2026-08-14
Good morning, Dear Ones,
What the Holy Spirit has given us about heaven is not the end of these messages on GA 5: 22-23, the gifts of the Holy Spirit. We shouldn’t be surprised because our God loves us and wants us to eventually gain eternal life with Him. So, He commands me to write about forgiveness, kindness, and goodness. Our loving Lord wants us to understand that with honest confession of our sins, He gives us forgiveness. He tells us in EPH 4: 31-32, “Get rid of bitterness, passion, and anger. No more shouting insults or any kind of hateful feelings.” The psalmist writes, in PS 85: 2-3, “You have forgiven sins and pardoned all their wrongs. Your anger is stopped, hold back your furious rage.” We learn, in 1 JN 1: 9, “But if we confess our sins, purifying us from wrongdoing, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
There are some people who go through this process but refuse to accept that God’s forgiveness is total. Oftentimes, it’s because they don’t forgive themselves. What does God do with our sins that have been forgiven? PS 103: 12-13 addresses this issue. “As far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him…” Yes, the Scriptures are telling us outright that walking away from our sins in this manner means that we are truly forgiven and have the path open to a fresh start. This is not the only place in the Bible where God makes this clear. PS 130: 3-4, “If You, Lord, kept a record of sins, who could escape being condemned? But with You there is forgiveness, so we can with reverence, serve You.” God’s forgiveness is complete. JER 31: 34b, “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” Those words should fall on us like the warm, clean water of a shower for our souls. Our genuine contrition cancels out God’s wrath. The Lord Jesus is the propitiation for our sins. This means that the weight of our sins was transferred to Him when He went to the cross for us. His sacrifice is enough to grant us the cleansing forgiveness that one who engages in honest confession so desires.
Holding a grudge puts us in a “soul prison.” We’ve all seen people who do this and the deleterious effects it has on them and others. By learning from the Holy Spirit to be forgiving, that prison is unlocked and opened, leading to our freedom. God alone can forgive and forget sin that has been confessed, wrongdoing that is stopped in favor of aligning with God’s teaching like that. The Lord Jesus give us this invitation, in MT 11: 28-30, “Come to Me, all you who are heavy-laden and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Through the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit, we can learn to forgive. The prison door is unlocked and swings open!
There are some wrongs done to us that have far reaching effects. That kind of wrongdoing leads to wars—some carried out on the streets, some wrongdoing borne between nations. God’s desire is for such groups or nations to be united in peace. But cultural differences, incompetence by leadership, and outright malevolence are the causes of these problems. An example is what is going on right now in Haiti, a country whose leaders are in exile, has no functioning government, and is being run by gangs of criminals oppressing the population. This has been going on in Haiti for quite a while, and that country is suffering with its airports and seaports closed to the outside. Efforts to bring peace and orderliness have been rebuffed. The rest of the world must make themselves aware of this problem and pray that help for it from without will one day be successful. In other examples, one country trying to usurp the territory belonging to another and religious or cultural prejudice also show how evil can spread. That was the case many times in human history with the growth of empires, the efforts to expunge cultures, and violence leading to the deaths of innocent people. MT 5: 23-24 gives us God’s perspective. “So, you are about to offer your gift at the altar, and you remember your brother has wronged you. Leave your gift and go at once to make peace with him; then come back and offer your gift.” God wants us to reconcile.
PRAYER: O Lord, we come before Your mighty throne with hearts heavy with concern for all the transgressions over which we have control and for these larger issues where evildoing is affecting many people. For the sins over which we have control, we offer You our honest, open confession—our desire not only for forgiveness but also to stop the sinning in our own lives. We know no being can offer the forgiveness and forgetting our sins as You can. For these concerns over which we have no control, we urge You to intervene to stop them. The lives of so many innocent people are in Your capable hands. We have been told in RO 14: 13, “Therefore, let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.” Your wisdom is everlasting, and we pledge to try to follow it. In addition, we offer You our loyalty, love, praise, and heartfelt thanksgiving for all You are and all You do, in the holy/mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: The Holy Spirit directs me to write about kindness next week. In the meanwhile, bear JAS 5: 7-9 in mind. “Be patient, the, brothers and sisters, until the Lords coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently, waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. Do not grumble against one another, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!” We must understand that it is a blessing that God is in charge and we are not. His wisdom is far greater than ours and His love is pure. He is coming for those who love Him and are obediently faithful to Him. Praise and thanksgiving be to Him!
Grace be with You Always,
Lynn JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2026. All Rights Reserved.
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