John says if you don’t practice righteousness, you’re not a child of God. He then goes on to say in that same verse “nor is he who does not love his brother” (1 John 3:10)

John is emphasizing that loving others is an absolute basic characteristic of a Christ follower (1 John 3:11).

He points out the wickedness of Cain who killed his brother (1 John 3:12) and then says, but don’t marvel if the world hates you (1 John 3:13) but if you can hate others, you are a murderer like Cain and eternal life does not abide in you. (1 John 3:14-15).

This should be sobering to anyone who hates others. If you can hold a grudge and wish evil upon others, if you have no love, or no regard for the soul or even the well-being of others —even others who have offended you—you need to stop and ask yourself if you are truly a Christ follower.

If you are unwilling to move to forgiveness, if you like to justify yourself by saying ridiculous things like “I forgive, but I don’t forget” you may not be a Christian and you are certainly disobeying God.

Jesus told his disciples they need to forgive those who may offend them again and again, even when they may sin against them again and again. (Luke 17:4)

But how do you truly forgive and love others who have offended you?

The disciples knew they couldn’t do it on their own, so they said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.” (Luke 17:5)

Those men knew it was far from easy and beyond their human ability to forgive as Jesus was asking, but their hearts were willing.

And Jesus can do a lot with a willing heart!

Jesus tells them if they had faith as a mustard seed they could tell the mulberry tree to be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea. (Luke 17:6)

That seems a little weird until we understand that a mulberry tree has an incredibly vast root system that allows it to live up to six hundred years.

So here’s something to consider… Remember Jesus is teaching on forgiveness when He makes a statement about a deep-rooted, hard-to-pull-up thing.

But consider this—when, by faith, we forgive others we can undo YEARS of deeply rooted pain and problems.

YEARS!

Let me say that again (to myself as well) when we, by faith, forgive others we can undo YEARS of deeply rooted pain and problems.

We can forgive awful things that have been done to us, and we can move past years of hurt when we allow the love of Christ to flow through us.

As someone once said, “You can’t go back and change the beginning but you can start where you are and change the ending.”

We find strength to do this, to forgive those who have hurt us when we remember God forgave us so very much, and we are called to forgive others.

Does it mean that the wrong things weren’t wrong? Really wrong? Not at all.

Is it easy to forgive? No. But God, “increase our faith!” (Luke 17:5)

May God cause us to move past how we feel; and, in faith, follow Him That’s where the healing is. Though we can’t change the beginning we can do what He says and love others and change the ending.

read1John

Note – this is a continuation of my study of 1 John. Go to this page on Facebook or kimjaggers.com to see other posts on this wonderful book of the Bible.