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Notes - Email - Serious Rings - Fun Rings The Lighted Path - Design - Host |
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Loving, but HOLY God is not just Fatherly, not just Abba, He is HOLY. He is not the imperfect parent that puts what seems to be a "fair judgement" on his imperfect child, by little more than a stern word. He is HOLY. Whatever standard we hold ourselves to, His is much, much higher. And our wonderful, loving, but HOLY God shows His compassion by forgiving us, graciously, IF, and only if, we come to Him repentant. What forgiveness is there for someone who has not repented of their sin? For us, forgiveness is just that--For us, the forgiver, not the one forgiven. The one who committed the sin needs to take that up with He who is just and HOLY, not us. We have no authority to pass judgement. Leave it to this. God has forgiven all who have asked. God loves all of us, but for Him to give us the gift that He offers, we have to ask forgiveness. Once asked, in sincerity, it is given, right there, right away. And when done, it is truly Done. Here- Matthew 20:1-16 �The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard 1"For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard. 2He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. 3"About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. 4He told them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.' 5So they went. 6"He went out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour and did the same thing. About the eleventh hour he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, 'Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?' 7" 'Because no one has hired us,' they answered. "He said to them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard.' 8"When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, 'Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.' 9"The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius. 10So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. 11When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 12'These men who were hired last worked only one hour,' they said, 'and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.' 13"But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius? 14Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. 15Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?' 16"So the last will be first, and the first will be last." � And so it says, all we need do is ask to be forgiven, and we are. Any who don't accept His love are like a man hanging from the edge of a cliff, just out of reach of his rescuer. The one who would save him can't lean without falling, and he won't let go for a split second to grasp the other's hand, out of fear. And so, when he does fall, it wasn't from- lack of trying on the part of his would-be rescuer, but fear on the part of the one who falls. Just like, for many unbelievers, it's not from anger that they reject God, but for fear of being wrong. And, for many church-goers, it's not the love and relationship with Christ, but fear of being wrong, that keeps them there. But fear is not what God is. God is love, pure and simple. He loves us. He loves me. And you. Joy
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