Christian Living

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Larry Lilly's Letter Monday July 20, 2009

I am in the mind bending process of getting my new on true biblical forgiveness ready for the editor, who is usually known as "Bloody Mary" or Texas Chainsaw Massacre character, "Leatherface" due to the river of red on the return manuscript. It is emotionally draining to see the creation of your own little hands so mutilated. But, in order to properly educate the saints on the depth of true forgiveness, I suffer so for the sake of the Lord Jesus.

While reading on Thursday last I saw a story that reminded me of a method of keeping people forgiven that I have used for years. This method has contributed many nights of peaceful sleep, when the "Sinister Reminder" attempted to get me to relive the pain of betrayal, denial or whatever.

The method is really a simple old time accounting procedure. In the dinosaur age we used to pay a bill, write on the receipt, Paid, and then record the manner and amount of payment along with the date. The paid bill was then placed in a drawer or box marked with large letters PAID. On occasion a vendor or banker would notify that said bill was overdue, you simply went to the drawer or box and picked up the phone, the operator pleasantly said, “Number please” at which you stated two digits, the phone rang, you then gave the person answering your name, why you were calling, gave the date, manner of payment, and a receipt number and that was it.

I do the same thing with matters that are forgiven, and sanity demands that you do not have a large pile of things yet unforgiven, because forgiving others is a command from God's word, especially from Jesus. Obeying Jesus in spirit and action is reasonable. To fail in this area of Christian life buys much grief.

So, when "Old Slew Foot" as the old timers called him, digs around and brings up names, places and events I have learned to run to the "PAID" drawer, bring up the paper with the particulars, noting the pain, and then the price paid in order for the person/persons to be forgiven which of course is the most precious commodity in all of creation, the precious blood of Jesus Christ, a price without comparable value. Once a bill is paid, no further action can be taken.

This simple procedure does away with the unanswerable questions about sincerity of remorse etc, and the long list many have, is left in the hands of God. As far as making me whole, a now common term in legal circles, I am made whole by the priceless blood of Christ, and He in His wisdom deals with all involved. He makes no mistakes and I go to sleep. Pretty good deal.

When you think about this simple procedure, I am doing for others the very same thing God has done for me. I am forgiving the person, not on the basis of their own merit, but on the merit of Christ. Sounds a lot like Ephesians 4:32:

“And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.” (Underlining mine)

Larry Lilly Copyright © 2009 Use with credit

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