The Strand Study Bible
HEBREWS
HEBREWS
2078
unforgiveness due to an unfulfilled expectation ( Gen 27:34 ). THE ADAGE IS TRUE: They who harbor bitterness allow happiness to dock elsewhere The cure to bitterness is two-fold: 1. We must learn to be content ( Phil 4:11 ) Max Lucado in Let the Journey Begin notes:
Content . That’s the word. A state of heart in which you would be at peace if God gave you nothing more than he already has. 2
What if God’s only gift to you was His salvation? Should you be content? Would you be content? We learn to be content by learning to be grateful ( I Thess 5:18 ). Dr. Bob Jones Sr. in Chapel Sayings notes: When gratitude dies on the altar of a man’s heart, that man is well-nigh hopeless. 3 2. We must learn to forgive ( Exo 15:25 and Lk 17: 1- 4 ) According to Exodus 15:25, the cure to bitterness begins with a tree and ends with a CROSS . Learning to “store up” forgiveness for future use (Mt 18:29) is a three-step process: * We must compare forgiving to being forgiven ( Mt 18: 21- 34 ) According to Christ’s 15 th parable, there is no comparison between forgiving and Christ’s forgiveness. As Christians, we have been forgiven a debt immeasurable, and people owe us little compared to what we owe God. Therefore, we who have experienced such forgiveness do not have the liberty to choose whom we will forgive or not forgive. Forgiveness for the Christian is always mandatory, never optional (Lk 6:27). * We must weigh the consequences of not forgiving ( Deut 32:35 ) Max Lucado in Let the Journey Begin talked about “the high cost of getting even” when he noted:
Have you ever noticed in the western movies how the bounty hunter travels alone? It’s not hard to see why. Who wants to hang out with a guy who settles scores for a living? Who wants to risk getting on his bad side? More than once I’ve heard a person spew his anger. He thought I was listening, when really I was thinking, I hope I never get on his list . Cantankerous sorts, these bounty hunters. Best leave them alone. Hang out with the angry and you might catch a stray bullet. Debt-settling is a lonely occupation. It’s also an unhealthy occupation… If you’re out to settle the score, you’ll never rest. How can you? For one thing, your enemy may never pay up. As much as you think you deserve an apology, your debtor may not agree. The racist may never repent. The chauvinist may never change. As justified as you are in your quest for vengeance, you may never get a penny’s worth of justice. And if you do, will it be enough? 4
THE ADAGE IS TRUE: To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover the prisoner was you ( Mt 18:34 -35) * We must bow in brokenness and humility after being offended by others and remember three things: - We’ve offended others in times past; therefore, we shouldn’t be surprised at being offended (Eccl 7:20-22 and II Sam 12:1-7) - The Lord longs to turn offenses into blessings (II Sam 16:5-12, Gen 37:26-28 & 45:1-8 & 50:15-20 and Isa 53) - The Lord longs to teach us the power of forgiveness (Job 42:1-10) Job couldn’t fix what needed to be fixed (which were his friends) until he first fixed what had to be fixed (which was his own relationship with God). Fix your relationship with God and everything else, pretty much, fixes itself. In order to fix your relationship with God, you must secure forgiveness, not only from God but for yourself as well ( Job 42:6,7 a ). 12:17 According to the Bible, there are two kinds of sorrow ( though he sought it carefully with tears ): (1) worldly ; and (2) godly . Of the two, only godly sorrow leads to true repentance ( II Cor 7:8-9,10 ). 12:22 This word ( innumerable ) is the Greek word PXULDσLQ ( muriasin ), from which we derive our English word “myriad.” It means “ countless , numberless ” ( Rev 12:4 ). 13:4 a According to the Bible, “ marriage ” and the “ bed ” go together. Therefore, sex outside the boundaries of God-ordained standards is sin and considered an act of fornication ( I Cor 5:11 & 6:18 & 7:2 ) and/or adultery (Job 31:9-12). Spencer Beard in Lies of Lust notes: Any other form of sex, whether it is pre-marital, homosexual, pornographic, imaginary, etc, is wrong. If it is not something between a husband and wife, it has been deemed by God to be a sexual sin. 5 13:4 b The phrase “ and the bed undefiled ” means that what goes on in the bedroom between a married couple is up to that couple, as long as it’s “just between” that couple. 13:5 Don’t look for someone who will solve all your problems (the Antichrist and his false prophet promise to do that – Rev 13:11-17); look for Someone who will face them with you ( I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee ). 13:7 a This word ( rule ) is the Greek word ‘ KJοXPHQZQ ( hegoumenon ) and means “ to esteem .” Hegoumenon is used 28 times in the NT. The same Greek word is translated “ governor ” in Matthew 2:6 & Acts 7:10. Thus, a pastor’s right to “ govern ” a local church comes from God ( I Tim 3:5 a,b , I Thess 5:12 -13 and I Tim 5:17 ). 13:7 b A pastor’s right to lead should be determined by his example (I Tim 3:1-7, I Cor 11:1, Phil 3:17, I Thess 1:6 and II Thess 3:7,9), not his expectation (his pastoral vision).
1 Mcmillen, S.I. None of These Diseases . Old Tappan, NJ: Fleming H. Revell Co. 1967. Print. 2 Lucado, Max. Let the Journey Begin . Nashville, TN: Word Publishing. 1998. Print. 3 Jones Sr., Dr. Bob. Chapel Sayings .
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