God comforts us in all our tribulation that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble with the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God (2 Cor 1:4).
Commenting on this verse, Dale Byers makes an irrefutable observation, followed by an interesting question and important advice. Please read carefully and respond correctly:
It is the nature of sin to bring hurt to people. Most of the hurts in our lives are caused by the actions or words of someone else. God does not want us to sin, and there are always provisions so we do not need to, but we do. If you were forced into a choice, which of these would you choose? (1) To be wounded deeply by someone you loved and trusted, or (2) To wound deeply someone who loved and trusted you?
When we are wounded by someone, we receive the blessings of being identified with Christ in His hurt. Don’t become bitter when you have been wronged. Rejoice, because God’s blessings rest upon you. To be wounded puts us in “the place of God,” as was Joseph in Gen.50:19-20. To suffer from the sins of others puts us in the place of God where we can forgive and return blessings upon them. This is like Christ who blessed even those who nailed Him to the Cross, “Father forgive them they know not what they do.” You can overcome your bitterness by claiming Eph 4: 31- 5:1, “And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”
When we wound others by our sins, we must first of all repent by pursuing forgiveness from God and from those whom we have wronged. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is a message which provides redemption and forgiveness for sinners. The most difficult things to deal with in our sinning are the wounds and hurts that we bring to others. If we wound someone who loves and trusts us, we lose the confidence and trust of other people. Trust and honor can never be given to someone. Those must be earned. It may take years to win that honor and trust back again, and sometimes it may never be achieved.
When we wrong other people, we carry the guilt and consequences of our sins. We may receive forgiveness, but the consequences may be with us, sometimes, until the grave. If our sins involve a violation of the laws of the land, we may receive forgiveness from God and the people whom we have wronged, but the consequences of the law remain. Nor will forgiveness necessarily eliminate the hurts we have caused.
So how do we handle living with the wounds we have caused in other people’s lives? That can be done only through the Mercy and Grace of God. These four words are important: Repent, Return, Repair, and Restore. (1) Repent thoroughly before God. (2) Return anything you have taken. (3) Repair, as much as possible, any damages you have done; and (4) Restore relationships as much and as soon as possible.
Allow God’s glory to be demonstrated even in your sins. Claim the wrong totally as your own. Accept 100 percent of the blame. Defend the righteousness of God even in the consequences for your sins. God is merciful, but He is also righteous, and the situation will require Him to demonstrate His justice as well as His mercy. Accept the truths of Gal 6:7,” Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” God’s mercy and grace is sufficient and available for the sinner and for the wounded. Thank God for the Cross, the Resurrection and the Ascension! Remember that God does love you supremely.
