope.
An Everlasting Love
In Jeremiah 31: 3 the prophet tells Israel this:
"The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you."
And so Jesus today offers us all His love and His amazing forgiveness! He draws us to Himself where we can find true peace and true joy! Hallelujah!!
How great His love,
That He should give,
His blessed Son
For me to live.
I know not how,
My sins forgotten.
His arms stretched wide,
And oh so often,
He touches me ,
With love and care.
And calls to me,
And I do dare,
To call Him Father,
And live for Him.
Who gave Himself
For all my sin.
--Carol Plafcan
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