"Increase Our Faith"

Scripture: Luke 17:3-4

So watch yourselves.  If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them.  Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.

Observations:  

I'm sticking with the forgiveness theme today since we are preparing for a night about forgiveness in FpStudents.  

This word "rebuke" is often misinterpreted.  Christians so often take this as permission to judge.  That is not what this is saying.  In fact, when it says "if yours brother or sister sins against you," it is talking about other disciples.  See it is not our job to judge people outside of the church.  1 Corinthians 5:12-13 says, "What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church?  Are you not to judge those inside?  God will judge those outside."  How unfair it would be to hold people to a standard to which they haven't committed themselves?  

We are, however, called to hold our Christian brothers and sisters accountable.  We are supposed to "speak the truth in love" (Ephesians 4:15), in order to mutually grow in the Lord.  So when this verse says "rebuke them," we must remember the purpose of a rebuke is to hold someone accountable so that they don't stray from the Lord.

We're pretty good at holding people accountable, aren't we?  But verse 4 is what we struggle with.  We want to hold them accountable forever.  Instead, Jesus tells us that we are to forgive them-- even if they do the exact same thing seven times in one day!  Man, this is hard… to keep forgiving that person who has said, "I'm sorry" so many times?  It's hard to believe that they apology or repentance is ligit.

Application:

But look at how the apostles answer, "Increase our faith!"  Squirrel!  Is it just me or does that response seem a little out of left field when you first read it?

Actually it was brilliant.  

My girls and I have had this conversation so many times…

"It's so hard to keep believing my mom when she says she going to get clean.  I've heard it a hundred times.  And she's back in jail again already.  I just have a hard time praying for her anymore and believing that it will ever be different."

Increase our faith!

"My dad took off again.  He's told me he was staying for real this time every six months for as long as I can remember.  But then he's gone again.  How can believe him when he says he's sorry?  I just don't think things will ever really change." 

Increase our faith!

"My friend is constantly stepping on me to get the popular girls' attention.  She's a good friend when it's just us.  And I've really believed her when she tells me she's sorry… but that's getting harder to do."

Increase our faith!

"I am confident in this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."  (Philippians 1:6).

It's so hard to keep forgiving.  And it's nearly impossible to believe someone is going to change when they have hurt you "seven times a day."  But Jesus tells us that we are to forgive 70 x 7 times-- completely and continuously (Matthew 18:22).  And we can have confidence-- faith-- that he is still working on the good thing he's started.

Our job is just to keep forgiving and believing that he works all things for good (Romans 8:28).

Prayer:  

Dear Lord, I love you!  And I thank you that you are working all things-- even things that seem impossible-- for my good.  Lord, I pray that you would help me to forgive, even when the hurt repeats so often.  I know you are in control and you have a plan.  In Jesus' name!  Amen!

Confident in this…

Miranda