“Remember Lot’s wife!” - Jesus (Luke 17:32)

What an interesting comment for Jesus to bring to our attention, citing what happened back in that OT story when Lot and his family were delivered from impending judgment. They were instructed as they fled Sodom to ‘not look back’. Lot’s wife did, and she turned into a pillar of salt.(Gen. 19:26)

Paul makes mention of ‘forgetting those things which are behind...and pressing forward towards those things which are ahead in Christ Jesus...’ (Phil. 3:13-14). And have you ever heard the phrase how God throws our sins into the ‘sea of forgetfulness’ after we confess them to Him and then repent, as we turn from them? That phrase itself is not found in scripture, but is derived from a few passages that suggest that- Micah 7:19, Jer. 31:34 and Isa. 43:25. The point being...If God is willing to forgive and forget our past... once ‘under the blood’, why would we be about the business of bringing them back up, including those sins others committed against us if/when we have truly forgiven them?

But you do know who likes to bring those up, yes? The one who is called ‘the accuser of the brethren’, Satan (Rev. 12:10). And part of the ‘test’ you will face after you’ve repented of holding a ‘grudge’ against someone for something they did (or failed to do) which ‘gave place to the enemy’ (Eph. 4:27), and then were set free from that ‘spirit of unforgiveness’... will involve the devil who tends to ‘come immediately (Mark 4:15) as the ‘tester’ or tempter.

Friends...expect it, and don’t be shocked when it happens. Oh...but you want to know (maybe secretly)...’what about that person’ who committed the offense? Will they be held accountable for what they did? Isn’t God a ‘God of justice’? I’m sure that will be a part of the ‘test’ and the enemy will make sure to bring this up with you, wanting to ‘test’ that freshly healed wound in you. This...is where you are required to ‘hold your ground’, and ‘resisting the devil’...is not an option (James 4:7; 1 Pet. 5:9; Eph. 6:10-11).

If you’ll recall from earlier lessons, when God was laying out the plan on how the Israelites would go in and possess the land, He made it clear that there were enemies on the land that He...would ‘drive out from before them’ (Ex. 23:30); but then in the very next breath, God seems to suggest that He will then ‘hand them over into their hands and they shall drive them out before them’ (32). So what gives here? Well...for starters, you were not called to be a ‘spectator’, which is why we are admonished to ‘put on the whole armor of God’ (Eph. 6:11) and to ‘put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh’ (Rom. 13:14). So it just may be possible that we do indeed...have a role to fulfill in this ‘war’ against sin, the flesh, and the devil. But remember, it is ‘Christ IN you’ who is carrying this out...as long as you are abiding in Him’. (Gal. 2:20)

Oh, part of that ‘armor’ we are told to take up involves a ‘shield of faith’ to be used against those ‘flaming darts or arrows’ the enemy will sling your way (Eph. 6:16). This would be a good time to make sure you have 2 Cor. 10:3-5 underlined, where we are admonished to ‘bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ’. And when the enemy begins to sling those ‘thoughts’ your way, trying to reopen that wound and bring with him seven other spirits worse’ (Matt. 12:43-45), they ought to hit your ‘helmet-protected mind’ (Eph. 6:17) like bugs hit an electric ‘zapper’ on a hot, Texas summer evening. And you shouldn’t need a ’flyswatter’ to combat those thoughts that will ‘come in like a flood’ at times because now you have the ‘sword of the Spirit which is the word of God’.

Friends...let me remind you here that nothing escapes God’s attention. But His concern at this moment in time has nothing to do with all those folks around you who ‘offended’ or ‘hurt’ you; on the contrary...He’s watching your heart and how you respond to this ‘test’. Because the way in which you want to deal with this person who offended you...will be the way in which God will ultimately deal with you for all your sins. Not sure about that one? Go read Matt. 7:1-2 and Luke 6:37-38. In other words, don’t worry about them. Instead, work on ‘resisting the enemy’ just like Jesus did in the wilderness. Maybe utilizing Matt. 5:38-45 would be a good start, as you pray for them, even praying the same prayer Jesus did while being nailed to a cross: “Father...forgive them...they didn’t know what they were doing” (Luke 23:34).

Oh, but you’re not sure you can do that? Maybe it’s time to review Phil. 4:13 about now? Oh, but it ‘hurts’ some to pray that during this time of testing? I’m sure it is a bit ‘raw’, but this is part of ‘putting that sin/flesh to death’ in your life, once and for all. Yes...there is some ‘suffering’ involved when we do this, but as the writer of Hebrews reminds us, you’ve not yet ‘resisted to the point of shedding blood’ (Heb. 12:4)...like Jesus did for us. And let’s not forget the counsel Peter offers us about ‘arming ourselves with the same mind of Christ’ and ‘anyone who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin’ (1 Pet. 4:1-2). Welcome to being a disciple of Christ where we too...are called to take up our cross as we follow Him.

And if it’s any consolation to you, you might read Romans 12:14-21, with emphasis on vs 19. But you have to do ‘your part’ as outlined in all those other verses there as well. Also, if you find yourself struggling to ‘do the word’ vs. just quoting it...there’s some good promises found in Hebrews 2:16-18 and 4:15-16. You might want to ‘cash in’ on those when you face your temptations to open that door back up to resentment and bitterness. There’s no telling just how long this particular ‘test’ will last, but you better stay vigilant until the ‘God of all grace comes to strengthen you and perfect you and establish you. (1 Pet. 5:8-10; Matt. 24:42-44). This...is how the ‘land is cleared’ and our hearts our purified as we continue on in the faith as we walk, or abide in/with Jesus (1 John 2:6; 3:3). And it’s ‘those who endure till the end....that will be ‘saved’ (Matt. 10:22; 24:13; Rev. 2:7,11;3:21)

Years ago, when I use to preach every Sunday at the church I pastored, it was not uncommon for a few people to tell me after the service: “Good message”. My response to that was usually: “We’ll see!” :- )