“The prisoner, imprisoned for the same reason his entire family had been murdered—his race (nothing else)—was called into a hospital room where a soldier from among the oppressors laid, his life draining out from a war hole. Caked in crusted and rancid bandages, the oppressor sputtered this painful plea:
“I was in an elite unit. A land mine killed thirty of our men. In revenge, we herded three hundred of your people into a building; men, women, children; doused it with gasoline; and set it on fire. Those who fled we shot. I remember specifically a mother, a father, and a small boy. The parents, covering the child's eyes, ran outside. All were screaming. I shot them dead. I can't get away from the sight and sound of that family and their screams. And now, as I am dying, I beg forgiveness from someone of your race. Without it, I cannot die in peace. Please, please, forgive me! “” The forgiven—Sabbath school Bible Study Guide, second quarter 2003.
“I was in an elite unit. A land mine killed thirty of our men. In revenge, we herded three hundred of your people into a building; men, women, children; doused it with gasoline; and set it on fire. Those who fled we shot. I remember specifically a mother, a father, and a small boy. The parents, covering the child's eyes, ran outside. All were screaming. I shot them dead. I can't get away from the sight and sound of that family and their screams. And now, as I am dying, I beg forgiveness from someone of your race. Without it, I cannot die in peace. Please, please, forgive me! “” The forgiven—Sabbath school Bible Study Guide, second quarter 2003.
Whatever the answer from the prisoner to this dying soul seeking forgiveness, we all know that even in the best of situations, forgiveness doesn't come easy. Both for the forgiveness and reconciliation Christian activists and the eye for an eye Judaism defenders.
For a clear example, often times here in Rwanda, we receive Christian missionaries who come to help this country heal from its shameful and disgraced history. They come to teach us not only the tactics and techniques that are necessary in the process of reconciliation, but also the ABCs of salvation as it is found in Jesus Christ.
Some times I wonder, how many of us, missionaries and local Christians--if Osama Bin Laden and Théoneste Bagosora were captured and brought to be judged not by earthly system of justices that would judge them by the law of the land, but to be judged by the gospel preachers so that they would judge them according to the Law of God—How many of us would say to them “Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more"”?
“If it takes so much for us to forgive a snapping unkind word, a rebuff, a cold shoulder, an insult, or curse, what did it take for God to forgive our lusts, our murders, our cruelty, our hatred, our crimes, our violence, and even, if need be, our mass murders?”
God said and is still saying: “Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit. Psalms 32:1-2
Whether the 9/11, Rwandan genocide and South African apartheid victims like it or not, that would include—if they accept Jesus’ call to repent—people like Osama Bin Laden, Theoneste Bagosora and Steve Biko’s murderers.
Sounds frustrating, and some times hard to believe. But we cannot deny that these men and many more not mentioned here, are no more sinners than Soul baptized Paul, a man whose cruelty has been turned into a lofty and exemplified faith. A man, whose epistles and letters are documents without which the inspired word of God would have been incomplete.
So, how does this covering of sins and forgiveness of transgression business work? How does it happen that this misunderstood Old Testament God never counts sins against the sinner? Does He just condone sin? After all, He is God of Justice who truly can display a bitter wrath.
The Cross is the means by which God could be just and, at the same time, forgive our sins. That is quite a feat, because justice, by nature, demands being given the punishment you deserve, while forgiveness demands the opposite, being given what you do not deserve. Justice and forgiveness, then, seem mutually exclusive: You can have one or the other—but not both. Yet God, through Christ, accomplished both at the Cross.
Our unkind words, rebuffs, cold shoulders, insults, curses, lusts, murders, cruelties, hatreds, crimes, violence, and even, if need be, our mass murders become Christ’s own crimes for which He was crucified and in exchange what we have in return is his holiness and righteousness counted as if they are our own.
And this is very true both in Old Testament and New Testament alike. Like in the New Testament this wonderful gift of righteousness came to those in the Old Testament by faith alone. Never faith + Law. Hence the phrase, "righteousness by faith.""The Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin" (Exodus 34:6, 7).
The reason why the Great I AM does not still up all his wrath against us and destroy us, is because He is full of compassion, forgives our iniquities (Ps. 78:38).
You might be thinking that you have gone down bellow the forgiveness line. That now you do not deserve his mercy. But know this:"
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).
I am forgiven, Are You? Or you don't feel the Need to be? If you don feel the need, read
Romans 3:23. Then, once you have recognized that you need to be forgiven, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38
Then, you will be blessed because being forgiven is being blessed!
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