His Ways Are Not Our Ways

“Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord.

But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink for in so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.’” Romans 12:17-21 NASB

Our God says to leave retribution or vengeance to Him and He will repay. But when first reading this scripture of God heaping coals of fire on the heads of our enemies, it may sound like a great idea! We can trust God to get ‘em for us! But these burning coals are not to be brought with a vengeance taken into our hands. We are to endeavor to leave all that to God, seeking for peace, overcoming evil with good.

We need to get out of the way and watch how God deals with them. We can trust He will, having faith in what we do not yet see. Consider what motivates us to offer food and drink, literally or spiritually, to our enemies. If we are overcoming evil with good, we are doing it in God’s goodness, with His care for all. When moved by the Lord to show mercy, kindness, and care to our enemies, we are heaping those coals of fire by bringing the fire of His wrath—His great passion—into the situation.

We become passionate to do right in God’s eyes regardless of the role of this enemy in our midst. It is definitely the wrong heart motive to apply this scripture to exacting our vengeance on our enemies. God is in charge of any vengeance and His retribution is always just. He knows exactly what our enemies need to change them, now or in the life to come. We must know that God’s wrath is His passion, not His anger. It is indignation against sin, never the sinner.

The root word for wrath in Greek is orge, meaning desire or violent passion. God is deeply passionate about the world coming to know Him, for all to be reconciled unto His purposes. God is very, very passionate in His great love in redeeming all who miss the mark. He has a fiery passion for everyone to be in a relationship with Him. Oh, how He loves us!

His retribution is perfect, just as He is perfect. He strongly, passionately desires us to receive and walk in the fullness of all Christ has accomplished. Just so, His fiery passion is directed at our external enemies to change them for good, on this side of heaven or in the afterlife. He is promising us that He will deal with our enemies with His redemptive justice and mercy. God is not a man that He can lie!

Our human judgments can get in the way of God’s actions in dealing with our enemies. If we act with vengeful delight in response to our enemies, they cannot see God through the condemnation we are placing upon them. Our personal loving compassion for others we care about may also get in the way of what God would choose to accomplish in discipining them. We are not to pray away the fire that God has set to change them though we surely can pray them through it as the holy spirit leads.

If we attempt to rescue others from the fire God’s presence is bringing, we lack understanding of God’s ways. We do ask God to be with everyone with a heart of forgiveness and peace with others, even our enemies, but God knows best what needs to unfold and when. We are not to take into our own hands what is only God’s business. We do not want to get in the way of God’s intentions!

Our Lord’s walk on this earth models this for us. Jesus knew His enemies could only do what His Father allowed them to do. We can learn to rest in that and be sure it is fitting, doing the work He intends. Even when being betrayed and arrested, Jesus said that all He had to do was ask and His Father would send a myriad of angels to rescue Him. That was not God’s plan. He knew His Father was in charge and not those who betrayed Him.

Vengeance is His, so if there is to be punishment, including consequences, He knows what is redemptive for our enemies. How many words have we wasted in our relationships when the other person is unable to hear truth, though it is correct and right? What if their receiving of our truth is hindered by impatient, angry, blaming, and even disdainful attitudes in the heart impacting the spirit of our words?

God always sees the thoughts and intents of our hearts when we want other people to be punished rather than redeemed. Words are very important but God desires more than words spoken to others. We are to speak truth in love; that is His way. Human vengeance, particularly without God’s balance, is ineffective and makes things worse. It distracts the person from the truth to the vengeful attitudes coming at them, only prolonging the issues in the situation.

Yes, indeed, God does tell us in this passage and others to get out of His way! Vengeance here is from the Greek word ekdikos meaning “carrying justice out.” Is there anyone more just, more right in their doings, than Father God? Yes, this word includes the intent of punishment, which God is capable of doing when necessary. Father God, Who is love, is carrying out this justice. His vengeance is sure to deal with sin and wrongdoing, and His word is powerful, far different from the angry words that sometimes feels so good to say, but accomplish nothing.

Behavior has consequences and we are not to tempt the Lord by doing something to put Him to the test.

“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12 NIV

God does not chastise people because He feels like it, had a bad day, can’t take any more, or all the other reasons we justify our behavior to others like we humans are prone to do. His purpose is always to bring about a change, to purify rather than punish. God wastes nothing in His redemptive purpose. He has no need to pay back those who harm or wrong us, though He does allow natural consequences to occur.

This life is our training ground, designed to teach us about God through our experiences, including all we suffer. As we mature in Christ, we recognize God’s work when others wrong us undeservedly. God’s judgment always has the purpose to redeem, flowing from His heart of mercy for a better outcome. His purpose is for our character to be refined as well as for the wrongdoer’s salvation, even if it takes centuries.

God brings His purifying presence upon our enemies’ heads, their understanding. He brings the fire of His presence to consume what is not of Him. Of course, nothing can stand in the presence of our Lord without being changed. As Peter stated, our God is a consuming fire. He promises to burn up our dross—everything that is not Him. The author of Psalms 119, believed to be David, stated:

“It was good for me to be afflicted, that I might learn Your statutes.” Psalms 119:71 BSB

No, God’s ways are not our ways, but they can be! We need to consider what is in our hearts as we deal with our enemies, those who come against us or those we love, to hurt and harm us. And how shall we deal with those who do love us yet cause wounds and harm? We learn to ask God immediately “What are you trying to teach me? What are the lessons for me in this situation with those against me?”

We surely do not want to miss any of God’s lessons for us when we are dealing with external or, more often, internal enemies to our promised spiritual land. One key lesson from the Lord is to learn from His heart of forgiveness. The process of forgiveness can be a challenging experience for us Christians, yet our Lord says we are to do so, over and over, many times:

“Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother who sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not just seven times, but seventy-seven times!’” Matthew 18:25 BSB

This number is not a requirement to count until we get to 77! It is representative of the countless times we are to forgive our brothers in Christ, sometimes harder to do than forgiving our enemies! Jesus shares the parable of the Master who loans money to two servants. One is mercifully forgiven when he cannot repay but goes right out to deal harshly with someone who owes him. The Master is most displeased about this!

The other servant, after the Master dealt graciously with him and forgave his debt, is merciful to his debtors. The unforgiving, merciless servant is then punished by the Master, putting this servant in jail until he pays the last farthing. Mark my words: when we are unforgiving, we pay a price! We live in a prison house of our own negative emotions. What judgment we have for others is what God will put on us. The point:

“That is how My heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.” Matthew 18:34 Berean

God is not pleased with mere words of forgiveness. He desires true forgiveness from the heart. We are debtors who have been forgiven much by our Lord. So, too, should we forgive those who transgress against us as the Protestant Lord’s prayer states. The judgment we put on others is how we are judged. God says so. He doesn’t want us to just go through the motions. He wants this forgiveness to be deep within us, a true change in the thoughts and emotions, in the intent of our hearts.

God is the only one who can work such a change in wounded hearts and lives, regardless of circumstances. It is foolishness to believe we can harbor unforgiveness and even hate without paying an internal price. When we refuse to forgive our brother in Christ, we are building our own prison of anger and thoughts of revenge, sometimes for many years. Those who have been grievously harmed, suffering great loss, may live in perpetual distress in mind and body when unable to forgive.

Only God, in His mercy, can work forgiveness in such hearts, reminding us that our Master has graciously and repeatedly forgiven us for our transgressions. Unforgiveness is a robber of peace and love, for sure! Circumstances vary greatly so this is a work that the person takes to God, who works amazing forgiveness within a willing believer’s heart for the most heinous and damaging acts. We know of such saints doing so, in circumstances far beyond what many of us experienceei, and all of the early martyrs both suffered horrendously and also forgave their tormentors.

There are times when we know He says to forgive but honestly, we just don’t want to! We know we are supposed to forgive, but where do we start if we aren’t willing? It’s surprising how many Christians strongly condemn the sins of the flesh yet harbor unforgiveness, resentment, and even bitterness in their hearts towards others. It may seem like forgiveness is letting the other off the hook, excusing or even condoning their behavior.

Sadly, this is not reserved for just our enemies. It’s often found in our hearts towards those we love—our family and friends as well as our brothers and sisters in Christ. Lack of forgiveness brings much harm to human relationships. That’s why God told us to keep our hearts clean, not to go to bed angry, to prioritize having a pure heart toward others. Every one of us Christians need to exercise our spiritual forgiveness muscles to be ready for implementation!

Father God has us covered when our hearts do not want to do things His way. When we don’t want to forgive or can’t see our way to do so, we can count on His ability to change our will to match His will:

“...work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

Do all things without grumbling or disputing; that you may prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world…” Philippians 2: 12-16 NASB

What great news! When we are not willing, God works on our willingness! He does this when we ask—and sometimes when we don’t, because someone else is praying for us. He starts where we are, creating in our hearts a desire to do His will. We may be reluctant, but He is able to change that so we can forgive without grumbling and disputing, ruminating and resenting, with an inner rebellion in our hearts.

As we see how our ways are not yet His ways, we might as well be transparent with the Lord by acknowledging honestly where we are in our hearts. God already knows but we surrender further to His inner working when we admit it to Him. Where there is resistance, we ask Him to plant a willingness. There are deep hurts that wound in devastating ways that cannot be rapidly resolved, but we can surrender to His will regardless of our feelings.

We do desire deliverance from our soul’s struggles within but how long it takes depends upon the hardness of our hearts in the situation or relationship as well as the grievousness of the wound. In any and all circumstances, our will is surrendered to God, becoming an anchor for our soul into God’s will. While our thoughts and emotions may sway the rope back and forth on that anchor, our will to do His will sustains us in the purpose and process of forgiveness.

We are to forgive as we have been forgiven–freely, without merit or worthiness, without conditions, as unto the Lord. None of us are deserving of God’s mercy or able to earn His forgiveness. But we use our human reasoning to justify why another does not deserve our forgiveness. We have many reasons, all humanly understandable. We’re still too hurt and angry, we want to protect ourselves from more hurt, we want justice or to see the other suffer before we forgive, it is absolutely unforgivable, they deserve retribution, and on and on.

Through this, God teaches us about His ways in our struggle to forgive. We find God’s way instead of holding on to hurts, resentment, anger, unforgiveness or even bitterness. We all have family, friends, teachers and fellow Christians whose behaviors and choices cause undeserved suffering and pain. One cannot be in this world without having incurred offenses. The load may become quite heavy as these increase in life. God says, “Don’t carry it! Release it to Me. Rest in My ways to bring about change.”

Yet some people still carry resentment and bitterness about a sibling or parent’s past behavior, cut off or continuing to fume, bringing up old transgressions, still believing they got away with something. Yet, unless we see into the heart of the one who hurt us, how can we know what God has done in them? Confusion around the process of forgiveness is very common but be clear about this: when we carry unforgiveness in our hearts, we become the burdened ones, in bondage to our thoughts and emotions.

The guidance of the holy spirit is also necessary when wanting to support others struggling with the directive to forgive. Just telling someone they should forgive only applies a surface band-aid to an infected wound without cleaning it out first. It becomes a law rather than a process wrought by the holy spirit. With deep and grievous wounds from this life, a deeply damaged heart may not be ready or able to hear.

Yes, forgiveness is God’s command for us, made possible through Jesus Christ our Lord. But He goes beyond the law of forgiveness to creating a heart that forgives. Forgiveness is too important to apply as merely a cover over a festering wound of emotions. We should not lightly or casually say, “Well, you need to forgive” when we have no understanding of the situation, no discernment from the Lord. And horrendous, seemingly unforgivable things happen to others that are far beyond our experiences and understanding.

It takes God’s wisdom and time to understand, let alone assist others in this process. When we don’t know why such things are happening to a fellow believer, it’s best to stick with what we do know. And we do know that it is not that God does not love them! While children need to be taught forgiveness by word and behavior, mature Christians cannot have the fruit of the spirit fully manifest in their lives with mere spoken words.

When we are the offended ones, it is even more challenging if the person continues in hurtful ways, showing no remorse. But God does not make any exceptions in His forgiveness policy. His forgiveness is unconditional—no conditions! His love truly has no limit, His grace no measure. We do not get a pass on forgiveness because others continue in their hurtful or harmful ways. God may allow or even cause the relationship to end as a consequence of the other’s continual harmful behavior—but the heart still needs to forgive.

Consider a woman who is in an abusive, violent relationship. There is the daily wear and tear on a person’s entire being of being ridiculed and mistreated, threatened with or experiencing physical harm, the fear of being abandoned and alone. She may need to leave in order to keep herself and her children safe. This is the heart of the matter for Christians who are praying about being seriously mistreated, abandoned, abused or living in violence with no safety within or without. What is God leading them to do, inside their hearts where they listen for His will?

Many would keep such a believer in an unsafe prison to follow the law against separation or divorce. But there is a time when those in prison are set free. God, in His mercy and grace, releases His called and chosen to go further in His purposes. To be truly free, the survivor of abuse and violence needs forgiveness in their heart whether staying or leaving, and whether the partner knows about it or not.

Forgiveness, however, does not require staying in dangerous situations. God protects the innocent. Those who are victimized by the use of abuse or threat of harm to violently control another are innocent, despite the abuser’s rationale of “Well s/he deserved it. S/he is disrespectful, disobedient, and I have the right to control or correct.” Even some Christian leaders, lacking in discernment and often having no experience in these matters, have directed those who are being abused to stay or return for the sake of the marriage vows.

This is prioritizing the law of staying married over mercy for the one victimized, lacking in understanding of the victim.It is more often offered by someone who has never been in this position. The key is what the holy spirit directs that person to do, and what a time to lose the spiritual support of those who disagree and judge the victim for leaving. They lack understanding of God’s standard of forgiveness as an inner work that truly frees one inside. Whether the relationship is sustained or not is God’s business.

While it is God’s ideal that hearts be truly repentant of the harm and hurt caused to another, it is not our job to require this. Perhaps we want the other person to be good and sorry before we extend our mercy and forgiveness, but God’s forgiveness frees us regardless of what the other person’s attitudes may be. This idea of earning forgiveness likely stems from childhood experiences when we are disciplined for wrong and rewarded for right behavior.

Most of us experienced some discipline or consequences at home and at school when we do wrong, so we learn to expect rewards for doing good and punishment for not. There is value and truth in this as children, but as adults, the key is acting to please the Lord, not ourselves:

“The one who sows to please his flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; but the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have an opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to the family of faith.” Galatians 6:8-10 Berean

Goodness to all must be done in the spirit. How rapidly might the world change if all of us Christians will endeavor to do good to everyone? It is impossible to sustain goodness in the flesh, though some have a head start with a God-given compassionate nature. But good works done for any other reason than God’s leading by the spirit are as worthless as sinful or evil works. This is eating from the tree of good and evil instead of from the tree of life.

As children, and later as adults, we may struggle when this model of reward and consequences doesn’t show up fairly in our lives. We dislike the tests that come when unfair things happen to us that we do not deserve. We may cry out: “It’s not fair!”, not understanding God’s redemptive justice is higher than our ways and our desire for equal distribution of suffering. God clearly does not make His decisions based on what we humans consider fair.

This is a hard lesson in God’s kingdom that should be obvious by now but we struggle with it. It comes as a disappointing truth for many of us until we understand more about how His ways are not ours. Surely Jesus was treated most unfairly and yet, in His suffering on the cross, He asked the Father to forgive them. He knew they did not know what they were doing, that they were actually fulfilling God’s plan to sacrifice His only son for all. Yet I have Jewish friends who have been persecuted and rejected by Christians, even as children, because some Christians blame the Jews for Jesus’ crucifixion.

We desire a word of life, not just of good and evil. Good and honorable behavior is not exclusive to Christians, though we should be specialists in this. Unbelievers may have good hearts that flow out to others without godliness working within. When we grow and change in our understanding of His ways, however, our harvest of reward is spiritual and eternal. It may never result in others treating us like we treat them, a disappointing fact of life, but the joy of pleasing the Lord in our well-doing becomes more and more satisfying.

How little do we believers understand the purpose and plan of God when we get stuck in blaming humans for what God did! Ironically, the offender may have totally forgotten what happened, while we continue to ruminate about it. God understands the many hurts and unfairness we all experience in this life. He comforts and directs us, knowing the price we pay for carrying them around.

“For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His loving devotion for those who fear Him. As far as the East is from the West, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” Psalms 103:11-12 Berean

“I, yes I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake and remembers your sins no more.” Isaiah 43:25 Berean

If God puts our transgressions far away like east from west, He certainly is not taking them out and examining them on a regular basis like we tend to do. He is not warily watching us to see when we do it again, checking if He needs to remind us of our errors and sins. He is certainly not rehearsing our sins when He remembers them no more!

Christians don’t necessarily act as if we believe this about God, but it is what He said. The Hebrew word for “remember” in the scripture from Isaiah is zakar, meaning “to mark so as to recognize, to remember in order to mention, mindful, recount, bring, or call to mind, think on.” This is what God is promising never to do when He states unequivocally that He will remember our transgressions no more. Ever. Period.

We are called to be the light of the world, yet unforgiveness and the judgment it feeds are part of what some people hold against Christians – our hateful, poisonous self-righteous attitude toward others. This is not speaking the truth in love! It may be truth, but stems from a different spirit than God’s spirit of love and mercy. It is particularly noted when we Christians are holding forth and judging what we know nothing about except for what it looks like to us from the outside.

We all have found ourselves doing this despite knowing it is not to be a part of our Christian walk. There are endless attitudes and assumptions, including stereotypes about others and their circumstances, that we all have. It’s part of life, how our marvelous God-given brains are made to work. These biases influence us, knowingly or worse, unknowingly, in our attitudes and behaviors towards others. When we know our biases and submit them to the Lord for cleansing, then our human viewpoint will not negatively impact others in our world.

How beautifully the Lord works within us to have humility to teach us that we do not know what it is like for another, even when we think we do! We may share similar outcomes, but the details vary from person to person. There are many ways Christians end up divorced, unemployed, eating, drinking, and socializing in unholy ways, living and loving in ways unacceptable to others. How do we show the light, despising the sin—the failure to meet the mark— while not displaying human judgment or harshness towards others in error?

After all, are we not all missing the mark in some way? Dare we rank order external sins while ignoring the carnal attitudes in our own hearts? When Christians fall short in these matters, unbelievers ask, “Where’s the love?” God tells us that it is what comes out of a man that is defiling because it flows from what is in the heart. Jesus spoke to this when the Pharisees were upset because He and His disciples did not follow the established traditions of the elders. Jesus confronts them about speaking holy words while their hearts are far from Him. Jesus said to the crowd:

“‘Listen and understand. A man is not defiled by what enters his mouth, but by what comes out of it.’ Then the disciples came to Him and said, ‘Are You aware that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?” But Jesus replied, ‘Every plant that My heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by its roots. Disregard them! They are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.’

Peter said to Him, ‘Explain this parable to us.’ ‘Do you still not understand?’ Jesus asked. ‘Do you not yet realize that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then is eliminated? But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these things defile a man.

For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, and slander. These are what defile a man, but eating with unwashed hands does not defile him.” Matthew 15:10-20 BSB

Jesus was teaching the crowd before Him that the Pharisees had their priorities wrong. They outwardly worshipped God, extolling the many virtues of keeping their rules and traditions, while inwardly, their hearts were full of pride and deceit. Did Jesus love His enemies? Of course! Did He know that most of the Pharisees and elders at the time would not hear or follow Him? Yes, He knew what was in their hearts. He wanted the crowd, as well as His disciples, to understand this.

But Jesus still forgave all, even His enemies. Jesus was delivering a radically different message to the Jews listening to Him. Their religion was based upon following the law of Moses, requiring outward sacrifice and religious customs that were a show of righteousness. But there was no focus on what was in their hearts until Jesus came along. Like many of us when God reveals the ugly things in our hearts, they did not like it at all! They got offended, resisting or denying the truth of their inward condition.

What is in our hearts, when not dealt with by God, eventually comes out as behavior. Yes, God is against the sins of the flesh, but where do they come from? The scribes and Pharisees were the only people Jesus repeatedly chastised and publicly judged. Jesus was ministering a word that exposed what was in their hearts. He neither chastised nor rebuked the sinners who came to Him. In His mercy, He saw all and sinners knew it. He spoke a word to each that so changed them they were able to truly go and sin no more.

The way of Jesus was to speak a word of power and light, a word of life that changed the course of their lives, freeing them from sin and error. Jesus holds our presentday erroneous, uber-religious, blind leaders to a higher standard than their followers, because of the authority and power they have. They keep others in their prison of self-righteousness. This is spiritual wickedness in high places:

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can make your stand against the devil’s schemes.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 6:11-13 Berean

It’s really the spirits within others that have power in this world’s darkness. It’s the spirit of darkness coming from the hearts of those who harm us or those we love. There are spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. That means there is evil where God is, on every level where His own people still sin. There are evil spiritual forces working in the heavens, and there are realms of heaven. That’s a lot to consider here, but one thing is certain: it is the spirits that rule in darkness within our enemies and we are at risk of allowing them to contaminate, to grow within us.

His ways certainly are different than our human ways! What about the horrific things that man does to others far beyond our human understanding, that thankfully remain completely outside the lives of many of us? We desire justice in this world, but we know that the world is sadly, even horribly, lacking in true and righteous judgment. As our earthly conditions worsen, what is happening in this 21st century sounds a lot like this scripture in Amos.

“It is as if a man runs from a lion [escaping one danger] and a bear meets him [so he dies anyway], or goes home, and leans with his hand against the wall and a snake bites him.” Amos 5:19 NIV

We believers cannot deny that there are terrible things happening in this world, one after the other. Multitudes face danger, death, and loss on a daily basis. More and more are victims of frequent natural disasters. It is particularly offensive for Christians to casually and without thought or prayer, provide superficial advice for dealing with such extremely adverse circumstances. While being grateful that we are not tested in some ways, we need to remain humble in realizing we have not dealt with anything close to the challenges of multitudes of other believers on this earth.

Many of us have not been asked to deal with someone who caused a fatal accident that took the life of a loved one, or the murder of a child or family member, or watching lives and homes destroyed by our country’s enemies in times of war, or being tormented and defiled by those who are supposed to love us, harmed and murdered because of the color of our skin or any outward appearance of the flesh, or captured and tortured by our enemies.

Unless God gives us understanding for such circumstances, we cannot grasp them. It’s best to humbly listen and learn, rather than think we know and rush to respond. God is able to teach us His ways in all circumstances when we recognize our lack and submissively ask Him. Some say that there are things that are just unforgivable, but God makes no exceptions. There are saints through the centuries who have deeply suffered and done just that.

When well-meaning Christians attempt to comfort others with platitudes, they end up causing the person, particularly children, to feel misunderstood or confused rather than comforted and supported. How we all require the wisdom of God when interacting with those who are angry and suffering unspeakable pain and loss! Sometimes we rush to this response because it is too difficult for us to hear about such experiences but silence can be golden!

God, help us to share scriptures wisely in YOUR way—in God’s time, with God’s motivation of love and compassion for the suffering of others. God is fully able to work His compassion and understanding for them into our hearts. He may also respectfully reveal the roots of their issues to give us understanding of the roots. Many sinful things are understandable by the holy spirit even though they remain wrong. Hating the sin while loving the sinner isn’t easy!

Though we may never know what it is like to have such things happen, we all know pain. When offering godly counsel to the deeply wounded, we cannot just give what we think is good advice. When not led by the Lord, we inevitably say unhelpful things, causing further distress. The wise path is to wait until we know what to say and when to say it. As Ecclesiastes says, there is a season for all things.

How the Lord’s heart must grieve to see all of us, including little ones who suffer so much, experience things that so many others cannot even imagine. No one really wants to hear the worst that humans can do to another, particularly to innocent children. But God hears. He knows. God sends some of His own to be wise counselors who offer comfort and hope His way, not their own ideas and words.

We are to handle carefully the precious bruised and broken hearts of others, praying that they will allow God to give them His comfort and rest:

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 12:20 BSB

We want to be like Him and are able and willing to do so.

“Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near. Let the wicked man forsake his own way and the unrighteous man his own thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that He may have compassion, and to our God, for He will freely pardon.

For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, for as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.’” Isaiah 55:6-9 BSB

We continually pray for His will, not ours. God is a Healer of all in every situation when submitted to Him. He is faithful and just to create that same ability that He has: to be willing and then to do His good pleasure by forgiving others. We cannot provide true redemptive justice without a change of heart. Laws can’t do it, though they are necessary to protect the innocent. It is only the work of the holy spirit in the hearts of men and women, sometimes one heart at a time.

As our will is submitted to Him, He softens our hardened hearts and changes our emotions to compassion and mercy. He refashions our hardened hearts into hearts that are soft, pliable, able to to be written upon with His ways. He is an amazing, incredible God whose ways are not ours until the full redemption of His plan makes us into His image and likeness, to be unveiled within us.

God’s Judgment Is Always Redemptive

God has been writing this truth on my heart along with the rest of the treasure house He is creating through years of walking with Him.

Recently, the statement, “God’s judgment is always redemptive,” burned itself into my heart. This statement is an answer to a years-long search for understanding God’s judgment in contrast with human judgment. He judges righteously from a perfect union of His mercy and His justice. In His perfection, God the Father is both mercy and judgment. God’s judgment has a purpose—to redeem us from sin, the flesh, and the devil.

God is always merciful, and His judgment is certain. Because He is love, He has the perfect balance between the two.

“Mercy and truth are met together: righteousness and peace have kissed each other.” Psalms 85:10 AKJV

Now, this is something I have found most difficult for us human beings to achieve! It is challenging to resist being judgmental, including judging others for their critical and condemning attitudes and behaviors. When we judge others who display critical judgment without compassion or understanding, we find ourselves in the unhappy dilemma of being judgmental about others who are judgmental!

Human judgment of the behavior and choices of others is typically drawn from external information—what is seen, heard, or reported by others. Rarely do those who are judging have accurate information, especially about the person’s internal heart, their history, or the circumstances of those they are judging. Check out any of today’s social media platforms, and you will see just how rampant and even vicious people’s opinions of one another can be—and this is in the Christian community!

Whether it is entertainment, politics, sports, business, or personal life choices, judgment displayed with lack of love is thriving. Such judgment is the reason the great Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi said, "I like your Christ, but not your Christianity." (as quoted by Dr. J.H. Holmes. 1927). As with Gandhi, judgmental attitudes and opinions displayed by Christians and the conflicts these generate are a common turn-off for those who have not met the Lord.

Our human judgment, our opinions and reasoning, is an ugliness that is far too commonly displayed among close Christian brothers and sisters and within Christian families. Judgmental attitudes and behaviors are spots on our garments, yet appearing to approve ungodly behavior is not the answer either. How can we avoid human judgment while remaining true to our own Christian beliefs?

God’s judgment differs from human judgment in its purpose of redemption, so how are we Christians to display this godly judgment? There are things that are wrong, sinful, and missing the mark that God will not wink at in our lives and the lives of others. How do we show mercy and compassion to others whose choices differ from ours? How do we exhibit love and mercy that does not seemingly agree with or approve of what we know is not according to God’s word?

Consider what Paul taught Timothy about dealing with others from a pure heart:

“Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.

Opponents must be gently instructed in the hope that God will grant them repentance, leading them to a knowledge of the truth and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.” 2 Timothy 2:22-26 NIV

Many a fiery sermon from the pulpit is not delivered with gentle instruction, using zeal rather than God’s ways to convict sinners. God desires us to have the right attitude and motive of the heart because that is where our words begin. We are to gently edify and lift up others, particularly those in our faith communities. When God’s love is the Master of our motives, His love will check our spirit, pricking our conscience when we say critical, judgmental things that tear down rather than build up.

More than one Christian has had their testimony or even ministry destroyed by words spoken by others who neither know nor care about the effects of their words. Without mercy or grace, words hurt!

“…but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.” Ephesians 4:15-16 BSB

There is only one way we can grow the Body of Christ: by building each other up in love. As we mature, growing up in the Lord, we become more skilled at speaking His truth in love. Love is the strongest, most powerful force in the universe! What people will do and how they can change under the power of true and faithful God-love is amazing! God is able to teach us to show love and mercy to everyone, even the unlovable, though we disagree or even hate what they might do.

We all need to be covered in grace and love when we are in this battle to live the right way, God’s way, in our sin-filled world. We can leave the judgment to God’s wisdom as He draws those missing the mark —which is all of us—more powerfully. There’s a God-place in all of us that brings an awareness of the very things about which others are judging us. Deep down, where God’s seed is, there’s a hidden awareness when we are falling short of the mark. It’s a built-in awareness of sin, unless the consciousness is seared.

“Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron." 1 Timothy 4:2 NIV

This describes those who still teach laws about what is forbidden rather than grace through faith. Their conscience has become numb, insensitive to right and wrong, often due to hypocrisy and a hardening of the heart. This has lead to a callousness towards God's will and the ability to commit evil without remorse.

“So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of their hearts.” Ephesians 4:17-18 BSB

The heart is hardened so that this God-given small, secret awareness of truth and righteousness is quenched and eventually deadened in some who practice evil on a daily basis, but it’s still there. God knows the hearts of humans, including ones whose hearts may be softened in this life. Others must wait until their time to appear before the judgment seat of God to change and redeem their natures.

We humans are usually unaware of what is in another’s heart when we judge that person. We do not know what happens in the privacy of another’s life and relationships. Careless or critical comments are discouraging, rather than strengthening, for hope of any possible change. After all, what can one expect from a person who believes they are so bad that there is no hope for them? God came to save the world, so there is no one who is beyond His love.

Most of us would be surprised at the self-condemnation in others' hearts who seem to do wrong without conscience. The last thing some need is to have others joining in their own self-condemnation and even self-loathing. Hatred of the sinner does not bring us to full life, Christ does! People do get trapped into wrongful situations, and some have even been beseeching the Lord to free them.

God gives wisdom not to speak words that are wasted on those without conscience or ability to hear. We are not to cast our pearls before swine but we are to:

“…encourage and build one another up, just as you are already doing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11 BSB

We are to encourage those who can hear along the way, building each other up by edifying our brothers and sisters in love. God’s way is not our way but it can be! He does not look at what a person is doing, judging casually or carelessly. His judgment always has the purpose of redemptive change. It’s always focused on reconciling us to Christ! Let’s ask ourselves: is this the pre-eminent motive for us Christians when we judge another individual or group? Is it possible that self-righteousness and superiority are harbored in our hearts when we do this?

Othemay rs have done no wrong, but circumstances may appear as if they have. The apostle Peter says this to Christians:

“Above all, love each other deeply because love covers over a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8 NIV

Love covers first, it does not first expose sin. This, above all, includes every single thing that we judge when someone misses the mark. Covering sins is not the same as excusing, denying, or ignoring them. We lay the blanket of love over the sins of others, covering them rather than broadcasting them. We see them there but cover in mercy and compassion, interceding with God on their behalf rather than exposing them. It is God’s choosing, not ours, to reveal the unrepentant behavior of others.

“Keep reminding God’s people of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value and only ruins those who listen.

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and correctly handles the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:14-16 NIV

Speaking negative things to or about others is so easy, particularly with our intimate friends! At these times, many motives other than love are present in our hearts. Perhaps we want to gain status, sympathy, get attention, appear to be in the know with the inside scoop, or display our righteousness in contrast to the person we are discussing, even gossiping under the guise of a prayer request!

We catch ourselves repeating past categorical judgments, holding them in our hearts when we have no idea of what has currently transpired nor God’s will in the matter. We apply laws rather than mercy, when Jesus Christ came to make a way for all. We all grow up with cultural blind spots that are not truth about others. These may unknowingly offend but the desire of love is not to offend but to enrich. We need more covering in love and less exposure of others! Paul further told Timothy:

“Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly.” 2 Timothy 2:16 NIV

The words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts are to be pleasing to the Lord, as David says in the Psalms. Love and respect–what we social workers call unconditional positive regard–is displayed just because someone is another human on this planet. It is acceptance of humanity as is, as God sees us all. Who else knows everything about us and loves us just the same?

God enables us to show forth His nature to others, including those who choose to reveal their innermost struggles, when God allows us to see their hearts. When we understand that human judgment is ineffective in redemption of others, our ears are open to learning what life-giving spiritual principles of God are available in the matter. We may be right in principle, standing for the truth, but very wrong, unloving and critical, in the attitudes and motives of our hearts.

There are untold examples of Christians who have committed grievous errors against God and man who have been redeemed by the love of God in His people. The most dramatic of these is the conversion of Saul, the persecutor of Christians. One powerful appearance of Jesus to Saul changed him to Paul, a great apostle of Jesus Christ. But what if the Christian community’s justified judgment of Saul would have led them to refuse his entry into the Kingdom? Thank the Lord He sent Paul to an obedient servant who did not judge him from his past!

Christians are to be known particularly for their love and mercy towards others, most especially for the people of faith. “They will know us by our love.” Well, do they? Redemption from our old ways of judging by external behavior or appearance leads to new life in Him. In our human judgment, we prioritize many external factors that God does not prioritize, just as the scribes and Pharisees of Jesus’ day did:

“At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat them. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to Him, ‘Look, Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.’

Jesus replied, ‘Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread, which was not lawful for them to eat, but only for the priests. Or haven’t you read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break the Sabbath and yet are innocent?

But I tell you that something greater than the temple is here. If only you had known the meaning of ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.’” Matthew 12: 1-7 BSB

These religious followers of the law condemned Jesus for healing on the Sabbath and for eating and drinking with sinners and tax collectors. Read the Book and you will find that these workers of the Jewish laws looked at outward appearance rather than the heart. But now, we have His love, an unlimited source, within us. We go to the Source of love when we don’t have what we need.

Faith through love is the only answer, as Paul told the early Christians who were being persuaded to get circumcised according to the Law. He was clear that if you insist on obeying a part of the law, you are required to fulfill it all, nullifying the sacrifice of Jesus Christ:

“For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.” Galatians 5:6 ESV

God does not look at or evaluate our righteousness by all the outward things our society, specific culture, or even Christian community relies upon to measure the godliness of a man or woman of faith. How we treat one another is much more important than the sins of the flesh we love to condemn. God is able to teach us to respond to others through His judgment and mercy which are never separate in Him.

This is godly judgment, coming from the pure heart of love God has for the world. God does not change His standards, but He does change what is in our hearts. It’s not a matter of pretending not to see what misses the mark (sin), but a choice to focus on the love of God, to see others with empathy and compassion. Learning to speak the truth in love is a most refining characteristic God is working within His people.

Even when we don’t speak our judgments out, as many in this age are doing, we still need them purged from our hearts to become ever more like our Lord. When we speak to others with these things hidden in our hearts, we speak with guile that is unacceptable to God. It is not that we cannot see or are not given spiritual discernment about what is righteous. It is about the attitudes of our hearts when we do. And guile is something we may hide from ourselves. It’s in the mixed motives of God and self from which we speak our words.

God always prioritizes having the character of Christ working in our hearts over the works we do for Him. He desires us to flow out with His righteous behavior towards all. Understanding that God’s judgment is always redemptive means that His heart, His sole purpose and intent, is always and eternally focused on redeeming or saving the individual. Always. God looks at a man's heart to see the underlying motives of human behavior and judgment. Father God and the Lord Jesus Christ have no mixed motives like we do!

Judgment with condemnation rather than compassion causes a loss of hope for many who are struggling with sinful conditions or unexpected changes in their lives. Many have a story or a history that we know nothing about. To put it bluntly, it doesn’t help! Even well-meaning but continual correction meant for good is discouraging to others. Watch a child being raised with continual criticism and judgment for their failures. A child who is repeatedly told she or he is worthless or bad loses hope, often becoming what he or she hears.

Everyone needs someone to believe in them, encouraging them on their way. When a person is criticized for every mistake, regardless of its purpose, their confidence as well as their hope and ability to change is decreased. Who is it, indeed, that is without sin, thus able to cast that first stone of condemnation? All fall short of the glory of God. And what sense does it make to judge others according to our principles when many people do not even know these same spiritual life truths by which we are attempting to live?

Others’ choices and behaviors are often incomprehensible to us because we are outside their situation. How can we know why a Christian is facing divorce or loses their job or appears to be involved in an activity that seems fleshly to us? We have not faced all of the past and present things that others have walked through. How do we presume to understand an issue or problem, let alone repeat it to others, when we have not personally dealt with it?

When we have not walked the same path, only God can work empathy and compassion within our hearts for another who is stumbling or has fallen. He is all wisdom so He prepares us to help those who have walked paths we know nothing about. The key is realizing as well as sharing that we do not know from experience while we do know God’s ways. Jesus was tested in all things, yet was without sin so He is the only One who enables us to walk with those who are transgressing. As our High Priest, He understands. He has been there and overcame it all, providing hope and a way of escape for every person on the earth.

Through many experiences and interactions, we learn to empathize with another’s pain and suffering. Then we better understand what it is like for them in their particular troubles should God reveal it. We may not have the same circumstances, but we all have faced the pain of loss, betrayal, and adversity. We also learn godly responses when someone treats us in a way we would never dream of treating another. God says:

“In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 7:12 NASB

Though it should not be so with Christians, it is rare for others to treat us well when we are not treating them well! When we expect others to treat us well as we have treated them, it is disappointing when they don’t! Sadly, treating others well is no guarantee they will treat us well in return, but it does increase the chances! We do it to please our Lord, not to gain a reward from man. As the Mitchell translation puts it, Jesus has no habit of receiving glory from humans and neither should we. God is building this principle into good character within us.

We cannot earn being treated well by others. God will teach us what we need to know as we humble ourselves to learn of His ways. We need to listen to others with a heart that desires to understand. So many people are isolated, having no one to care, let alone share their struggles. But when we do hear what experiences another has lived through, instead of judging them, we often wonder, considering their history, if we would do as well as they are doing!

It is very easy to judge someone’s actions by outward appearance, by what we can see externally, but that is not God’s way at all. The Word is full of how God priorites the heart of humans. Redemption is defined as the action of saving or being saved from sin, error, or evil. In the Bible, it means the promise and power of God to deliver us from sin and death. Jesus Christ our Lord came, ministered, and died for this purpose. Any judgment He has is to redeem that person, with truth in love creating that change.

Jesus came to save the world, not condemn it, by swallowing up darkness with the light of His presence. Do you realize that Jesus never condemned the sinners to whom He ministered in His earthly life? Jesus never spoke one word of judgment to any sinners with whom He interacted. He did not even condemn Judas when it was revealed that Judas would betray Him, still calling Judas friend as Judas led the Roman soldiers to arrest Him. He knew what Judas had to do.

Jesus also knew what was in the hearts of His enemies. Jesus’ words of chastisement and judgment were directed at the Hebrew leaders and priests of His time, whom He rebuked strongly, bluntly, and repeatedly. Why? As leaders, they knew the truth about Moses’ law and taught it to others but did not live them. There is judgment towards change for leaders whose words to others are not a part of their own character, who further cause followers to stumble. Through the centuries, many church leaders have done just that.

The law brings death rather than the living Word that brings life. When our words and our behaviors do not match, lacking the life of the character of Jesus Christ, we are truly hypocrites, as Jesus called them in His day. It seldom creates change in the heart when judgment and condemnation is delivered without a path to redemption. Such leaders were self-righteously preaching to others, laying burdens or heavy loads on their people to fulfil the demands of the law without doing it themselves.

Jesus called this a snare, because it sounds right and has the appearance of truth. The truth is just and righteous but their ways are not:

“Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and His disciples, saying, ‘The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses; therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things, and do not do them. They tie up heavy loads and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger.

But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men, for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments. And they love the place of honor at banquets, the chief seats in the synagogues, respectful greetings in the marketplaces, and being called by men, Rabbi.

But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. And do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ.

But the greatest among you shall be your servant; whoever exalts himself shall be humbled, and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.” Matthew 23:1-12 NASB

This passage of scripture shows what our Lord Jesus Christ thinks of others, especially Christian leaders, who rail against sin but fail to do what they tell others to do. Jesus clearly saw their hearts, and that is why they hated Him. It takes a strong person in God to withstand hearing the truth about themselves without becoming defensive and blaming the speaker. The Jewish leaders of Jesus’ time, and many since, have mixed motives in their hearts, retaining power and position without showing forth God’s nature in their lives.

Jesus agreed with what they were saying— the law of Moses is truth. It’s the right standard of behavior but comes from the wrong internal standard of character within as well as the wrong way to communicate it to others. He exposed and condemned wrong motives of their hearts, their self-righteous, better-than attitudes towards their listeners. Jesus saw right through such exalted external displays—and still does! More importantly, He came to fulfill the law, as no human, including the leaders of that time or now, can do without Him!

No one can trust another whose words and behaviors do not match. We are prone to believe what we see, the outward behaviors, rather than becoming aware of the heart inside. Jesus looked beyond their outwardly religious righteous behavior into the heart motives of pride, power, and position in their hearts. Jesus judged the scribes and the Pharisees, calling them hypocrites and blind guides. He will not be satisfied until His own have pure hearts without guile.

Jesus’ words exposed the darkness of human lust for power and the esteem of men, the pride of life to which all flesh is subject. They loved to lay the law down heavily on their followers but were far from fulfilling the law themselves. This never shows the people the way into life as judgment without mercy condemns rather than saves. People do not typically embrace another who exposes them in this way and few will accept truth as an opportunity to change.

Jesus called them out, as we might say now, for their great hypocrisy, knowing their hearts were hardened toward Him. They orchestrated His crucifixion because of what was in their hearts and the threat He was to all they held dear in their world. They had no idea that they were doing the will of God! But Jesus never spoke in any such way to the individual sinners or to the multitudes. Instead, He spoke of encouragement and hope.

Jesus convicted them of their sin without chastisement, such as the woman caught in adultery. He knew she was sinning and she did too! Instead, He saw the intent of her accusers, the motives in their hearts to set a trap for Him. They judged her while having sinned themselves. Unlike some Christians today, He did not severely judge such outward sins of the flesh in the same way that He did the heart condition of her accusers.

Jesus always sees in the hearts of humans. Yes, He knew what this woman had been sinfully doing, and wanted to provide opportunity for her to change, to be redeemed through his love and kindness. She certainly was surprised at how He treated her, and it surely was not what she was expecting. He did not join the self-righteous leaders who were attempting to trick him with how He would handle a woman caught in such an obvious sin of adultery.

Jesus dealt with this situation wisely, with very few words:

“..the Law of Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?’ And they were saying this, testing Him, in order that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and, with His finger, wrote on the ground. But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up and said to them, ‘He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.’

And again, He stooped down and wrote on the ground. And when they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the midst. And straightening up, Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?’ And she said, ‘No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said, ‘Neither do I condemn you; go your way. From now on, sin no more.’” John 8:3-11“ NASB

Can you imagine Jesus’ piercing gaze as He said these words to the woman’s accusers? We wonder what He wrote in the sand and some speculate that it may have been each of the accusers’ sins He was quietly revealing. Jesus did not tell the woman that the way she was living was wrong. She knew this already but did not know how to become free. More than one Christian has found themselves caught in the snare of adultery, seeking diligently through prayer for the strength of God to be released.

We can be assured that this woman, speaking with the Lord of glory and seeing what compassion and righteousness He showed toward her, did not sin again. He neither placated her nor excused her sin, but spoke truth to her that she was in an adulterous relationship now and had been before. Then He told her, “Go, and sin no more.” The Lord deals with any who sin, falling short of the mark, so that they no longer continue in wrongful behavior. He speaks a word of truth in love about what the issue is and provides a way of escape.

God is the changer of hearts, where the root of any issue begins and ends. This woman was forever changed without condemnation, chastisement, or rejection by Jesus. Are those who commit adultery now treated this way by the Christian community? Or do we behave the way these religious leaders did in dealing with this woman? Stoning of women still occurs in some countries, but our country and many others would never do that.

Instead, do we stone the sinner with words and gossip rather than rocks? Do we continue to judge the woman who commits adultery more harshly than the adulterous man? Are we quick to condemn, identify with and even support one partner over the other without knowing anything about it? With no condemnation in His heart, our Lord showed this sinner His love and compassion as well as a way of escape from her sins, giving her only His word of life. Redemption! Reconciliation! Heart change!

Jesus is our model, the Pattern Son. Without God working within us, none of us can live a righteous life, let alone possess a powerful word to free others. Aren’t you glad we need our Father just as Jesus did and that He provided the way?

“For He knoweth our frame: He remembreth that we are dust.” Psalm 103:14 KJV

We love the Lord of mercy and compassion Who sees and understands our human condition. He well knows that without Him, we can do nothing. None of us are yet fully enabled to speak to others with pure motives, no guile in our hearts, speaking only the Father’s words as He did, but God is writing His standards within us by His spirit. In our Christian relationships, love is to be the cover as well as the driving force in all we do. Above all, we are to have a deep love for our brethren.

“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. For whoever serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men. So then, let us pursue what leads to peace and to mutual edification.” Romans 14:17-19 BSB

May God help us to continue growing up into Him. There is so much to learn at His feet!

Part 1: The Foundation

“And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.”

Ezekiel 36:26-27 ESV