Through my recent studies of God’s Word, I’ve come to a fuller understanding of how God views marriage. Unfortunately, I think the church has failed to understand this concept, at least during my lifetime. Churches are filled with divorce, cohabitation and unlawful marriages. Yet, many, including some elderships, believe this is okay. However, does God believe it is okay? “Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge” (Hebrews 13:4 NKJV).

God created marriage in the very beginning. Now, here is what many miss; from the beginning, marriage was a foreshadow of God’s relationship with man. Adam was put to sleep, his side was opened, and he woke up with a bride (Genesis 2:21-25; 3:12). Sound familiar? Maybe not. Think about how Jesus went to sleep, had His side opened up, and then he woke up to obtain a bride – His church.

The world tells us that marriage should be happy and perfect. God tells us marriage should be holy and complete us in our service to Him. People are so concerned with being happy that they honestly believe it is a commandment from God! If this were the case, the church never would have grown. Think about all that Paul endured for the bride of Christ. He was abused to the point of death and was then later put to death. I don’t think I would be “happy” according to worldly standards going through those difficulties. Based on extra-biblical church history, all but one apostle was murdered for Christ’s bride. This is a beautiful and perfect example of the love we need in our marriages.

While Christians have gotten wrapped up in this idea of being happy, we have neglected what makes our marriages holy. This has created unions between believers and unbelievers wherein they frequently are “unequally yoked” (2 Corinthians 6:14). This more often than not causes the believer to abandon the faith for a happy marriage. Further, the pseudo, manmade doctrine of happy marriage has also been the catalyst for many unbiblical divorces. We hear, “God wouldn’t want me to remain married because I’m not happy” or “My spouse doesn’t meet my needs.”

The church also faces the plague of cohabitation. Some churches ignore or fail to address couples who shack up while they decide if they would be good fits in marriage. Usually, the only discipline the church does in these cases is not hosting a shower, but plenty of individuals still give lots of gifts and blessings for these individuals who have never repented of their sins. Lastly, we have unlawful remarriages. Some churches don’t expect a confession of sin for unlawful divorces and also have no issue with subsequent new marriages. Nevertheless, the words of Jesus Christ remain. “And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery” (Matthew 19:9). Contrary to contentions otherwise, the apostle Paul did not alter or dismiss our Lord’s directive. “Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord: A wife is not to depart from her husband. But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife” (1 Corinthians 7:10-11).

If the church actually saw marriage as God does, these would not be issues. The problem is, one learns more about how God views marriage primarily through the lens of the Old Testament, but Christians today refuse to learn from these books because “We are not under the old law.” God unites Himself in marriage with those He has called to be His chosen people. God fully understands what it means to be cheated on. His people were constantly committing spiritual adultery against Him by practicing idolatry.

“Then I saw that for all the causes for which backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a certificate of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but went and played the harlot also. So it came to pass, through her casual harlotry, that she defiled the land and committed adultery with stones and trees. And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah has not turned to Me with her whole heart, but in pretense,” says the Lord. Then the Lord said to me, “Backsliding Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah. Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say: ‘Return, backsliding Israel,’ says the Lord; ‘I will not cause My anger to fall on you. For I am merciful,’ says the Lord; ‘I will not remain angry forever. Only acknowledge your iniquity, That you have transgressed against the Lord your God, And have scattered your charms To alien deities under every green tree, And you have not obeyed My voice,’ says the Lord. “Return, O backsliding children,” says the Lord; “for I am married to you. I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion.” (Jeremiah 3:8-14)

This is why many believe God allows the innocent party to remain when a spouse is unfaithful. God knows and understands that feeling.

Our marriages need to mirror what Christ set forward for us. Husbands are to love their wives to the point that they would die for them (Ephesians 5:25). They should be willing to sacrifice for their wives. Wives should be willing to submit to the will of “their own husbands” (Ephesians 5:24). Even when we do not want to submit, just the same as when Jesus submitted to the will of the Father in the Garden, wives need to submit to their husbands (Colossians 3:18). We must deny ourselves and follow the authority of the husbands we chose (Titus 2:5). This is where many argue that we can leave our husbands if they are unfaithful to God or are not Christians. This is contrary to God’s Word. According to Peter, we are to continue to live our lives pleasing to God and in this set the example for our husbands. This is how we bring them to a faithful relationship with Christ (1 Peter 3:1-6).

Elderships need to ensure that husbands, as wells as teenage and adult men generally – who may become husbands in the future – hear in the classroom and from the pulpit the biblical responsibility – what God expects – of husbands. Likewise, wives, as well as teenage and adult women – who may become wives in the future – need to hear in the classroom and from the pulpit the biblical responsibility – what God expects – of wives. If elders become aware of troubled marriages within the local congregation, they ought to express their concern and offer to convey biblical and helpful teachings about marriage openly for all and privately as needed. “Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct. …Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you” (Hebrews 13:7, 17).

We must stop seeing marriage through the eyes of our culture and see it through the eyes of God! Persons in marriages that are not pleasing to God are lost. Anyone failing to repent of sins, including divorces for unbiblical reasons, remain lost in sin. Church, we need to do better! God has called us to do so.

Jenny Choate

Psalm 31:14-15A “But as for me, I trust in you, O Lord; I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in your hand.” NKJV

It seems unavoidable, this thing called stress! We accept it as an inevitable part of life. Volumes of books, numerous podcasts, and a plethora of expert opinions offer solutions for our physical, mental, and emotional strain, many of them coming at great cost.

And so, the quest to transform ourselves from an “I’ll bite your head off” creature into an “I love you with the love of the Lord” human begins. Good news is the secret can be found in David’s psalms.

Despite his kingly wealth and power, David resided on Struggle Street. He was a hunted fugitive. His adultery with Bathsheba resulted in many deaths, including his own child’s. A vicious rape occurred within his household. A son led a rebellion against him. In fact, his entire reign was marked by violence. Surely, David penned Psalm 31 with a trembling hand. He documented his cry for physical relief as his bones wasted away (vs. 10), mental relief from fear on every side (vs. 13), and emotional relief of his incessant grief (vs. 10). David’s low-points are undeniable, but his title, “a man after God’s own heart” was well earned, for in distress, David reaffirmed his relationship with God as he wrote;

“But as for me, I trust in you, O Lord . . . My times are in your hand” (Psalm 31:14-15).

Truth is, we too will find ourselves on struggle street, facing challenges at every turn. Perhaps spiteful co-workers will cast accusations our way. A divisive marriage may hurl spiteful words as daggers. Anxiety can mount right alongside bills that mount faster than can be paid. Like David, we may feel cut off from before God’s eyes. But take a deep cleansing breath and bask in the goodness of verse 24 where lies David’s secret: “Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the Lord,” And friend, never doubt this same loving Father will strengthen our hearts and provide us hope today.

Father God, may we discover relief from the struggles in our lives as we place our hope in You.

Blessings,

Rita Cochrane

Psalm 30:5B “Weeping may stay for the night but rejoicing comes in the morning.”

With Christmas in the past, I can now celebrate surviving the season without tears. You see, a few Christmases back, our world was thrown into the unthinkable. As my mother lay dying in one hospital, we anxiously awaited the birth of our precious grandson in the hospital right next door. Traveling back and forth from death bed to birthing room rendered my husband and me numb, barely able to put one foot in front of the other. Following the excitement of holding our perfect baby for the first time, Mike and I stopped at a fast-food restaurant to quickly celebrate our anniversary with a burger and fries, then returned to mother’s bedside to face the inevitable together.

I reflect on these memories each Christmas. With a broken heart, I weep the loss of a beloved mother. Then quickly my tears turn to laughter as we gather to celebrate our grandson’s birthday, God’s precious gift of new life.

The struggle of sad tears/happy tears is not mine alone. Many in scripture faced adversities only to discover abundant blessings on the other side of heartache. Job endured great loss of family and wealth, but in the end prospered in excess. Ruth lost her husband and said goodbye to her family but was blessed with a godly husband and the glory of becoming a piece of the lineage of Jesus Christ. And Esther, the orphaned child, became a crowned Queen and saved her nation. These and many more were forced to endure the unthinkable in order to enjoy the unimaginable.

So, as you welcome in this new year with black eyed peas and a chorus of Auld Lang Syne, remember to brace for the storms of life. They will come. But remember, dear friend,on the other side of heartbreak will come the glorious sunrise of a new day and the beautiful gifts of a loving Father.

Blessings for the New Year,

Rita Cochrane

Last Sunday evening was our monthly singing night. We have an abundance of song leaders, and what a blessing that is to our worship service. We sometimes learn new songs, but we also sing a lot of old favorites.

Two things happened last Sunday night that warmed my heart. My teenage great nephew directed the first songs and then organized the rest of the service. He isn’t yet sixteen, but he did a masterful job of organizing and keeping things moving.

The second thing was the little four-year-old boy that led a song. He walked proudly to the podium, and his daddy held him up to the microphone. He looked out at the congregation and began the song, “Jesus Loves the Little Children of the World.” He sang every word of two verses of the song. When he was done, he hurried back to his mother with the biggest smile on his face you can imagine.

Now why would these two things touch me? The first was because of what I see in so many teenagers today. There is so much disrespect for adults, for authority, and even for God. This young man participates in other areas of worship—prayer, Bible reading, and as a regular song leader. He and his brother are both active in church activities, Lads to Leaders, service projects, and are willing to do whatever they are asked to do. That is encouraging to see young men that take such an interest in the Lord and His church.

The second is because I am so encouraged by this little four-year-old boy learning to lead at such an early age. I am encouraged by parents that want their child to learn to do what many grown men won’t do.

It takes courage to serve God. It takes courage to do what is right. It takes thought and determination to worship God in the way He has instructed. When Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman, they talked about worship. She spoke of the Jews worshiping in Jerusalem and her people worshiping in the mountains. Jesus told her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Worship should be special. Worship is to show respect and honor to God. It is not about me. It is not about my wants or needs. It is about obedience to God’s Word.

My prayer is that this teen and this four-year-old continue to grow in the knowledge of the Word, and that they will continue to serve our Lord God in a way that will be pleasing to Him.

Sandra Oliver

Most of us have excused ourselves from doing good things by saying, “I don’t have time.” Such a statement may be an actual reason. However, there are times when it becomes just an excuse.

Making a cake or pie takes from one to two hours. Baking cookies takes the same, depending on the complexity of the recipe. Putting together a delicious dinner for the family, if well planned, takes an hour or so. Playing a video game exhausts at least forty-five minutes. Watching a college football game takes at least two and a half hours. A basketball game will require nearly two hours. Andy Griffith, local news, national news and Wheel of Fortune all last thirty minutes. Few of us would miss watching our favorite team or program. We purposefully block out that time for a few moments of relaxation and personal pleasure. Is it really a matter of not having time or a matter of priorities? It may be just an excuse.

Philemon, for instance, can be read in less than two minutes. Titus takes less than five. Reading both letters to Timothy takes about twenty-five minutes. James can be read in twelve minutes, 1 and 2 Thessalonians in sixteen and Galatians in nineteen. Peter’s epistles can be finished in twenty-five minutes and John’s in fifteen. Matthew takes about two hours, but can easily be divided into four thirty minute segments.

The average reader can read the entire New Testament in under fifteen hours. Those who devote just thirty minutes per day to reading their Bible can read it once per month. Devoting the same thirty minutes per day to reading the Old Testament will see the project completed in less than four months.

When we neglect to read and meditate on God’s word we are simply robbing ourselves of great riches. “The law of Your mouth is better to me Than thousands of coins of gold and silver” (Psalm 119:72). That treasure should be stored in our hearts, so that we can be pleasing to our Father. “Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119:11).

The Psalmist says the blessed man is the one whose, “delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper” (Psalm 1). The beauty of God’s message is that it is able to make us see ourselves as we really are in our very core. “For the word of God is  living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

Will you join me in committing to read the Bible daily? Reserve at least thirty minutes a day for God’s word. I think all of us will become better acquainted with our Father and learn more about pleasing him in the process.

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:15-17 ESV). When we stand before the great Judge, what will he say about the stewardship of our time?

Today’s Verse:   Instructions to every new Israelite king: Deuteronomy 17:18-20 “Also it shall be, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, from the one  before the priests, the Levites. And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes, that his heart may not be lifted above his brethren, that he may not turn aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left, and that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children in the midst of Israel.”

Audios available at http://christianwomanaudiodevotionals.abiblecommentary.com

by Teresa Hampton

I had a happy and busy kitchen going on the night before Thanksgiving. My dear friend, Diane, was there and she really wanted to help me. So I gave her all the ingredients for the chai mix. “I make a huge batch for holiday company and Christmas giving,” I told her. “So just follow the recipe—times 8. Here’s a measuring cup.”

Well, she barely got the first two ingredients mixed together before that 5 gallon container I gave her was overflowing. What in the world was happening over there on the chai counter while I was over on the potato salad counter? ”This seems like a lot of chai that’s coming together. I’m going to have to get you a bigger container.”

“Well,” Diane answered…”I just put eight of these in and it just makes a lot.”

“Oh wait,” I said. “You do know the measuring cup I gave you is a two-cupper?”

“Oh no!” she exclaimed. “I have put 16 cups of powdered milk in this thing (instead of just eight) and now I have mixed 16 cups of French vanilla creamer in there!”

“O dear!” I said “Now you’re going to have to do the whole recipe—times 16! Do I even have that much cinnamon and ginger and cardamom? That will be my life savings in cardamom. And the sugar! Oh, that will be 40 cups of sugar! Do I even have 40 cups of sugar?! It’s 10 p.m. Is the corner market open?”   I got out my grandmother’s old porcelain washtub and we were making enough chai for serving at the king’s coronation. We stirred until our arms felt like we’d been lifting in an Olympic trial. And where do you even store that much chai?

We really didn’t have a pan big enough to keep adding the ratios of ingredients we needed, so we just added instant milk and tea, till it kind of “looked right.” Glenn was our guinea pig and he said “ I believe this is better than usual!”

Then it was the evening of our “Christmas at the Colleys”. That’s the night the whole church is invited over for supper, along with a whole bunch of other people. We have an amazing time with our favorite family…God’s family. Another best friend, Jennifer, really was so very kind to persist in offering to come help me the day of the party. She helped me put up wreaths and tie bows and assemble cocoa servers and all kinds of things. But the main thing I saved out for Jennifer to do was to make three large cherry dump cakes. Here’s the complex ingredient list. I was doing it times three.

• 1 (30-ounce) can cherry pie filling
• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 1 stick salted butter.

So you pour in the cake mix. Then you dump the cherry pie filling on top of that. Then you cut up the stick of butter on top and you put it in the oven for about 45 minutes.

I just said “Here you go,” to Jennifer and handed her all the ingredients. She said “I’m just going to do one at the time.”

“No, No,” I insisted. “I never do that. Just do them all at once.”  I got her three 9X13 Pyrex dishes and let her go. I should have taken pause when she wanted a huge mixing bowl. But I missed that cue. I went upstairs to clean up a mess around Eliza’s dollhouse. We had about an hour-and-a-half before the house would be teeming with people. All was well.

…Until I came back down and Jennifer said “Come see if this is the right consistency.” Ummm… how do you miss the consistency of a dump cake?

Jennifer was holding a heavy, mammoth bowl of dark pink pudding-like yum,-yum.  Its contents were three cake mixes, three giant cans of cherry pie filling and three sticks of butter. It looked like we were having a cherry jubilee pudding festival. It really looked like we were going for the Guinness Book of World Records—largest pudding. But it was so pretty.

“What on earth did you do?”

“You said a dump cake, so I dumped.”

It’s true. I did not say “layer.” I said “dump.”

Now Jennifer and I have been through a few adventures together and I could not stop laughing. But I had to stop laughing… and think. A hundred-plus people are coming over for supper in an hour. I have a pecan pie, a few little cookies, and a strawberry cake. “But what is that among so many (Jn. 6:8)?”

“I’ll go to the store really quickly and we will start all over….I know, I’ll get one of my friends who lives over by the bakery to stop and pick up some cakes. Or maybe Glenn, who is outside stringing lights could just hurry up and go shopping with my list.”

Jennifer, ever the resourceful one, said, “Let’s add some milk and just put one of these in the oven and see what happens and then panic later.” 

Forty-five minutes later, and just in time for the wonderful shoulder-to-shoulder fellowship, this Christmas  dish came out of the oven.  And if Lucy and Ethel didn’t come up with the prettiest cherry soufflé ( I mean, eventually, three of them) that you have ever seen!

People said “What is this stuff? It’s not cake. It’s not really pie. It’s not pudding. But it’s good.”  Scotty said “This tastes kinda’ like dump cake, but it’s not that….The texture is off.” It was even pretty. When I turned the leftover one out of the fluted-edged pan, it retained the shape. It’s in the freezer and it might be a layer of a pretty holiday mousse dessert in a few days.

And then there was the broccoli rice casserole that Han made for me to feed the kids while she was working last week. “Mom, it’s been a little hectic here and I wasn’t paying attention and I put potato flakes on top of this instead of potato chips. So I really don’t know what you’ll want to do with this. But here’s some ham. I didn’t mess that up.”

Well, adding milk seems to solve pretty much all the ingredient assembly cooking “fails” lately. I’ll do that. So I poured a little milk over the top of that casserole and it became a wonderful broccoli-cheddar shepherd’s pie. Those kids and I ate every bite.

But what in the world is happening on every kitchen counter behind which I step? And what is happening to my every kitchen helper? And what is the magic of milk? And how can I keep laughing this hard?

Well, I’ve pretty much decided that there’s always a fix to any cooking mess, if I have the right folks in my corner and if I have milk. Here are a few pithy truths from the kitchen faux pas.

• Sometimes, some pretty good things can come about as a result of mistakes.
• Often, the things that make you panic most feverishly, also make you laugh the hardest.
• If your husband is willing to be your guinea pig, you are most blessed.
• A recipe is not just about having all the right stuff. It’s also about following directions. Life’s  recipe for success is like that, too.
• Milk is sometimes the answer. The sincere milk of the word is always the answer. We should desire it (1 Peter 2:2).
• Every messed-up dish in my world is heartier and better than any dish I’ve ever tasted in any 3rd world country.

Having pondered these dishes that didn’t turn out like I’d planned, I am thankful for my kitchen and even for my kitchen fails. I’m thankful for great and voluntary kitchen hands—sisters who  pull me on through the mistakes and flops, large and small. I thank Him for my kitchen because it’s a great place to grow closer to each other and from which to serve with sisters.

Cindy Colley

“All scripture is inspired by God” (2 Timothy 3:16).

Throughout the ages, men have argued whether the Bible is the true word of God. What does it mean that all scripture is given by inspiration of God? In a sense, the Bible itself tells us.

The Old Testament states in specific words that it tells us the exact words of God 3,808 times*. The Pentateuch (the first five books) makes this point 420 times. For example, Exodus 17:14 says, “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Write this in a book as a memorial and recite it to Joshua.'” See Exodus 19:6, 7; 20:1; and 24:4 for more examples.

The prophets told us that their message was the word of God. They used such expressions as “Hear the word of Jehovah, Jehovah spoke unto me, Jehovah hath spoken.” These words and like phrases are found in Isaiah 120 times, Jeremiah 430 times, Ezekiel 329 times, Amos 53 times, Haggai 27 times, and Zechariah 53 times.

There are 278 exact quotations from the Old Testament that are found in the New Testament, and there are 613 allusions to the Old Testament that are found in the New Testament. Jesus’s teachings and the books of Romans, Hebrews, and Revelation contain the most.

The forty plus authors of the Bible were fishermen, a doctor, shepherds, kings, statesmen, poets, fishermen, a tax collector, prophets, and historians. They came from many walks of life over hundreds, if not thousands, of years. Yet the unity of the message and doctrine of the Bible stayed the same.

Surely these facts tell us that the Bible is the living Word of God. How wonderful is our heavenly Father and God Who does not hide from us, but keeps His Word through all generations.

Donna Wittlif,

*Statistics taken from The Inspiration and Authority of Scripture by Rene Pache.

Guilt is defined as “a feeling of having done wrong or failed in an obligation.”  There are some people who seem to be able to do wrong and never feel any guilt or remorse at all. They can’t ask for forgiveness or show any signs of wanting to make amends.

Most of us are more conscious of hurting others. We sincerely want to do the right thing; and though we may have difficulty apologizing, we find the courage to say those three all-important words—“I am sorry.” Sometimes the realization of wrongdoing is there, maybe even regret; but the courage to admit wrong and make it right is absent. Sometimes it is fear of the results, and sometimes it is an attitude of feeling the person we have wronged deserves what they get.

For those who truly try to do the right thing, hurting someone and then recognizing that hurt can leave one with a sense of remorse, deep life-changing regret. Such was the case with Peter when he denied the Lord. Three times he denied Christ, even saying he did not know the man. When he saw Jesus had overheard his denial of Him, he ran away and wept.

Later, we read the conversation between Jesus and Peter on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus had prepared breakfast for the disciples shortly after His resurrection. There He confronted Peter three times with the question, “Do you love me?” Each time, Peter assured Jesus that he did. This was Peter’s chance to make things right. His life following this serves as an example of true repentance and a changed life.

Peter stood on the day of Pentecost ( Acts 2) and proclaimed the truth about Jesus, His death, burial, and resurrection, and a clear message to the Jews about salvation. He wanted them to repent, and they did. They interrupted his sermon to ask what they needed to do to be saved. Three thousand of them repented, confessed their sins, and were baptized. Once again, we see changed lives.

Judas wasn’t so willing to face his guilt. After turning Jesus over to the soldiers, he realized that this was going to end badly. He went to the priests and elders and proclaimed his sin to them. He said, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood” (Matthew 27:4). They didn’t care. They had what they wanted, and they told him his sin was no concern of theirs. Judas then went out and hanged himself. He didn’t wait to see what would happen. He just committed suicide.

Perhaps one of the most stirring examples of guilt is found in Luke 23. Jesus was hanging on the cross, and on either side of Him were thieves. They had also received the sentence of death. They must have known something of Jesus and His teachings, because one of them said, “If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.” The other thief rebuked him and declared that they were receiving what they deserved, but this man (Jesus) had done nothing wrong. Because of the declaration that he had sinned and had obviously repented, Jesus promised the thief that he would be with Him in paradise.

There are others in Scripture that felt guilt that, as far as we know, did not make it right. Pilate certainly felt some measure of guilt when he washed his hands and turned Jesus over to the mob. The rich young ruler was another guilty soul after refusing to sell his possessions and follow Jesus. The other disciples would surely have felt guilt for running away when Jesus was arrested. The man caught in adultery with his father’s wife must have repented because of Paul’s condemnation (First Corinthians 5). It is later inferred that he was once again in fellowship with the church (Second Corinthians 2).

Forgiveness plays a huge role in the reaction to guilt. In Matthew 18, Peter asked Jesus how many times one should forgive his brother. Peter offered the number seven as a suitable number of times to forgive. Jesus, however, told him seventy times seven. Forgiveness is important to God. It is important because He is so willing to forgive us when we repent, but His forgiveness of us depends on how we forgive others. Remember what Jesus said when He was teaching the disciples to pray. He said, “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” He also said, “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you” (Matthew 6:12, 14).

When we have those feelings of guilt and remorse for something we have done, we need to repent and ask for forgiveness—from God and from the one we have hurt. When someone has hurt us, and they come to us sorry for what they have done, we need to forgive them. Even if they don’t acknowledge what they have done, we should forgive them. Show them the kind of love Jesus showed to all mankind.

Sandra Oliver

audio lecture.