“No Love Without Forgiveness”

by Dewey Fox

~Cost of Love~

There is a cost to following Jesus and there is a cost to love as Jesus loved. It eventually cost Him His earthly life. He died for our sins. The instructions from the apostle Paul was; Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. (Romans 12:9 ESV) And then in the next verse he said; Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. (Romans 12:10 ESV)

As one writer commented about the cost of Jesus’ suffering, his quote is:

"Peace is not automatic. It is a gift of the grace of God. It comes when hearts are exposed to the love of Christ. But this always costs something. For the love of Christ was demonstrated through suffering and those who experience that love can never put it into practice without some cost." If it cost Jesus His life and He demonstrated His love through his suffering, do you not think that it may cost us any less?
  Although the fig-tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no food; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: (Habakkuk 3:17 Webster)

Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. (Habakkuk 3:18 Webster)

A young man said to his father at breakfast one morning, “Dad, I’m going to get married.” “How do you know you’re ready to get married?” asked the father. “Are you in love?” “I sure am,” said the son. “How do you know you’re in love?” asked the father.

“Last night as I was kissing my girlfriend good-night, her dog bit me and I didn’t feel the pain until I got home.” Source Unknown

~John’s Forgiveness Story~ (True)

A Christian brother the other day was telling me about reconciling with someone he had been with odds about for the last five years. Both John and his friend are Christians. As a matter of fact the disagreement was at Church and it may have influenced John to change to another church. I don’t know all the details or why they were in disagreement, but that’s not important. What is important is that John decided to make things right with his Christian brother.

John told me he started out by writing him a long card or letter. Letting the brother know his feelings on the disagreement and how he would like to reconcile.

He mailed the letter and waited, waited and waited, but no response.

Later, the Christian Brother was at John’s neighbor’s house and was invited over by John’s daughter. She of course, due to her young age, didn’t know about the situation – doesn’t God work in wonderful ways.

John was reconciled with his Christian brother and he said they sat in his living room and they talked as if nothing had ever happened to split them apart.

Praise the Lord.

What a Mighty God we serve.

Brother Dewey E. Fox

—Festo Kivengere (1919-1988)