"But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses." Mark 11.26
Forgiveness is the beginning of Christian faith. Although it may be difficult or painful to forgive, it is essential for the person forgiving and for the person being forgiven.
In order to be forgiven, you must also forgive.
Those who do not forgive will not be forgiven.
"The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness." Luke 11.34
The eyes are always judging, whether something is good or bad. When they are able to find the good in someone else, their body is filled with light - they are considered to have a good heart. However, the body will be full of darkness if they look to other people's flaws. In this case, this person is considered to have a bad heart.
How have your eyes judged others?
"...if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7.14
God's blessings come with one condition: conversion. Mankind must leave behind his evil ways. In other words, those who steal, no longer steal; those who are promiscuous, will no longer do so; those who lie, no longer lie; etc. You must immediately abandon sin.
To sum it all up, those who want the attention of the Spirit of God must obey His word.
"A faithful man will abound with blessings, but he who hastens to be rich will not go unpunished." Proverbs 28.20
Those who prioritize their loyalty to God will abound with blessings in due time.
But those who are in a hurry to become rich are foolishly chasing the wind. Sooner or later, they will be punished by their own greed.
"Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase; so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine." Proverbs 3.9-10
What calls the attention of the Creator is the obedience of His children. The firsfruits of all your increases are the firstfruits of your harvest.
The firstfruits are no different than the last.
But, for the Lord God they are. They are more import than all the rest of the harvest.
The firstfruits represent faithfulness, consideration, respect, priority and, above all, faith.
"Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake." Matthew 5.11
Indeed, the Kingdom of God is not for the timid or cowardly.
Knowing that man is sensitive to the devil's taunts, he instigates his children to persecute the children of God through slander, defamation, unreasonable accusations and lies, with the clear objective of making them become discouraged in the faith.
Knowing that we would endure all this, the Lord Jesus guaranteed that this would be a reason for rejoicing and joy.
He says that we are blessed.
"For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory..." 2 Corinthians 4.17
Paul knew the meaning of affliction very well.
His Christian life was marked by tribulations. And yet, he considered them light and but for a moment.
Because he was spiritual, he knew that even though afflictions may be very difficult, they are nothing compared to what God has in store for His faithful servants.
It is worth bearing all the bumps in the road of life and maintaining the faith.
