Forgiving God
By John D. Bain
()
About this ebook
I began my life as a Baptist preacher with informal (and nervous) “talks” and “testimonies.” Opportunities opened for me to formally address classes, small groups and then congregations. Retreats, revivals, and what we ministers call supply (filling in for someone who is taking a hiatus).
But I never really got down to the nitty-gritty of real life ministry until I became a pastor. Suddenly the talk had to become walk, preach had to become practice, the water had to hit the wheel, and the rubber meet the road.
And believe me, sometimes it can really get real.
For many of the religious and pious, the mixing of faith and daily life is not a concern or a desire. But for the true born again believer his faith is not a ritual, a spiritual exercise, or merely an ethical path. It is an actual joining with a Living Person. That Person invades our lives and we become an existential part of Him, and He a part of us. He (and our faith concerning Him) relates to every part of our life, and every event in our life must be interpreted and perceived in light of whom He is.
That means that HE, and everything that we believe about Him must be relevant not only to the good or desirable parts of our life but also the parts that we would chose to omit. That also means that our Theology and our “live-ology” are sometimes going to be in conflict. Sometimes the God that we believe to be Holy, Righteous, Perfect, and Just is going to do, cause, permit, or allow something that will send our faith spiraling down, nose first.
It is not reality or truth that I’m talking about but our perception of truth; what we feel, what we sense in our limited, finite minds and hearts. How it looks through purely human eyes.
That ultimately means (for many) that there are going to be times in the genuine believer’s life when he or she feels that he has been wronged by God. That God has not only failed him but betrayed him. He will feel offended, angry, wounded, and often become bitter, even to the point of losing his faith or confidence in God.
In my ministry I have had occasion to meet men and women who profess to having formerly had a significant and meaningful religious and spiritual life but who now are spiritually neutral or are numb toward God. Some, however, have slipped to the point of living in constant antipathy against God.
How can we find our way back from the “far country” of prodigal anger against our heavenly Father? How can we get over our anger and offense, our hurt and pain, our bitterness and resentment against a perfect God who never makes mistakes?
I believe that every Christian whose faith is intermingled with his daily life and walk sooner or later collides with this dilemma. How is it that some who face this trial survive with their faith intact and some do not?
I believe that the survivors – whether realizing it consciously or not – have learned to forgive God.
John D. Bain
Dr. John D. Bain is a resident of Hartselle, Alabama. The son of John W. and Elizabeth Bain and the husband of Terri Evans Bain. He has two children and two grandchildren.He was ordained into the pastoral ministry in 1977 and has served as a Southern Baptist Pastor for thirty-seven years in seven SBC churches.He was graduated (National Honor Society) from the Morgan County High School in Hartselle, Alabama in 1974 (now Hartselle High School), from Belmont College in Nashville, Tennessee in 1979 (now Belmont University – Bachelor’s Degree ), from Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary in Memphis, Tennessee in 1982 (Master’s of Divinity), and from the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in New Orleans, Louisiana in 2012 (Doctor of Ministry).In 2006 he left the full time pastorate to serve in associational missions and as a bivocational pastor in smaller SBC churches.In 1990 he was introduced to the world of the Personal Computer – he incorporated the PC into his ministry and pastoral work and eventually gained expertise in their use, maintenance, and repair. Thus electronic books!
Read more from John D. Bain
Learning to Feed Yourself is Messy Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Word of Their Testimony Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsI want to be LEFT BEHIND Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMore than Miracles Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Other Little Ships Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsUnbearable Cross Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to Forgiving God
Related ebooks
The Wilderness Experience: A Study on the Road That Leads to Faith, Hope, and Christlikeness! Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsIf God Is Love, Why Do I Feel so Bad?: Considering Our Images of God Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHumbling Ourselves at the Feet of Jesus Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Spark to Start Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsI'm Accepted: WALKing the Journey from Rejection to Freedom Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPrayer: The Kind God Hears Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWoman, You Are Highly Favoured by God Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGod's Mission Statement Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEight Pillars of Prosperity Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWhat Has God Ever Done For Me: God has done exactly what you and I could never do! Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGod Speaks to the Broken Hearted Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGrowth Lessons Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsI’m Not Finished Loving You: Desiree’s Story Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5God, I Forgive you Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsJourney to Wholeness: 10 steps to turn setbacks into setups Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsArt: Biblical Truths for Creatives Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGod's Grace for Singles Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Nature of God: 50 Christian Devotions about God's Love and Acceptance (God's Love Book 1) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Identity Theft Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsStep Into the Beauty of Holiness: A 30 Day Devotional for Women Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDo You Love Me?: Discover How To Deepen Your Love For God Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHearing God & Slaying Giants in Your Career: It's Not About You Working. It's About God Working in You. Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5In His Presence: A 365-Day Christian Devotional Book Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsIs God Making You Lazy? Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRock Solid Building a New Life on the Foundation of Christ: A Seven-Week Bible Devotional Guide for New Christians Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings60 Days Daily Devotional Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSTAND Secure Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsUncover Your Divine Design: Who did God create you to be? Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLetters to My Angry Self Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsI’m Praying, and I Won’t Get Up: Establishing and Solidifying Your Relationship with God Through Prayer Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Christianity For You
Boundaries Updated and Expanded Edition: When to Say Yes, How to Say No To Take Control of Your Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mere Christianity Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Decluttering at the Speed of Life: Winning Your Never-Ending Battle with Stuff Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Screwtape Letters Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Law of Connection: Lesson 10 from The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Winning the War in Your Mind: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Uninvited: Living Loved When You Feel Less Than, Left Out, and Lonely Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Good Boundaries and Goodbyes: Loving Others Without Losing the Best of Who You Are Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Girl, Wash Your Face: Stop Believing the Lies About Who You Are so You Can Become Who You Were Meant to Be Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Wild at Heart Expanded Edition: Discovering the Secret of a Man's Soul Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Four Loves Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Changes That Heal: Four Practical Steps to a Happier, Healthier You Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Stories We Tell: Every Piece of Your Story Matters Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Present Over Perfect: Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simpler, More Soulful Way of Living Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Grief Observed Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Book of Enoch Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Less Fret, More Faith: An 11-Week Action Plan to Overcome Anxiety Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How to Lead When You're Not in Charge: Leveraging Influence When You Lack Authority Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I'll Start Again Monday: Break the Cycle of Unhealthy Eating Habits with Lasting Spiritual Satisfaction Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5NIV, Holy Bible Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Bible Recap: A One-Year Guide to Reading and Understanding the Entire Bible Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Magnolia Story (with Bonus Content) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Everybody, Always: Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult People Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Boundaries Workbook: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for Forgiving God
0 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
Forgiving God - John D. Bain
Forgiving God
Getting Past the Anger, Hurt, and Bitterness we Sometimes Feel
toward a Truly Loving God
Who Never Errs
by John D. Bain
Copyright © 2001 by Other Little Ships
Smashwords Edition
Dedication
Dedicated to the members of the
OAK PARK BAPTIST CHURCH
Chapter 1 Introduction
I began my life as a Baptist preacher with informal (and nervous) talks
and testimonies.
Opportunities opened for me to formally address classes, small groups and then congregations. Retreats, revivals, and what we ministers call supply (filling in for someone who is taking a hiatus).
But I never really got down to the nitty-gritty of real life ministry until I became a pastor. Suddenly the talk had to become walk, preach had to become practice, the water had to hit the wheel, and the rubber meet the road.
And believe me, sometimes it can really get real.
For many of the religious and pious, the mixing of faith and daily life is not a concern or a desire. But for the true born again believer his faith is not a ritual, a spiritual exercise, or merely an ethical path. It is an actual joining with a Living Person. That Person invades our lives and we become an existential part of Him, and He a part of us. He (and our faith concerning Him) relates to every part of our life, and every event in our life must be interpreted and perceived in light of whom He is.
That means that HE, and everything that we believe about Him must be relevant not only to the good or desirable parts of our life but also the parts that we would chose to omit. That also means that our Theology and our live-ology
are sometimes going to be in conflict. Sometimes the