reconcile – The Fool Who Would Be Holy

I must handle anger better than the most religious people!

Ian Johnson May 13, 2025 0 Comments

I must live more righteously than the most religious people, the people who make a show of keeping all of the rules in their own strength. Jesus’ first example of this is that I must handle my anger better than the most religious people do, and better than the traditional interpretations of the Law of Moses prescribed. I am responsible not only for letting the Spirit control my anger, but for doing what I can, led by the Spirit, to avoid giving a brother or sister an occasion to develop a grudge against me. If I love my brother or sister, I will try to reconcile with them promptly when I know I have aroused their anger.

choosing not to forgive, God's purpose for us, Harboring anger and grudges, Restoration of our Relationships, To live in unity

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Why Reconcile Quickly–The Danger of Animosity, Bitterness, Murderous Contempt and Divine Judgment

Ian Johnson April 29, 2025 0 Comments

Jesus explains his command to go and be reconciled in the preceding two verses:, I dehumanize the objects of my anger in three steps : 1) holding onto ordinary anger long enough that, instead of me controlling it, it controls me; 2) telling myself or other people that the object of my bitterness is worthless to me, less human than I am, because of what they did; then 3) showing contempt that tears down another person’s humanity directly, by speech and action pointedly directed at them. Then, I am only a step away from murder.

choosing not to forgive, Forgive as we forgive, Love each other, Restoration of God's Image, Restoration of our Relationships, Sin, What is sin?

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I Can’t Control the Orbit of Saturn

Ian Johnson April 27, 2025 1 Comment

This is the report of a prayer time earlier this week in which the Holy Spirit interrogated me about how a passage in Colossians 1 that I was praying through applied to my life, as enlarged by some later meditation. God is able to take care of even of the people I worry about and other believers I’ve hurt, Reconciliation comes only from Him. Enough people have watched me tear myself apart this year with worry and self-condemnation that I knew I should make it public to reassure them that I’m still listening to God. It may also be helpful to other chronic codependent worriers who hear it.

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Failure to reconcile an offense “quickly” — debtor’s prison awaits!

Ian Johnson April 24, 2025 0 Comments

When I have offended another believer, I must seek reconciliation quickly, before they have had time to form a final judgment against me and form a grudge. I must not procrastinate. Once a grudge forms, I will be imprisoned outside of their lives, unable to give or receive the things God wants to give us through each other, unless and until God intervenes to change their heart toward me.

choosing not to forgive, Divisions in the Church, Forgive as we forgive, Forgiveness and Unforgiveness, Love each other, Restoration of our Relationships, What is sin?

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Notice of Open, Confessed and Uncorrectable Hypocrisy

Ian Johnson April 14, 2025 0 Comments

I will now, in my own heart, become a hypocrite because others in authority say I should. I must overlook the continued existence of a justified grudge another believer holds against me and return to ordinary service in the church. But I will not cover up my hypocrisy. I hereby declare my hypocrisy openly.

choosing not to forgive, Divisions in the Church, Forgiveness and Unforgiveness, Pride in accomplishments as our own, Quarrels, Repentance in community, What is sin?

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The Four Types of Reconciliation

Ian Johnson March 30, 2025 0 Comments

Link: The Four Types of Reconciliation read as a YouTube video. 1. God’s Reconciliation toward Me This aspect of reconciliation is almost identical to the Atonement. From the beginning, God loved me so much that he gave his unique Son Jesus, who was one with him from eternity, to provide for forgiveness of my sin, give me true life, and…
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Changed treatment of each other, God was never our enemy, Reconciliation, Repentance, Repentance in community, Restoration of God's Image, Restoration of our Relationships

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The Command to “Go” and “Be Reconciled” — Part 2, The “Then”

Ian Johnson March 1, 2025 0 Comments

Link: The Command to Go and Be Reconciled–Part 2, the “Then,” read as a YouTube video. As I said in Part 1, Jesus’ command to go and be reconciled is stated in Matthew 5:23-24, which is a single conditional sentence even though it is divided into two verses in modern Bibles: [Reference Link: Matthew 5:23-24 (WEB)], The part of this…
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Forgive as we forgive, Reconciliation, Restoration of God's Image, Restoration of our Relationships

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The Command to “Go” and “Be Reconciled” — Part 1, The “If”

Ian Johnson February 28, 2025 0 Comments

In Matthew 5:23-24, Jesus gives what appears to be a simple command, though one that is almost never obeyed: before I may offer worship to God before other people, I must see that any offenses which I am aware that others hold against me are being reconciled and have been reconciled at least to some degree. This post covers Jesus’ extreme example of this—the need to interrupt even a Temple sacrifice ritual to go and be reconciled.

choosing not to forgive, Confession of Sin, Divisions in the Church, Forgive as we forgive, Forgiveness and Unforgiveness, Restoration of our Relationships, To live in unity, What is sin?

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Paul also approved of mediation of disputes between Christians by other believers

Ian Johnson January 18, 2025 1 Comment

The theme verse of this installment is Philippians 4:2-3, in which Paul first exhorts Euodia and Syntyche to put their differences aside and agree with each other, then encourages one of the other leaders in Philippi, who he calls his “true partner” to help the two women come into agreement: Philippians 4:2-3 (WEB). This appears to be a request by…
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A God who Speaks, Divisions in the Church, Forgive as we forgive, Forgiveness and Unforgiveness, God Speaks to Us, Injustice and Lawsuits, Love each other, Quarrels, Reconciliation, Restoration of God's Image, Restoration of our Relationships, Salvation, Through the church

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The Apostle Paul approved of arbitration of disputes between Christians by other believers

Ian Johnson January 15, 2025 0 Comments

The theme of this installment is a question Paul asked the church in Corinth: 1 Corinthians 6:5 (WEB) While the process Jesus described in Matthew 18:15-20 (see previous series of installments) is the ideal procedure, the one most likely to produce reconciliation–which is the goal of all such procedures–the New Testament is not rigidly inflexible in demanding that only this…
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choosing not to forgive, Divisions in the Church, Forgive as we forgive, Forgiveness and Unforgiveness, God was never our enemy, Love each other, Must Trust God to Enter, Quarrels, Reconciliation, Refusing to hear, Restoration of God's Image, Restoration of our Relationships, The Kingdom of the Heavens, Trusting sight over God's words, What is sin?

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Tag Archive: reconcile

I must handle anger better than the most religious people!

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Why Reconcile Quickly–The Danger of Animosity, Bitterness, Murderous Contempt and Divine Judgment

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I Can’t Control the Orbit of Saturn

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Failure to reconcile an offense “quickly” — debtor’s prison awaits!

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Notice of Open, Confessed and Uncorrectable Hypocrisy

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The Four Types of Reconciliation

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The Command to “Go” and “Be Reconciled” — Part 2, The “Then”

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The Command to “Go” and “Be Reconciled” — Part 1, The “If”

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Paul also approved of mediation of disputes between Christians by other believers

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The Apostle Paul approved of arbitration of disputes between Christians by other believers

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Tag Archive: reconcile

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