Living in the Light – 2016.08.19

Living in the Light – 2016.08.19

Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.
Matthew 5,23f

God finds a pure heart of such importance that He puts it ahead of all gifts and offerings to Him. He wants us to praise and worship Him, but He wants peace between brothers and sisters even more than praise and worship. He sees the heart, and when the heart is impure, – how can He accept an offering?
Everything that separates people from one another, and that separates people from God, can be summarised with the word "guilt". He who is guilty cannot look others in the eye, and he who has been short-changed becomes distrustful…
There are times when one really is guilty. One has been unfriendly, merciless, full of pride, dishonest, borrowed something on a "permanent" basis… these things happen even to Christians;- they are human after all, not angels. Of course one has to confess this guilt to Jesus and make amends to the person one is indebted to.
Sometimes there is a feeling of guilt. A young boy hits an electricity pole and at that same moment the entire electricity supply to the city falls out. He’s too scared even to go home. But he was not the cause. At that moment there was a short circuit which led to the blackout. "perceived" guilt, guilty conscience…
Sometimes others make us feel guilty. They consider this or that to be sin, and we end up feeling guilty. That is called projection, or legality.
Sometimes someone does something bad to us. That is injustice done to us. Sometimes we only think others think badly of us. Sometimes someone means well, yet we feel offended. There are so many forms of guilt! But always guilt separates us from one another, and from God.
Jesus wants the people in His congregation to live in the light and be joyful and free with one another. That is only possible when all guilt has been removed. He wants us to accept His sacrifice on the cross and ask for forgiveness. He died for sinners, not only for the saints. But He also knows how badly we need to forgive. Nothing, not even the smallest little thing in our hearts may cause us anxiety and bitterness. We should live in the light! He screens us gladly, and shows us the bitter roots so that they may be pulled to the light and thrown away.
Thank You, Jesus, You forgive! I also want to forgive those who have sinned against me. Please help me! Because it is not easy. Please help me to undo the damage that I have done. Thank You for truly helping, when I act according to Your commandments! You are my Helper!
Bible study for today: Revelations 8,1-13


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