Karen in MT

Forgiveness is acknowledging who God is and that it is HIS place to judge and to deal with sin -- both mine and others. I can and should be hurt and angry over sin and injustice, whether directed at me or others, but I need to allow God to deal with the sinner, not dispense punishment myself. When I refuse to forgive, or to hand the matter over to God to handle, I am putting myself in the place of God. I walk in darkness instead of in God's light, and I am blinded by my unforgiveness. When I let go of my pride and unbelief and instead trust in God -- to the point I can say "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him" -- I can forgive others and live in God's light.

To me, the opposite of confession is clinging to my sin, holding its ugliness close and even nurturing it. When I confess my sin, I release my grip on sin and actively fling it away from me. I expose it to God's light where I can see it as it truly is. When I acknowledge my sin but don't want to change, I am making myself a god. Although I often want to hold on to my sin, as I mature I begin to see that the closer I am to God, the more I WANT to expose my sin to His light and let him forgive and cleanse me. I think God's forgiveness is an immediate discrete act, while his cleansing is an ongoing process of shining his light further into the corners of my heart and exposing the hidden pockets of sin.

. . . and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. 1 John 1:3b I think our fellowship with other believers is shallow because our fellowship with God is shallow. As I get to know God better and spend more time with Him, I will become more like Him. I will worry less about myself and my image. I will be more concerned about loving others and encouraging them to deepen their fellowship with God. As a result, our fellowship will deepen and we will reach out to others and continue the cycle. I think it all starts with deepening my fellowship with God.

Hello and Buenos Dias! My name is Karen and I live in Montana with my husband and our two boys, ages 10 and 15. We attend a very small church (20 people is a crowd!) close to our home. I am looking forward to this study! God Bless, Karen