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JOHN'S
JOURNALS
The
Gift and Responsibility of Forgiveness
In the world
today, even Christians are oddly silent about the subject of sin and
our need to be forgiven and reconciled to God. Many people believe
human nature is fundamentally good. These people contend that, through
education and social reform, we can all live together in harmony.
In fact, although sin is an unpopular subject in our society, it is a
fact of human experience. The reality of evil in the world, which is
the consequence of sin, cannot be denied despite the educational
opportunities and social reform programs of our day.
The Bible
clearly teaches that we are all sinful and fall short of the glory of
God. In 1 John 1:8 we read, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive
ourselves and the truth is not in us.” Our sin results in separation
from God. It leaves us in bondage to ourselves and often in conflict
with others.
When we
grasp the significance of the problem of sin, we understand the
magnificence of God’s solution. On the cross, Jesus took our sin upon
himself. When Jesus prayed “Father, forgive them” on the cross, his
prayer included not only those who mocked and crucified him, but also
the sin of all who come to him. We read in 1 John 1:9, “If we confess
our sins, God who is faithful and just will forgive our sin and
cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” For those who trust in Jesus as
Savior, God’s judgment is directed away from us, and we are declared
innocent.
What is our
response to this marvelous gift of the forgiveness of our sin? We are
to practice the forgiveness of others in our daily lives. This can be
very difficult for us. We want to put a few conditions on forgiving
others who we feel have wronged us.
C. S. Lewis
has written, “To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable
because God has forgiven the inexcusable in us.” Having experienced
the amazing gift of God’s unconditional forgiveness, our prayer needs
to be for God to strengthen us to release our desire to even the
score, and to forgive others unconditionally.
John Larsen
Board
President |