
…grace and truth came to be through Jesus Christ. ~ John 1:17b NASB
It Isn’t Over ‘til the Fat Lady Sings
…or whatever is your shape, size, gender, race, income, IQ, EQ, religious faith, political lean, family, or vocation.
“Unfinished business” in the Spirit of Truth and Grace is spiritual commerce conducted but left unfinished. John scribed as Jesus defined it well in His letter to the messenger of the Church of Laodicea in Revelation 3:18-19 –
Therefore I counsel you to buy of Me gold refined in the fire that you may become rich, and white robes to put on, so as to hide your shameful nakedness, and eye-salve to anoint your eyes with, so that you may be able to see. All whom I hold dear, I reprove and chastise; therefore be in earnest and repent.
In God’s economy, His justice will unarguably prevail. If not right now, wait for it. Because truth is, He is usually waiting on us to respond to the conviction of His Word to us, not our convictions that keep us comfortable.
The letter to the Laodicean Church was seventh in the lineup of letters that Jesus the Alive One had John write. Note that His exhortation to Sardis, the fifth Church, was to strengthen what remained and was about to die, for He found their deeds unfinished in the sight of His God. Listless, lukewarm Laodicea and unfinished business of some in Sardis led the Living Christ to question, “What am I to do with you?” All His love could do for the soul had produced only moderate results,1 while He stood there waiting with rich stores of blessed mercy and grace.
But wait, there’s more…
In my post Name the Nails, I ended by describing the ‘holy homework’ my counselor assigned. Followed by proposing a similar exercise specific to current hammer-bearers, for conviction’s sake. I was aware when I signed off it was an “unfinished business” closing. If you found yourself semi-righteously swinging a “but wait, there’s more!” hammer, I wholeheartedly agree. Naming the nails conducts business; we finish it with our Priest-King.
Of course there was more to the story with that week’s homework. It became evident in the first session, that I had, from my youth up to that present day, developed a pattern of unforgiveness. Attachment styles, coping mechanisms, denial, and blame-shifting were model defaults in my family. Nails and hammers aren’t forgiving.
I carried that into other relationships beyond familial reach; on my list, churches and workplaces were also assigned because they comprised a large swath of my life where I engaged up close and personal with some. For every absence of good things or presence of bad things as I perceived them, I judged unknowing how to forgive.
Upfront, I was given the parameters of my responsibility that intensive week. My evenings were spent in schedule-cleared solitude doing what my counselor told me to do. One evening was spent in assigned reading; the remaining three consisted of the deep dive of recollection typing. All in preparation for the final day of my intensive. But before that day arrived, was identifying what had been written on my heart. I named the nails. Though the homework revolved around ‘those’, the true revelation was what effects had been borne out in me.
My counselor presided as witness to the confessions I was making directly to the Lord Jesus Christ. I read, wept, paused long at some before able to finally surrender, and pronounced my forgiveness of ‘those’ I had identified with each specific ‘what’ statement written on those 6-8 pages, now inaccessible due to the forgotten password.
Holy Reset, Holy Duet
When the ‘unfinished’ or ‘incomplete’ is entered and bound to Christ’s “It is finished!”, a holy duet results. I have always loved to sing, but again we’re talking about a transaction spirit to Spirit here. For those who can’t carry a tune in a bucket, these are the times He puts a new song in our mouth, a song of praise to our God! 2
After concluding several hours later, my counselor pronounced me forgiven in Jesus’ Name. I was exhausted but felt light and cleansed, aware I had proven and received the present power of His cleansing blood that sets free. Though only two of us were physically present, it was true that where two or three are gathered in His Name, 3
The Lord your God is in the midst of you, a Mighty One, a Savior [Who saves]! He will rejoice over you with joy; He will rest [in silent satisfaction] and in His love He will be silent and make no mention [of past sins, or even recall them]; He will exult over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17 (Amplified Classic)
Grateful to the Lord and this one who walked with me through a truly intensive week, I told them that where I had lived a lifetime of unforgiveness, I now wanted to live a lifestyle of learning to forgive. God had years before seeded desire to have a teachable spirit (which actually made it to the written page six months before my intensive). While He was already working in me, He was waiting for this deliverance.
In benediction, my counselor reinforced that a huge slate had been cleared and removed. Freeing rest could be mine as I continued putting into practice my God-given right and responsibility to give and receive forgiveness.
A Process Begun
A process begun becomes ours to take hold of and keep putting into practice as Christ’s nature is worked in us.
In the case of this “unfinished business” in my personal story, it dealt death blows to pain-filled grievances and unforgiveness I knew needed more than just mouthing the words. Discontentedness, sullen complaint, and sometimes anger overriding deep hurt was all called up and exposed in private where reconciliation could occur.
Fearful I would lose my right to myself and my feelings, I did not know the full grip of my unfinished business. Holy Spirit did and does, determined to do a thorough work as Counselor, Comforter, and Healer – with a large helping of the Spirit of Truth and Grace. I learned how to forgive; He and I are still redeeming ground to this day.
~ Gracefully Free
1 F.B. Meyer 2 Psalm 40:3 (the whole chapter is note-worthy) 3 Matthew 18:20
Recommended reading: Revelation 2 and 3 │ Book by Charles F. Finck – “As We Forgive Those”
Photo Credit: Pexels-Pixabay-33783
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