PART TWO concludes from where PART ONE started...
For Parents - Issuing Unconditional Grace (Love) Despite Children's Acts We need to reach a position where we're both: 1) not diluting our Christian principles, and, 2) actively freeing others - namely, our grown children - to live completely as they choose...
and, get this, free of any sense of condemnation from us.
This can be done quite easily when we understand, and accept without reservation, that each is accountable, in their own way, to God.
No one can live someone else's life.
Per Job 1:21, we come into the world alone and alone we'll leave - to be judged by God for what we did.
We don't need to own another person's failure to meet Christ's standard-we'll have more than enough work to do of our own before the Judgment Seat.
This is a good thing.
Alone and free are we to please God.
Our children we pray for and we hope they run the way of the Lord.
But what matter is it of ours whether they do or not? We can afford to - and we need to - love them unconditionally for who they are, no matter what path they take.
Seeking Forgiveness and Forgiving Ourselves It goes without saying that we'll all have transgressed the ideals mentioned above.
Therefore, it's incumbent on us to seek forgiveness and, indeed, to forgive ourselves.
The constant tension that lies within our hearts as we both abide to Christ and issue grace beyond our own adherence to these standards can be perplexing.
God does not expect perfection from us.
The Lord knows we'll get it wrong.
From this viewpoint we can see God's already forgiven us.
So what would we be waiting for in forgiving ourselves? There shouldn't be a moment's hesitation.
Back to the original context, we see the importance of full and frank forgiveness, and the matters of swift apology, so Satan doesn't get an opportunity to mess about with our families.
For Christian parents it's even more vital that we live the sinner's humility - the fact of frequent mistakes and transgressions.
Done appropriately and adequately we'll be seen as nothing like judging in our demeanour; actually, it'll be quite the opposite.
This, against our pride, has to be constantly learned and practiced - mainly because it's against the human nature.
It's the human nature that judges, not the Spiritual nature.
Copyright (c) 2011 S.
J.
Wickham.
For Parents - Issuing Unconditional Grace (Love) Despite Children's Acts We need to reach a position where we're both: 1) not diluting our Christian principles, and, 2) actively freeing others - namely, our grown children - to live completely as they choose...
and, get this, free of any sense of condemnation from us.
This can be done quite easily when we understand, and accept without reservation, that each is accountable, in their own way, to God.
No one can live someone else's life.
Per Job 1:21, we come into the world alone and alone we'll leave - to be judged by God for what we did.
We don't need to own another person's failure to meet Christ's standard-we'll have more than enough work to do of our own before the Judgment Seat.
This is a good thing.
Alone and free are we to please God.
Our children we pray for and we hope they run the way of the Lord.
But what matter is it of ours whether they do or not? We can afford to - and we need to - love them unconditionally for who they are, no matter what path they take.
Seeking Forgiveness and Forgiving Ourselves It goes without saying that we'll all have transgressed the ideals mentioned above.
Therefore, it's incumbent on us to seek forgiveness and, indeed, to forgive ourselves.
The constant tension that lies within our hearts as we both abide to Christ and issue grace beyond our own adherence to these standards can be perplexing.
God does not expect perfection from us.
The Lord knows we'll get it wrong.
From this viewpoint we can see God's already forgiven us.
So what would we be waiting for in forgiving ourselves? There shouldn't be a moment's hesitation.
Back to the original context, we see the importance of full and frank forgiveness, and the matters of swift apology, so Satan doesn't get an opportunity to mess about with our families.
For Christian parents it's even more vital that we live the sinner's humility - the fact of frequent mistakes and transgressions.
Done appropriately and adequately we'll be seen as nothing like judging in our demeanour; actually, it'll be quite the opposite.
This, against our pride, has to be constantly learned and practiced - mainly because it's against the human nature.
It's the human nature that judges, not the Spiritual nature.
Copyright (c) 2011 S.
J.
Wickham.