Schedule | - 12:19 pm
Faith Must Be Reflected in Our Actions, Including the Decision to Let Go of Resentment and Wish Good for Those Who Have Hurt Us
Reflecting on the words of the apostle Paul, the bishop emphasized that sacrifice goes beyond a financial contribution:
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. (Romans 12:1)
This surrender involves our everyday actions. Therefore, living sincerely, doing good, and forgiving others are ways to honor God.
Likewise, the request “Hallowed be Your name” in the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9) must be reflected in the behavior of those who pray. According to the bishop, people should recognize a Christian person’s faith by the way this person lives.
However, holding on to resentment while presenting an offering at the Altar contradicts this surrender. To explain this, he quoted the Lord Jesus’ instruction:
Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. (Matthew 5:23–24)
The bishop instructed people to pray for those who have offended them, asking God to bless them, even when their hearts still resist.
“Forgiveness is not a matter of feelings; it is a sacrifice,” he stated.
Therefore, a person does not need to wait until they feel like forgiving before taking action. By wishing good for someone who has wronged them, they go against their own feelings in order to obey the Word of God.
Furthermore, the bishop warned that resentment prevents a person from receiving the Holy Spirit. For this reason, he emphasized that the decision to forgive should not be put off.
