Forgive someone today, and ask someone for forgiveness...
Four-fold forgiveness: C-R-I-S acronym
Confession - I ask God to be forgiven
Repentance - I forgive you
Intercession - I ask God to forgive you
Supplication - I ask God that you would forgive me
If this seems different to you, and not right, tell me, and forgive me...
4 comments:
If I have offended, it makes sense to seek forgiveness from the offended parties, thus if I offend the acronym would be:
Repent/Supplication - I would ask God to supply me with genuine grace so that I might truly see the full nature of my offense - that I would not belittle my rebellion by regarding it as a man regards a thing, but that God would grant that I see the sinfulness of the sin. I turn away even at this point from the self that would twist this effort into something that avoids the real issue - the death of self on the cross.
Confession - I would agree with all parties (including agreeing with God in prayer) that my actions consituted a willing rebellion against God.
Thank God - I thank God that He has already forgiven me for this sin when He put me into Christ.
Supplication for Self - I ask God to please cleanse me from sin's power in this area - to show me what it is that I am unwilling to surrender to the cross, and to give me judgment day clarity, that I might see it as God sees it, so that I might (with unfeigned fervor) turn from it forever.
If on the other hand I am offended by another, I would use this acronym:
Repent - I would ask God to supply me with genuine grace that I could truly forgive in a way that wasn't just me "forgiving" because that is "what you do" - that God would deliver me out of a feigned or self deceived "posture" that resembles forgiveness but is in reality a spiritually vacuous facade. That is, I would turn away from what the self wanted to do, and submit myself to what God's Spirit wanted me to do - and I would do so trusting God to supply the grace.
Forgive - I would forgive the offense against me just as my heavenly Father forgave all my sins.
Supplication - I would ask God to grant repentance to the person who sinned against me - that they too might be freed from the sin that enslaves them and hinders God's glory being made manifest in the world through them.
I was a little confused by the CRIS acronym - it didn't seem clear whether this was to be used when I offend, or when I am offended - or both. I am not the sharpest knife in the drawer sometimes, so don't feel bad if you have to dumb it down for dear old Dan.
Do you suppose the point is that it doesn't matter which side of the "offense" we're on?
This is an area I struggle with especially when I don't think I've done anything wrong......ohhh, I have such a rebellious spirit!
Hey Even So.....Do you suppose if I changed the spelling of my name from Chris to cris that it would change my "attitude"?
Just got back from the conference.
My point was about when two pepole were in offense with one another, but it can apply other places as well...
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