INHERIT BLESSING

PASTOR RYAN LADEN – DEVOTIONALS

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In our continuing study of forgiveness, we come to a teaching from the Apostle Peter that speaks directly to our need to let go of what others have done to us. Often, the only person we hurt with our lack of forgiveness and our latent anger is ourselves. The one who harmed us has moved on and is not affected by our unwillingness to let go. 

Listen to what the Word of God has to say about our need to forgive others. 

8 Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. 9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. 

10 For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech.

11 They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it.

12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

(1 Peter 3:8-12 NIV11)

Before

Before we address our need to let go and move on in forgiveness, it is important that we are clear on the following point. That which your enemy has done to you, that which your abuser and attacker have done to you, is and will forever be evil in the eyes of the Lord. 

•  That evil will never be called good.
•  Their sin against you will never be acceptable and excusable. 
•  That which God calls evil… is evil. 

Choose

If you and I choose to show mercy to those who have shown us evil, if we choose to show love to those who have shown us hate, this does not in any way mean that their actions are now seen as good, excusable, acceptable, or anything less than evil. 

Questions

But the real question for us is this, “Do you want your actions to be condemned alongside the actions of those who have done evil to you?”

•  Do you want to be seen in the eyes of God as having committed evil in response to the evil shown by others? 
•  Or do you want to be seen in God’s eyes as being an agent of righteousness?
•  Do you want the Lord to call you one of his agents of mercy, grace, and forgiveness? 

Listen

If you are still with me, please listen again to the following:

9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.

(1 Peter 3:9 NIV11)

Enough

Haven’t you experienced enough pain?

Haven’t you suffered enough as a result of the actions of your enemies?

Why, then, would you want to suffer further by choosing evil over blessing?

That is what it means to forgive those who hurt you.

It is the decision to set aside the pain of further evil.

It is the choice to say yes to the blessing of God.

Personal

For many of us, myself included, forgiving others who have hurt us and done us wrong feels like something that we simply cannot do. Part of this resistance to forgiveness comes from the wrongheaded idea that by choosing to turn away from the evils of bitterness and hatred, we are somehow setting our enemy free. 

This is not what we are being called to do as children of God. We are not being asked to call evil, good. No, we are being asked to turn away from evil in all its forms, even the evil of unforgiveness and bitterness that lives within us. 

Choose blessing today. 

Be blessed by the work of God as you turn away from evil and say yes to being an agent of mercy and grace. 

In Christ, 

Ryan Laden

PASTOR RYAN LADEN

Works at MTN. CHURCH

Former Senior pastor at Warnbro Community Church

Studies at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

Studied at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

Studied at Baylor University

Studied at Texas Tech University

Went to Castle Hills First Baptist

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