photo by GAC "To forgive is to make a decision to cancel the debt that you are owed and not hold it against your offender. There is no forgiveness without a debt. And when we realize the enormity of our own debt, it makes forgiveness possible. So in this sense, forgiveness is closely related to … Continue reading Quote of Note #148: Forgiving and Gratitude
Tag: forgiveness
Quote of Note #114: “The Friend of Sinners”
Photo by GAC "Time and again it is the morally disgusting, the socially reviled, the inexcusable and undeserving, who do not simply receive Christ but to whom Christ most naturally gravitates. He is, by his enemies' testimony, the 'friend of sinners.' (Luke 7:34)." Dane Ortlund, Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and … Continue reading Quote of Note #114: “The Friend of Sinners”
Quote of Note #96: Patience with the Failings of Others
"Endeavour to be patient in bearing with the defects and infirmities of others, of what sort soever they be; for that thyself also hast many failings which must be borne with by others. If thou canst not make thyself such an one as thou wouldest, how canst thou expect to have another in all things … Continue reading Quote of Note #96: Patience with the Failings of Others
Quote of Note #81: Sin, Guilt, and the Blood of Jesus
We have a strange illusion that mere time cancels sin. I have heard others, and I have heard myself, recounting cruelties and falsehoods committed in boyhood as if they were no concern of the present speaker's, and even with laughter. But mere time does nothing either to the fact or the guilt of sin. The … Continue reading Quote of Note #81: Sin, Guilt, and the Blood of Jesus
Quote of Note #50: Graciousness to Others Because of God’s Graciousness to Me
"As you contemplate the cross of Christ, you should be overwhelmed with the oceans of grace you have received from the Lord. Even when others commit pools or even lakes full of sin against you, you should be gracious to them because of those oceans of grace you have received. 'Be kind to them,' Jesus … Continue reading Quote of Note #50: Graciousness to Others Because of God’s Graciousness to Me
Bible Note #33: The Hairy Arms of Esau and the Embrace of God’s Grace — Genesis 33
This event – the reconciliation of Esau and Jacob – has long captured my imagination. The rupturing of their relationship was overflowing with emotion. So, it should be no surprise that the reconciliation here is also full of emotion. There is also a large measure of raw, burly physicality in the reconciliation of these two … Continue reading Bible Note #33: The Hairy Arms of Esau and the Embrace of God’s Grace — Genesis 33
Quote of Note #36: Being Forgiven and Being Forgiving
"If you are one who just cannot seem to forgive, let me ask you a few questions which might give you another perspective. Have you received the forgiveness that God offers through a relationship with Jesus? Have you personally experienced God's forgiveness of your sins? If you haven't, then there is some credibility to the … Continue reading Quote of Note #36: Being Forgiven and Being Forgiving
Pastor Note #78: Christian Witness in an Age of Offense
In the 1960s it was the Age of Aquarius. (If you’re much younger than I am, you probably don’t understand that reference.) We are now in the Age of Offense. Everybody is offended these days. Everybody has become touchy. We all tend to take everything personally. We have begun to use the things that offend … Continue reading Pastor Note #78: Christian Witness in an Age of Offense
Quote of Note #19: Gracious Help to those in Need
"If anyone . . . appears before you who is in need of your kind services, you have no reason to refuse him your help. Suppose he is a stranger; yet the Lord has pressed his own stamp on him and made him as one of your family, and he forbids you to despise your … Continue reading Quote of Note #19: Gracious Help to those in Need
Quote of Note #17–Joy and Resentment
"Joy and resentment cannot coexist." Henri Nouwen, The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming. New York:Image/Doubleday, 1992, page 73.
Gary Chorpenning's Notebooks 