Sixth Sunday after Pentecost

We live in a world in which there is no possible way not to interact with other people. Wherever we go, we have to interact with other people. If you want to buy something, you have to interact with the store clerk. If you are going out to eat dinner with friends, you have to interact with them and with your waitress or waiter. That’s not the only people around you in the restaurant. What does this mean? It means that we cannot hide in the outside world. Any time we step out of the house, people can see us. Anybody can see how you laugh, cry or even act out there.

Of course, in this world, no one can hide. If something happens, everybody will know about it. If you are happy then they see happy but if you you’re sad, what do people see of you? What do they think when they see an argument with two people in which it turns into a big fight. To make it worse it’s between friends or loves ones. What happens? Fights then result in which people stop talking for a while or forever. What other examples can there be? How about when a person falls to temptation, what does that tell people? Whatever the case might be, people witness the events. They might see how we might hurt each other. Once that hurt is in place, friendships or family members might decide to walk another path and never talk or never forgive each other again. What is the definition to forgive? It is a verb, to stop feeling angry or resentful toward someone for an offense, flaw or mistake (Oxford Dictionary). Again, people see anger and resentment toward another human being. We know that is all bad but what makes this worse?

The worse part is that people who are looking on might know that we are Christians. They see and hear us boast that we are Christians and yet at times we act just like any other person. We do not witness Christ by our sinful actions. As Christians, we at times do not act as Christians. We do not forgive and materialist things easily tempt us. It is how we walk with the world and not with God. No matter what the situation is, those who are not believers see us and think that there is no point in being a Christian. They think that we are like everybody else in the world. That might think that we only care to live according to our needs. There are those who are new to the faith and see a fellow church member fighting, being tempted, being judgmental and even boasting about their faith when they do not act on their faith.

The people of Galatians were those people. They were the ones who were new to the faith. They were the people looking and then wondered why they were Christians. They saw how other Christians were acting. There were so called Christians telling them how to act the wrong way. The same things happen today. There are those who are new to the faith in our time just like those new to the faith in Paul’s time. Paul warns us against living by our flesh "For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruptions." Sin and the devil will use those corruptions by any means possible to work on other people, instead of hearing God’s word they only see our corruption. That means that when we fight, be tempted or boast about who we are, etc. that is when Satan uses us the most. He will use our fleshly desires to make sin accessible to us and to others. He also uses those moments when we sin to spread his influence unto others. He makes sure that they turn away from God too.

Satan knows that we are God’s children and will use our sinful side to make God look bad in front of others. We must not forget that Satan will try anything and everything. Even though it might seem just like a harmless little argument in front of other people. Satan will use that little argument so it can be harmful to anybody who witnesses it. 2nd Corinthians 2:11 "in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes." Satan has numerous schemes to try outwitting us to make us not to trust God. He never gives up. He knows the law just as Paul stated in his epistle to Romans "For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work into our members to bear fruit for death." Satan uses sin to corrupt us, to corrupt non-believers and to corrupt anybody who has heard the Word of God.

However, God has a different plan for His people. God’s plan succeeds and due to that God forgives us of our sins. Satan’s plan to turn us away has failed. God is no longer angry or resentful to us for our sins but continues to loves us. 1st John 4:9-10 "In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but hat he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." It is because of God’s love for us that He sent His Son into world to save all of us. Christ atoned for our sins by dieing on the cross for us. God could have looked away and let die in our sins but He did not. He could not because of His love for us. This is the main reason why God forgives each one of us today. When Christ died for us and when we believe in Christ, our names are in the Book of Life. Luke 10:20 "but rejoices that your names are written in heaven."

Even though we might be judgmental or not easily forgiving of our neighbors or friends, God is not. He does not judge us for each sin that we commit. He sees the sin we commit but does not turn His back on us. He knows that we are sinners and that we will commit those sins. Again, that is why Christ died on the cross for us.

With forgiveness comes a fresh start. We have a second chance by God to walk with Him. We not only get a second chance with God but we too can forgive those have we have hurt or to those who have hurt us. Sure, it sounds easy for me to say that up here from the pulpit. When some one is angry, it is hard to forgive. When there is hatred for another it is hard to forgive. It is never easy to forgive when we continue to sin and with the devil trying to work his schemes on us. As Paul, stated in our epistle, "And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God. From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus." Paul is not talking about some physical mark but a spiritual mark that God has given each one of you in your hearts. It is by these marks that not even the Devil can stop us or harm us. With these marks, we too can go and forgive others. We are not alone because we have Christ in our hearts.

As long as we continue to walk with Christ and with the Holy Spirit, we will always have God with us. For God promises us this: This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you that God is light and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with Him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin we deceives ourselves and the truth is not is us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness if we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and his word is not in us" (1 john 5:5-10). By just going to Him to confess our sins, God forgives us. When we walk with God, our bodies are clothed in righteousness in Christ and not in sin. Its when we think we are somebody and do not forgive is when we deceives ourselves. By walking with Christ, we can have fellowship with other people especially those who belong to the faith. For those who do no belong to the faith, the truth is in each one of you to proclaim through your acts. Acts like love and forgiveness.

If you need an example of forgiveness and walking with Christ look to Paul. He was a man who persecuted the church before God came to him. When Christ came to Paul and charged him to go and proclaim the Gospel to all the Gentiles, Paul did it. It was not easy because of whom he was but he trusted God above all things. With that came this "They only heard the report: ‘the man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy and they praise God because of me." They praised God. By our actions and when we walk with Christ, the Holy Spirit works through us to other people. Once the Holy Spirit touches a person, they too can praise God as the people who heard the report of Paul. We can walk with Christ. It is not as hard as it seems. God sends to us the Holy Spirit because He knows that we cannot walk by ourselves. It is almost like a parent helping a child learn to walk. The parent is holding the arms of a child, so the child can stand up straight and walk. That is what God is doing for us. He holds our hand to help us.

When God helps us, He helps us to be better people then we were without Him. He helps us with the power of Holy Spirit to act as Christians. He helps us while we live in sinful world. There will be confrontations when we interact with other people but we must never forget what God tells us in Romans 12:17-18 "Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, as far as it depends on you, live peaceable with all." Not only that but as Christ said in Matthew 22:39 "and the second is like it "love your neighbor as yourself’. God loves us dearly and we believe truly that God saves us because of that love. If we believe ourselves as saved then let us walk to our brother and sister who have not heard of God’s love. Let us tell them that they too can walk with God. Those unbelievers too can receive God’s love and forgiveness when they believe in God’s grace. Go out and walk with God. In Jesus Name. Amen