This Side of the Cross

As I read a couple articles from the new Pray! magazine (one of my all time favorite journals) it got me thinking about the power of the cross in our interpersonal relationships.

The theme of this quarter's Pray! Magazine is "Better Promises," -- praying from this side of the cross. I had never thought of this before -- that prayer is so much different now when done so at the foot of the cross. God hasn't changed since He established the New Covenant. And yet our hearts certainly change when we enter into that new relationship with God.

Before going to bed I read one article about praying for our enemies, following our Lord's example. The writer pointed out that in the Old Testament "righteous men of God responded to their enemies with prayers of judgment and vengeance." But now, because Jesus "bore the full weight of our sin on the cross, we now have an understanding of mercy that believers under the Old Covenant did not... Because He who was without sin extended forgiveness to us, sinners all, we now have the grace to offer it to those who are against us."

And when we receive that grace in Jesus Christ, we now have the power of the Holy Spirit to give us the ability to love our enemies, forgive those who sin against us, and pray for those who have caused us harm.*

As I fell asleep thinking of how everything changes because of the cross, I felt such peace as I asked Jesus to forgive me of any resentment that I hold against others and to empower me with His Spirit to pray a blessing over those I need to forgive.

I'm just wondering how harmonious our relationships would be - at home, at work, in our interactions with the body of Christ -- if we allowed the lubricating oil of the Holy Spirit to transform us so that daily we would forgive and receive forgiveness from one another.

Jim

* "To Bless Instead" by Alice Bridge (Pray! Magazine, March/April 2007), pp. 34-35.